5 Great Questions To Ask When Selecting New Floors

There’s no need to rush the process of purchasing new floors, especially considering what this type of investment represents for the average family or homeowner. Even new floors for a small room can represent a family trip, a down payment on a car, or another significant expenditure. If you are going to spend the money, take the time to make sure you definitely love what you are paying for! Plus, the goal is to pick long-lasting floors that you will enjoy for many years.

As you analyze flooring samples and product features, we suggest taking a balanced, thoughtful approach to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the process. Have your laptop, tablet, or phone ‘Notes’ app handy, or you can use a good old-fashioned pen and paper! We present five great questions to ask when selecting new floors. Write down your answers to each and bring the info to our experts for product recommendations that match your preferences:

What’s My Flooring Budget?

It’s always a great practice to first determine a ballpark figure that you would like to spend on new flooring. The more expensive flooring types such as hardwood, natural stone, and tile will add the most value to your home’s property value. If you are in a position to purchase these high-quality materials, you will receive many years of performance and attractive appearance. If your kids are still young and full of energy, as well as any lovable, active pets you may have, it may be wiser to wait until a few years down the line before investing in these floors.

Laminate and luxury vinyl are more budget-friendly options that still deliver plenty of style. Make sure to explore our Financing options (subject to credit approval) if it can potentially make the purchase easier! After you review your household’s upcoming expenses and determine the amount that you are hoping to spend, write down these figures to refer to while shopping.

Where Are My New Floors Going in the Home?

Although this question may seem obvious, it’s an important consideration to review! Every room in the home experiences different conditions, and these will directly influence the performance you need from your new floors. For example, your high-traffic rooms will require a different type of carpet than a master bedroom that receives less activity. Consider a low-profile carpet construction for an active area, and indulge in a plush carpet pile for rooms where only residents will spend time. The same logic will still apply to your hard surface flooring options but to varying degrees.

You will certainly want to ensure that the rooms that experience moisture such as kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and mudrooms, receive new floors with appropriate levels of water resistance. Genuine hardwood is an incredible, durable flooring option, but isn’t the best fit for these areas that experience more humidity and the likelihood of water on the floor. Factors like stain and scratch resistance will be extremely high on the list for the busiest rooms in an active home! Write down the biggest priorities for the rooms receiving the new floors.

What’s My Home’s Décor Style?

Here’s where your personal preferences truly come into play! The flooring you purchase and install can go a long way in anchoring your design foundation in the home. Whether you envision a modern, contemporary, rustic, traditional, or eclectic setting, consider which materials, finishes, textures, and tones will serve your look the best. Keep in mind that flooring patterns, whether it’s patterned tile or carpet or a patterned hardwood, laminate, or luxury vinyl plank installation, can help add visual interest if your décor style is more minimal. If you are purchasing new floors to get your home ready to list on the market, we always recommend keeping flooring choices more neutral and less busy to appeal to a wider range of prospective buyers. Write down the key style points that you want your new floors to possess.

What’s My Subfloor Condition?

Your room’s subfloor condition can affect the flooring choice you make. If you want the quickest, easiest new flooring installation possible, laminate and luxury vinyl flooring can often be installed as a floating floor over the existing surface. For flooring like hardwood, tile, and carpet, the existing floors will need to be pulled up entirely, and disposed of properly, and the subfloor will need to be assessed or repaired to be completely level before installation. To keep installation costs down and ease the impact on your budget, consider a flooring choice with floating capability. Make notes on your list of your current subfloor status, your current flooring type, or if you are unsure of your subfloor type.

How Much Cleaning Is Involved?

For a busy household, high-maintenance floors may not be the ideal match. Hardwood, as well as tile and stone with grout, will require specific care steps that other low-maintenance floors like luxury vinyl and laminate will not. If you don’t want to worry about resealing or refinishing, stone and hardwood will probably not be your choices. You can easily wipe up spills, stains, and pet accidents on laminate and luxury vinyl which will cut down on overall time spent cleaning. Different carpet styles will require certain levels of immediate and regular care so make sure any carpet choices match the household activity level appropriately. Write the weekly hourly amount of flooring care and maintenance that you are willing to take on.

Now it’s time to bring all your notes down to our experts to help make the process even easier. Contact Flooring 101 or visit any one of our seven Flooring 101 locations to take the next steps in your shopping journey!