Things to Consider Before Buying New Flooring for Your Home

The decision to redo your floors usually doesn’t start by stumbling across a flooring product, but instead with a sudden “aha” moment. Maybe you’ve been staring at the same old, worn-out floors for years and finally decided that it’s time for a change. Maybe you moved into a fixer-upper and realized every room needs to be updated. Or maybe something about your life has changed, like kids or pets, and your current floors just aren’t keeping up anymore. Whatever the reason, once the decision is made that new flooring is in order, the first question is usually the same: Where do you start?

With so many options, materials and price points out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. What looks good online may not look the same in your space, and what seems affordable may change once other considerations are factored in. Taking a step back to make sure you’re covering all the bases can make a huge difference. Here are a few things to keep in mind when buying new floors for your home:

The Size and Needs of Your Space

Before choosing new flooring for your home, it helps to understand the size and needs of your space. Start with accurate measurements, as this will also affect your budget. Then ask yourself questions like:

• Are you redoing the floors across the entire home or just a few rooms? 
• Are you redoing rooms with frequent spills or moisture? 
• Are you redoing areas with heavy foot traffic? 

How you answer these questions will influence your decision. For example, in bathrooms and kitchens, you’ll probably want durable floors with a waterproof and scratch-resistant design. In bedrooms, you might prioritize a comfortable feeling underfoot and soundproofing. Lifestyle also plays a role in the type of flooring you need. Pets, kids, and people constantly coming in and out are all things to consider. 

Design and Style

As much as flooring is about function, it’s equally about style. How you want your space to look and feel will play a huge role in your decision. Color, texture and finish can dramatically change the aesthetic of a room. Lighter tones can make the space feel larger and more open, while richer tones can create depth and a more grounded look. Even details like plank size and direction can impact the way your home feels. All of this is what makes seeing samples in your home one of the most important steps in the process.

Types of Flooring Products

Once you have an idea of how you want your floors to look and how they need to perform, it’s time to choose the right type of flooring product. Luxury vinyl, laminate and engineered wood flooring are among the most popular choices today, both by homeowners and professional builders—and for good reason. They all offer timeless style and modern aesthetics with durability and performance at the forefront. They’re each made with different materials and varying thicknesses and wear layers, all of which offer slightly different benefits. The right choice between them really comes down to your preferences and budget.

The Buying Experience

What you choose to buy is just as important as where you choose to buy it. The first thought that usually comes to mind is a big box retail flooring store. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that the experience often feels overwhelming and impersonal. You usually don’t get the guidance or product knowledge you need to make the best choice for your home. But if you buy directly from a flooring store that manufactures its own products, the buying experience is vastly different.

First, you skip the insane price markups. Second, you’re greeted by an expert team that not only knows the ins and outs of flooring but also knows the ins and outs of the products you’re looking to buy. You can usually get the flooring planks as well as the accessories you need for a successful installation, which is especially helpful for all the DIYers out there. If you haven’t found an installer yet, an expert team can assist with that, too!

Long-Term Considerations

While your first thought when redoing your floors is probably visual or design-related, this decision is actually a long-term investment in your home. That means it’s important to think about how the floors you choose will hold up over time, how easy they are to maintain and whether they will still fit your style years down the road. You may also want to consider your home’s resale value and choose floors that feel timeless, rather than trendy.

Silent Blue Flooring is a Florida flooring company and manufacturer with locations in Fort Lauderdale and Tampa. We offer premium luxury vinyl, laminate and engineered wood flooring at factory-direct prices. Because we skip the middleman, you can enjoy the best prices on the highest quality flooring with no retail markup. With over 10 years in business, we use our industry expertise to help our customers choose the perfect flooring for their home. Contact us today or shop our products online to take the first step onto new floors!