Flooring that Fits Your Lifestyle

When it comes to choosing a flooring type for your new home, the number of selections can seem endless. Even though looks can be appealing, when you are trying to determine which type of flooring is best there are a few things you should keep in mind. Hayden Homes wants you to be able to make the decision that is right for you and your family. Here are a few things to keep in mind while you begin your quest to find the right flooring.

• Sound: Carpet is great for muffling the sound of foot traffic. If you have a hallway with tile floors, you will be able to hear the movement above you whenever you are downstairs. If you don’t want carpet, but still want some sound absorption, vinyl flooring could be an option. It won’t absorb sound as well as carpet, but it is quieter than other options.
• Allergens: If you have anyone in your home that suffers from asthma or allergies, carpet might not be the best option. Just as carpet is great for trapping sound, it is also great at trapping allergens. Pollen, pet dander and dust are small and can easily get trapped inside the fibers of your carpet. You can vacuum, but you will never get all of it no matter what the last vacuum salesperson told you. Hard flooring like tile, wood, laminate, and vinyl don’t trap allergens and clean up really nice.
• Durability: When it comes to durability, wood floors are a great option, but tile reigns supreme. Tile will likely last as long as your home. If a tile breaks, it is easy to pull out a single tile and replace it with another. That said, tile holds up to a lot of use and abuse. It handles repeated use extremely well. This doesn’t mean that tile doesn’t have its downsides. If anyone in your home has a walker all of those grout lines might increase the risk of a fall. In addition, if you ever drop glass or porcelain on tile flooring, you can almost always say good bye to your dishes.
• Maintenance: The richness of wood might be one of the most beautiful flooring types, but it will also require a bit of maintenance. You will need to sweep and clean your wood floors often; otherwise, the dirt will ruin the finish. Wood surfaces also do not handle water very well either. The good thing about cleaning wood surfaces is that the smooth surface is a peach to clean and you get to enjoy that wonderful clean smell when you’re done.
• Do-it-yourself: If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, laminate flooring is one of the easiest flooring types to install. Unlike carpet or tile, you do not need to buy any special tools. With laminate all you need is a measuring tape, a good saw and patience to do the job right.
• Cost-effectiveness: When it comes to cost, flooring is all over the place. Exotic wood flooring can be supremely expensive, while laminate, vinyl, linoleum, are far less expensive. But cost effectiveness is not limited to the purchasing only. Cost effectiveness also considers the life of the product. Since tile has the longest lifespan, it will always be the most cost effective flooring choice.
• Beauty: If you are going for a look that will set your home apart from the pack, wood flooring is the way to go. The differences in wood grain will always ensure that no two boards are alike. Wood is long lasting, because it can be sanded down and refinished and made to look brand new years down the road.

Visit one of our Design Centers and shop the latest in flooring trends!

When you choose to build your new home with Simplicity, you are choosing the best in craftsmanship and experience. If you have questions about what type of flooring is the best for you and your home design, just ask. We have design centers across Oregon, Washington and Idaho, and are happy to walk you through your options.