The flooring industry continues to evolve as new designs and materials emerge in the marketplace. While natural materials and rustic textures remain at the forefront, sustainable materials, which are the very future of flooring, influence current design trends. Here are some of the most compelling looks for the coming year.
Popular Looks in Wood Flooring
When property owners choose flooring, it is normally seen as an investment in the look and function of the house. At the top level, wood flooring boils down to two main choices: Engineered wood flooring and traditional hardwood flooring. The use of engineer floorboards is fast overtaking the market in popularity due to its sustainability and benefits such as reliable construction stability. One of the most cost-effective features of this type of flooring is that manufacturers can produce multiple planks of engineered floorboards from a single plank of wood. This type of flooring resists warping and cupping from heat and is an ideal choice for underfloor heating. The shift in the production of hardwood floorboards leans sharply towards the use of sustainable woods without losing the benefits such as longevity of service and easy maintenance.
Tips for Choosing Between Laminate and Vinyl Floor Coverings
Vinyl flooring was seen as the less expensive cousin to other laminate floorings for a long time. However, in the present, the luxury vinyl plant (LVP) is an affordable and sharp-looking addition to any space. It is waterproof, durable, making it ideal for high traffic areas, and looks like high-quality flooring. Recent advances in construction resulted in creating floorboards that have embossing and feel like real hardwood wood flooring.
Another option in the luxury vinyl plank family is hybrid flooring. These planks have a solid wood top layer around 1mm thick sandwiched around a sturdy core backing. The result is a floor covering that resists dents, scratches, and wear.
Board Widths Can Change the Look and Feel of a Room
The farmhouse style of wide planks has been a go-to design for interiors for a few years now, with no sign of the trend slowing down. The technique works to create the illusion of a more open room.
The look of Parquet floor styles has been in vogue in Europe for years. This type of flooring has an elegance that melds well into both casual and formal designs. Interior decorators can create unique looks for a client’s space using both herringbone and chevron designs. Another frequently used design trick is to combine Parquet floorboards with plain planks to keep an area from looking too busy.
Diverse Array of Board Textures
Hardwood flooring comes in a large selection of rustic looks and textures. With their naturally aged look, these boards bring a calm and homey appeal to most room designs. Common features are:
- Distressed wood board with random grooves and irregular lines
- Hand scraped boards have defined, deep ridges and smooth edges
- Sawn boards have distinctive kerf marks that look as though the board was custom-cut for the flooring
- Brushed panels have been textured with a stiff brush to leave the boards with patterns that define the texture of the wood
Once the type of flooring and patterns get chosen, all that is left is to determine the hue that will best match the home’s interior. Use these tips to narrow down the best choices for your space. With all the above options and selections, there is one more choice to make, “who will do the job?” Search the many vetted contractors and remodelers here for the right answer.