When crafting the interior design for your home or commercial property, the flooring is often seen as somehow less important. Many home and business owners see the elements like curtains, lights, paintwork and soft furnishings as primary concerns. Although these elements are vital for any good interior design, the flooring should never be ignored. Flooring materials, like wood flooring or vinyl flooring, have different aesthetic qualities as well as thermal qualities which can create a different impact. If you are a home or business owner and you’re confused about whether to choose wood flooring or carpets, we’ve created an ultimate guide discussing flooring materials.
Choosing Different Types of Wood Flooring
Wood flooring is always a popular choice, especially for homeowners. Wood flooring has the potential to increase the value of your property, is easy to clean, durable and lasts for decades. As well as having practical and functional value, wood flooring is also great for interior design. Hardwood floor doesn’t tend to go out of fashion and there are plenty of styles, colours and finishes to choose from to suit any taste. When choosing wood flooring, you will generally be choosing between two main categories; either solid hardwood or engineered hardwood. Both are excellent investments and deserve careful consideration.
Solid Hardwood Flooring
As the name suggests, solid hardwood flooring is made from solid wood throughout the entire length and breadth of the plank. This means that the wood flooring can be sanded and refinished numerous times and will typically last much longer than engineered hardwood. In terms of durability, solid hardwood flooring will generally stronger than engineered hardwood and can last for up to a century! Solid hardwood is often more expensive than engineered wood flooring and requires more skill when installing the planks, however, many people tend to think that the investment is worth it. One of the few downsides of installing solid hardwood flooring is that there is a risk of warping in damp or humid conditions.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Engineered hardwood flooring consists of a thin layer of solid hardwood sitting on top of a thicker layer of high-quality plywood. This means that your engineered hardwood flooring should only be sanded and refinished once in its lifetime, which is usually around 30 years. Engineered hardwood flooring is less likely to succumb to warping in humid or damp conditions that solid hardwood and is, generally, cheaper. This type of flooring remains an excellent choice but will need replacing decades before solid hardwood will.
Using Vinyl Flooring In Your Property
Vinyl flooring is another very popular type of floor for the home and offices across the UK. Good quality vinyl flooring can have the same appearance as hardwood flooring or tiles, without the large price tag. As well as being cheaper, vinyl flooring remains durable, easy to install and some vinyl floors can last as long as 30 years! The innovative design, versatility and durability of vinyl flooring mean that home and business owners can get style and comfort without spending huge amounts of money. There are two main types of vinyl flooring, which we have gone into more detail below.
Vinyl Roll Flooring
Both vinyl sheet or roll flooring and vinyl tiles are made of the same material – PVC plastic combined with a felt layer and a design which is printed on the top to give the appearance of hardwood or tile flooring.
Where they are different, however, is that vinyl rolls come in one huge sheet. Vinyl sheets need to be cut by professionals and glued to the floor. As they come in one sheet, if a vinyl roll is damaged, the entire roll will likely need to be replaced.
Luxury Vinyl Tiles
Unlike vinyl roll flooring, luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) are supplied in tiles which are glued to the floor individually to create a pattern. This application of the tiles means that moisture can seep into the cracks between the tiles, however, it also means that LVT is easier for DIYers to install themselves. Moreover, if a tile is damaged by furniture or an accident, it’s much easier for individual tiles to be replaced without having to remove the entire vinyl flooring and start from scratch. LVT can be more expensive than vinyl roll, but can often look more professional.
Should I Choose Carpets?
Carpets remain a popular and traditional form of flooring for many home and business owners alike. Most carpets are produced using synthetic fibres, like nylon or polyester, however, many more luxurious carpets are made from natural wool.
From an aesthetic and design perspective, carpets provide a considerable amount of versatility. First of all, they come in a wide array of different colours and textures to match the rest of the design in a room. As well as this, carpets catch dust particles from the air and trap them until the floor is hoovered, which creates better air conditions for those with allergies or who are asthmatic Carpets are comfortable, luxurious and will keep any noise from upstairs from travelling through the floor into the downstairs living room. As well as that, carpets act as additional insulation and have excellent thermal efficiency qualities.
What About Commercial Flooring For My Office?
When choosing commercial flooring, you have to consider much more than simply how the flooring will look. For some business, like restaurants, health, safety and hygiene need to be considered as well. Moreover, you will likely want your branding to be integrated into the flooring, so choosing an option which is easily amendable should be part of the decision process. Here are just a few options available.
Laminate
Laminate flooring is a popular choice for many business owners working in offices, as they are a cheap option which gives the appearance of solid hardwood flooring. However, if your office is susceptible to damp, laminate can sometimes warp.
Carpet Tiles
The main benefits of carpet tiles are that they provide excellent noise absorption than other types of flooring, while also being flexible when it comes to design. This means that, from both an aesthetic and practical point of view, they are perfectly suited to office – especially open-plan offices where noise can travel. If you want to integrate some of the main colours you use for your branding into the office floor, carpet tiles, provide the perfect opportunity to do so.
If You Are Looking For Suppliers and Installers of Wood and Vinyl Flooring or Carpets in Derby, COntact Lewis Interiors
Here at Lewis Interiors, we’ve been helping homeowners and business owners with their interior design for more than 50 years. If you’ve been looking for suppliers and installers of wood flooring, vinyl flooring, carpets and much more, look no further. Serving clients in Derby and the surrounding area, we have one of the largest ranges of products in the region. We’ve gained a reputation amongst our customers for our high-quality products as well as our excellent customer service.
Whatever budget you have to work with, we can help you create a beautiful interior design for your home or office. As experts, we can discuss your requirements and recommend products and materials to fit your needs and style. Our friendly staff are always on hand to help you, regardless of what you need. Get in touch for more insight about us and our range of interior design products.
To find out more about our services, please do feel free to contact us today. You can find us at Lewis Interiors, 11-15 Chapelside, Chapel Street, Spondon, DE21 7JQ. Alternatively, call us on 01332 662 450 or email us at sales@lewis-interiors.co.uk.