Things To Consider When Choosing or Renovating Flooring

1. TAKE FLOORING SAMPLES HOME

• It's a best practice to take flooring samples and see how it looks in your home as it may look quite different than how it did in the store.
• Why is this? Light changes the colour in your home as well as the surrounding colour of the walls, furniture, etc.. This can affect the color you see on your floor.

2. HARDWOOD SELECTION

• Make sure you have a humidifier to maintain the appropriate humidity of minimally 35% Relative Humidity. See table
• Keep in mind that exotic hardwoods actually require a higher relative humidity.
• Hardwoods that have a matte finish or wire brushed texture will hide little scratches and wear better over time.

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3. SUBFLOOR (Tile or Vinyl Specific Types)

• Renovation – changing from 2 different materials to 1 throughout sometime you will have varying floor heights. Take this into account because the cost to add or remove subfloor is not usually considered. Cost of material and labor can both play a role.
• In a kitchen you need to be cautious that adding subfloor will not affect your under mount appliances. Watch out to ensure that your dishwasher and other under mount appliances will still fit under the counter. It also affects cabinets and counter heights.

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4. BASEBOARDS

• If removing subfloor or changing to a flooring type that is thinner than the previous flooring, you will need to keep an eye on the baseboards as they may need to be dropped
• Dropping the baseboards might result in having to re-paint the wall or get new baseboards

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFESTYLE?

• What your lifestyle looks like, how much maintenance are you prepared to do for your flooring, are you planning on staying and living in your home, or are you looking to sell your home? All these factors can play a role in what type of flooring you should be considering.
• Utilize the expertise of a flooring salesperson and be sure to let them know your intentions by answering these questions.

Whether you've renovated or built a new house, leave a comment below and share your experiences you've had choosing the right flooring.