1. Your Lifestyle

First and foremost, make sure you think about how you and your family use your home. For example, if you have a couple of pets and some very active children then deep, plush carpeting might not make the best choice.
Think about how the flooring will be used on a day to day basis, and take into account how much maintenance and cleaning you’ll need to put up with for each material.

2. The Location

Of course, those lifestyle considerations will differ depending on the location in your home which you’re looking at.
In general, it’s best to reserve more upscale options for areas such as the living room, while high traffic areas should use flooring with more durable options, such as slate, tile, or wood. Similarly, rooms which are likely to experience higher than normal levels of moisture should avoid materials which may warp.

3. The Cost

Cost is always going to be a concern, and you should remember that, since flooring is priced per square foot, your costs can rise quickly. On the plus side, this often means that you can afford to use more expensive materials in smaller areas.
Luckily, you should be able to choose most materials without cost being a factor. This is because nearly all will come in several grades of quality; synthetic carpet is cheaper than wool, and laminate wood is cheaper than hardwood.

4. The Environmental Factor

Not always something which homeowners spend too long thinking about, but certainly something that you should take into account.
It’s becoming increasingly important to make your flooring eco-friendly, and there are several great options available. Recycled glass tiles, cork, and bamboo are all options for the eco-conscious.

Picking out flooring might seem tricky, but all you have to do is think about these four main areas to have your choices whittled down in just a few minutes.

You’ll almost certainly need to replace any water damaged carpet padding, but replacing the carpet itself – a much more expensive undertaking – can often be avoided when you know how.

Remove Water Quickly

A wet/dry vacuum can remove water extremely quickly and efficiently. They can be rented from water damage repair companies. Of course, you won’t be able to get one straight away. Until yours arrives, use towels to soak up water, squeeze that water into a bucket, then empty the bucket into the sink.

Utilise Fans to Speed Things Up

Fans can help facilitate the drying process, even after the water seems to have been removed. You can rent a high-power drying fan, but even standard ones can be useful. They will circulate fresh air throughout the room, making it harder for mould to develop, all while reducing the level of residual moisture.

Use a Dehumidifier

As well as a fan, homeowners can take advantage of a dehumidifier. While fans work well, a dehumidifier is often a better choice when water damage has been extreme. They work by removing moisture and making the air feel cooler. Mould won’t stand a chance.

Steam Clean Your Carpet

Once the room has been thoroughly dried out, you’ll still want to take a few steps to ensure that the carpets are completely safe. Most importantly, you should consider having them steam cleaned. You can either do this yourself or hire in a professional.

Water damaged carpets and floors can quickly become a fertile breeding ground for mould. This can trigger certain health problems by irritating the nose, eyes, throat, or lungs, and can also quickly destroy parts of your home. Follow the steps laid out in this guide to make sure that water damage doesn’t make your carpets a magnet for mould.

Of course, if possible, you should definitely consider buying pre-distressed wood and then having it installed instead of purchasing pristine wood and then distressing it yourself. However, there’s no need to worry if you already have the wood laid down.

For starters, scrape the wood with a floor-scraping tool. You might want to start with a small area first to get a feel for it. Walnut, pine, hickory, and oak all take to distressing well, but hardwoods, such as maple and teak, are usually a little trickier.

Scrape with the direction of the grain instead of going against it – this will create jarring scratches which don’t appear authentic. You’ll also need to avoid knots in the wood. It should be possible to adjust the angle and pressure which you’re using to achieve the look you’re after. Everyone wants their distressed wood flooring to look a little different, so there’s no right answer here.
Other options include using a wire brush, which gives a grainy, aged feel to the flooring. Chains, drills, and hammers can also be used to make chips and scratches, while a soldering iron or other hot pieces of metal can add character with small burns. For a little more fun, anyone with a dog can let their pooches nails go unclipped for a little, then toss a ball around so they slide across the floor. This will help produce a weathered look, and it’s far more fun than scraping.

Just remember to practice your techniques – minus the dog option – on an old piece of furniture before you start on the flooring itself. It’s relatively easy to achieve the distressed look which you’re after, but it is also well worth making sure you know what you’re doing before you begin.

Cost
Price will clearly be one of the main things to consider. It’s almost always going to be less expensive to refinish the floor instead of replacing it, as this means taking into account the cost of the new wood, installation, and treatment. You might be able to offset that cost by doing some of the work yourself, but hardwood floors typically require the attention of a professional. You will have to buy or hire the equipment and materials for refinishing, but the cost will be lower and you can usually do the job yourself.

Appearance
What do you aim to accomplish by refinishing or replacing your floor? If you simply want to restore the original appearance, replacing the boards might be overkill. However, if you need to change the style or direction, you’ll probably need a full replacement. You’ll also need to replace wood which has become warped or badly damaged, as refinishing cannot remedy this.

Time
You might think that refinishing won’t take as long as replacing, but this isn’t actually the case. Refinishing can take from four to five days – often longer if you complete the job yourself – during which time the floor must remain untouched. Replacing generally doesn’t take as long. You’ll also require more equipment for refinishing, whereas replacement requires only the basics. If you’re thinking of refinishing simply because you believe it involves less effort, think again.

Age
Some factors are simply out of your control, and the most important one is the age of the wood. Older floors may resist refinishing, usually because they have already been through the process several times or because the surface wood is now too exposed. Very old floors should really be replaced instead of refinished. You might also find that older floors lack the proper thickness, and structural integrity may have been compromised during their long life.

There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to replacing vs refinishing, but taking this information on-board can ensure that you make the right decision.

Shoes off
It seems like such an obvious answer, but make sure that outside remains outside by removing your shoes as soon as you enter the house. You should also provide mats outside of all entry-points to make sure that shoes are rubbed down prior to coming in – this will prevent insects from getting inside. Remind visitors to do that same – don’t be afraid to ask them! Just provide a rack so they know their shoes aren’t going to get trampled.

Keep it dry
Keeping your carpet free from contaminants is really only half the battle – it’s just as important to make sure that you don’t encourage the growth of bacteria by providing an ideal environment in which it can thrive. Any moisture provides an ideal setting for bacteria and mould to grow in, so keeping your carpet clean is crucial if you’re to properly protect your baby.
You’ll obviously need to make sure that all spills are cleaned up immediately – with as much wetness as possible drawn out of the carpet fibres. You can also open the windows after cleaning to ensure than minimal moisture is retained in the room itself.

Pay attention to pets
Pet owners are welcome to try to teach their cat or dog to rub their paws on the mat, but it’s probably not going to work. Cats like to come and go as they please, and dogs are exuberant when entering the house, so it can be tricky to keep them from tracking in contaminants.

The best thing to do is keep them within the entry-way or utility room before letting them back into the house itself. Use a cloth to gently wipe down their paws, then quickly check that there aren’t any insects on their coat.

Making sure your carpet is free of contaminants should be high on every parent’s list of priorities, and we hope these tips will make it easier.

Floating Floor Advantages

The most obvious advantage associated with floating floors is that they can be laid down quickly and easily to achieve the look of real timber flooring. This means that you can give a room an upscale look without spending too much time or money. You won’t even necessarily have to hire anybody to help.
Additionally, floating floors generally offer strong sound insulation due to the fact that they have been laid over a subfloor system. Wooden flooring can often be noisy for anyone living below you, so it’s nice to have this problem mitigated. Any movement will even be spread across the floor, so unsightly gaps are less likely.
Floating floors are usually pre-coated to provide superior durability, and there are numerous styles to choose from.

Floating Floor Disadvantages

Unfortunately, some of the advantages of floating floors create their own drawbacks. The flexibility of this option means gaps are less likely to appear, but it also means that the boards typically wear out faster. This is especially true in environments which experience frequent variations in temperature, or in those where moisture levels are high.
Additionally, unlike structural wood flooring, a floating floor cannot be sanded once it starts to break down. The sealed finish will offer protection, but you’ll still need to replace the boards once they become too worn. For this reason, structural wood flooring could be considered a better long term investment.

Floating floors are popular for a reason. Not only do they look great, they achieve their style without putting you, or your bank account, through much strain. Just take the drawbacks into account, then consider exactly where you’ll be placing your flooring and how long you’d like it to last.

Light
One of the most common things people want when they’re renovating a room is far more light. Of course, structural limitations usually mean that this can’t be done directly, but soft, natural colours can create the appearance of light, and capture all the sunshine which does enter your space.
If you want to enliven a poorly lit room, try using a pale pastel colour for the floor. This reflects light, so it makes the room appear optically larger. Laminate or tiling is often best for this task, since it is more reflective and less dense than carpeting.

Space
Yellows and blues tend to make spaces feel much larger and more open, so they can be a good choice for rooms which are a little boxy, or those with dimensions which create tight corners.
For an expansive interior, try using yellow or blue for your flooring – perhaps utilizing tiles or slate. Remember, the effect will become greater as the tone gets lighter. This often proves popular in bathrooms and toilets, since those rooms are usually on the smaller sider.

Isolation
Deep colours such as red and brown serve to contract a room’s space, so using those colours for your flooring is perfect for places in which you would like to foster a degree of seclusion. This is why dark wood is often used in libraries and studies.
Many people find that using either dark brown laminate or dark red carpeting is ideal for creating their own private sanctuary. For added tranquillity, remember to use plenty of soft fabrics and warm tones elsewhere in the room, so things don’t feel too sparse.

If you’re trying to decide which type of flooring is right for you, try thinking about how you want to feel when you walk into the room, then use this guide to narrow things down. Happy decorating!

Here are a few handy ways to let you have your wooden flooring without complaints from below.

Place Strategic Rugs

Obviously you won’t want to place rugs across all of your floor space – that would defeat the whole purpose of laying down wooden flooring in the first place. However, you should consider buying some rugs to place in areas which experience high footfall, especially around entrance ways.

Rugs won’t eliminate the problem entirely, but they’re sure to cut down on the amount of noise when placed correctly. Taking this step will also demonstrate to downstairs neighbours that you’re trying your best to accommodate them.

Install an Underlay

This will obviously be easier if you’re just about to install your flooring, but installing an underlay can be advantageous even if it does necessitate some extra work, especially if you plan on staying in the property for some time.

An underlay fits beneath your floor, and is typically made of either foam, plastic, or a combination of the two. They can be used in any room except the bathroom, which is normally not a high-traffic area anyway, and can be extremely effective.

Remove Your Shoes

Sometimes the easiest solutions are right in front of your nose – or right beneath your feet. It might seem obvious, but remember to take off your shoes whenever you enter the house, and ask any guests to do so too.

Shoes make your feet heavier, and can dramatically increase the amount of noise which the people downstairs need to put up with. This is especially true when hard-bottomed shoes or high heels are involved, as the resultant tapping against your wooden floor can become particularly aggravating.

Take one or more of these steps, and you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of wooden flooring in peace and quiet – and so will your neighbours.

However, your choice of flooring material will greatly change how you feel about your home, so it’s always wise to pick the one you really want. Luckily, there are a number of handy ways to reduce the allergy-related problems of carpeting.

Fortunately, most fibres used in the construction of modern carpets are made of non-allergenic materials, which actually repel airborne allergens. Pollen will dry out, and organic compounds simply die off. Nylon is our top pick for controlling your allergies, while the prize for worse material goes to wool.

Try paying attention to the density and length of fibres too. Shorter, tightly woven strands will mean that there are less places allergens can become trapped. This makes cleaning much more effective. Also, remember that newly purchased carpeting has usually been chemically treated, often with allergens like formaldehyde. Ask your carpet supplier to provide you with an option that limits the use of such substances. In any case, keep the room well aired for a few days after it is laid down.

Whatever option you go for will need to be cleaned regularly. After all, you can’t stop allergens entering your home, but you can stop them settling in the carpet. Vacuum frequently, and use carpet shampoos or steam-cleaners every couple of months. Some vacuums are equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which trap allergens, so they might be worth investing in if you suffer badly.

If you’ve inherited a carpet from a previous homeowner, remember to check if they had a dog or cat. If so, a professional cleaning service will probably be more useful than anything you can provide by yourself.

Carpets can often be problematic for allergy sufferers, but they don’t need to be. If carpet is what you want, carpet is what you deserve – all you need to do is follow the advice provided above.

So, how to minimise the damage? There are several measures you can take.

Firstly, if there is any room where you particularly don’t want them tracking through, either train them from an early age to stay out, or use a gate to keep them out (admittedly less effective with a cat). Get into the habit of closing doors after you.

Buy a decent doormat and give the dog’s paws a wipe whenever it enters the house, especially after a walk, and even more especially during wet weather. It’s not a bad idea to keep a bottle of water by the door to rinse the worst of the mud out of the hair as well. Placing a small towel under the catflap can also help, but your cat won’t thank you for washing it down every time it comes home!

Vacuum carpets, and sweep floors, on a regular basis, perhaps weekly, to scoop up any hairs or dried mud. Your carpets ought to get a thorough clean at least twice a year to remove stains and odours.

Trim claws once every couple of months, and keep a spray bottle at hand to discourage your cat from sharpening its claws on the carpet, curtains or furniture.

Lastly, bathe your pet every so often too. Your dog probably won’t mind so much a soaking from the hose in the garden, or even a dunk in the bathtub, but with cats you’ll probably need someone else to keep it in the kitchen sink.