What To Look For When Replacing Your Floors

At some point in time, your floors will need replaced due to the floors looking outdated, worn-in, or scuffed up and scratched. This may put you at a loss on what type of flooring to get. Since there are many factors that come into play when picking out the right flooring, we have listed a few things to consider before purchasing your new floors!  

 1. What is the style you are wanting to achieve? 

Your new floors are important to the design of your home as they affect the entire look, feel and ambience of it. When you replace them, you have an opportunity to improve your space and provide yourself with a great feeling every time you walk into the room. You want a floor that makes you feel good when you look at them as well as fit into the aesthetic of your home. 

There are a few different routes you can take when styling your home from Hampton to modern to farmhouse. We’ll take a quick glance at what type of flooring works well with the style you are trying to achieve! 

To create a Hampton look, you can go either route of using a light or dark floor! The light flooring is what you would typically see with this style along with the use of hardwood floors but don’t let the industry fool you. You can also use a dark flooring along with LVP or laminate to create this look. Although dark flooring is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking Hampton, it is actually a great choice to help create contrast and depth! This will eliminate a whitewashed look which can sometimes happen when going with all light everything. Below we have listed a few of our favorite flooring options to create a Hampton style home! 

To create a modern look, you will want to keep things simple, use earth-tone colors and natural materials such as wood, stone, and leather. Tile is an excellent option to go along with a modern look because of the clean lines within your floors and can also incorporate neutral colors. There are plenty of options when it comes to tile, so you won’t have an issue in finding a color to fit your style. If you aren’t interested in using tile in your home you also can create a modern look with LVP, hardwood, and even carpet! 

Due to its natural earthy color palette, hardwood is the most common option found in modern homes. Hardwood comes in a multitude of shades and plank sizes which will help you create depth and an eye-catching space. The same applies to luxury vinyl plank flooring.  If you are looking for a more durable and budget-friendly floor, LVP is the way to go! LVP provides the same amount of natural coloring and size options as hardwood. The only difference between the two is durability, price, and added home value. 

Another option to consider is carpet. You may be thinking, “Carpet can’t be modern” but it can! Let’s face it, nothing feels comfier and cozier than carpet. So don’t throw this option out just yet. Carpet has earth-toned options to modernize the space and bring balance to the overall design of the room. You have the option of low pile carpet tiles and rolls. If you don’t want to carpet the entire house, you can also look into purchasing area rugs to still bring in that comfy and cozy feel! 

To create the trending farmhouse look, you’ll want to add elements of country living to your home. The best way to do this is through your flooring! There are a few different ways to achieve this look and that is through wide planks, wood with imperfections and graining, natural and matte finishes, or even tile. For a more budget-friendly option, LVP is a great alternative to hardwood or tile! 

2. What is the purpose of the room? 

Take into consideration the purpose of the room where you want to install new floors. For example, if it is a bedroom or dining room then hardwood flooring would be more suitable than carpet because they are more durable and easier to clean. If it is an office space, then carpet would be a suitable option as it can absorb sound well and make the room feel cozy and comfortable. Is the room a high traffic area such as a bathroom or kitchen? If so, you will want to choose a floor that will be able to handle to wear and last a long time such as LVP or tile.  

If you have pets, keep in mind that you will want a floor that will be able to withstand scratches, dirt and accidents over time. Some of the best options for pets would be tile, luxury vinyl, laminate, bamboo, cork and engineered wood. You will want to avoid carpet and hardwood as carpet is prone to staining and can easily be damaged by being chewed or clawed at. You will want to avoid solid hardwood as it doesn’t do well with moisture which can cause warping and stains and hardwood is more susceptible to scratches.  

3. What level of floor care is required? 

When getting ready to purchase a new floor ask yourself if you are willing to maintain a cleaning schedule. Some floors require more maintenance than others such as carpet. Carpet is one type of flooring that requires more maintenance than the rest. We suggest vacuuming at least once a week, clean spill immediately by blotting with water, and only use stain removers designated for your carpet. Learn more about maintenance for carpet.

If you are looking for flooring that requires less maintenance we would suggest luxury vinyl plank, laminate, and hardwood! LVP is one of the lower maintenance flooring options as you will only need to sweep or dust mop every so often. Clean-up of any spills is very easy as the liquid will not seep into the floor or leave any stains! Hardwood floors are also a low maintenance flooring as they can be swept, mopped or vacuumed to remove dirt and debris. Tile is also a low maintenance floor but natural stone tiles will need to be resealed every 4 – 5 years. If a porcelain or ceramic tile is used no sealing is involved. 

4. What is your budget? 

Before you decide on anything, the first thing you should establish is what kind of budget are you allowing yourself? By setting your budget, this will help our design consultant to show you the best options for your price range. Just because you don’t have an unlimited budget doesn’t mean you can’t have a gorgeous floor. We have plenty of budget-friendly options such as LVP, carpet and even some tile! Keep in mind that you will need to add an extra 10% of materials for installation and cutting purposes.  

If you need any financial help, Floor Authority offer special financing through synchrony. The benefit to getting a synchrony credit card is a 12 month same as cash, no expiration date, instant application results, cardholder-only special offers, and a dedicated credit line. 

5. Does anyone have allergies? 

We know, especially in the south, allergies can get bad. Luckily for you there are flooring options to help lessen your allergies. Spoiler Alert: It’s not Carpet. Even though carpet is soft and cozy is it the worst when it comes to allergies because the dust, dirt, and moisture are captured more in carpet than any other flooring. The best option for you to choose would be laminate, hardwood, tile, engineered hardwood, and vinyl flooring. So pretty much everything besides carpet. Due to their hard surfaces, allergens do not get trapped as easily because it lays on top of the surface making it easier to clean.    

6. Can you install new flooring yourself? 

Ultimately yes, you can install the new flooring yourself if you know what you are doing. There are plenty of resources online to guide you in laying down your new flooring, but we suggest having the installers lay the floor for you. If there's one thing we've learned from our years in the business, it's that not all floors are created equal when it comes to installation difficulty level. Our installers have years of experience in flooring and will be able to provide you the best quality work in a timely manner. 

Another factor to consider is that our installers know exactly how much material to use and will keep waste to a minimum. We don’t want you having to spend extra money buying more floor just because you didn’t cut the flooring correctly. We don’t want to see you wasting your money because we know flooring isn’t cheap! Another benefit of using our installers is they will gladly move your furniture for a small fee. That way you won’t have to lift a finger through the entire project. You can just sit back and relax while your home comes together. 

 7. What flooring brands are available? 

I think the first thing that comes to mind when people think of flooring brands are Mohawk and Shaw, but there are plenty of other brands that provide the same quality with even better pricing! One fantastic brand is Provenza, leader in the flooring industry with multiple awards and highest standards for VOC ratings. Plus, they are eco-friendly! They are one of the best when it comes to LVP. If you are looking at hardwood flooring, we recommend Hallmark and no we don’t mean the network channel (even though we love a good Hallmark movie).  

Hallmark provides exceptional customer service by providing you with visuals that explain their product and even better…they give you a free bottle of cleaner that is best fit for your floors as a thank you for choosing them. How do you beat that customer service? Another great flooring brand is Lifeprotect which sells laminate flooring. They have some of the best laminate on the market. Unlike most of their competitors, they have an attached padding and are water resistant up to 3 days. The core of their product is also treated with urethane as opposed to formaldehyde, and their core is made of different wood particles than most, using harder woods to make their core stronger against denting. I am sure you are going to have questions and our flooring specialist will be happy to answer any and all questions you may have. Talk to a flooring specialist today!  

8. What will the process look like? 

The flooring process is straight forward and done in a timely manner once the materials are ordered. Here is what the flooring process will look like: 

1. Take Measurements: You will need to schedule an appointment with one of our measuring technicians who will come out to your home to take measurements for the space you are redoing. These measurements are fully digitalized to create the most accurate estimate.  
2. Perform a Pre-Inspection: On the day of your installation appointment (this is separate from the measurement appointment), our flooring specialist will perform a pre-inspection. During the pre-inspection period, the technicians will remove your existing floor and inspect the area to ensure there is no moisture and its ready for floor coverings. 
3. Protect the Area: Next, your flooring specialist will cover the surrounding areas of the room with plastic to protect your furniture from any dust from the project. 
4. Review the Layout: The flooring is then laid in an aesthetically pleasing wat to perfectly fit the space. This is a crucial step, and we will ensure that there are no gaps and that the flooring is positioned properly. We will go over the layout with you to give the approval to install. 
5. Install the New Flooring: Once the flooring is laid in the desired pattern, the installation technician will then install the flooring. Our professional-grade flooring products and installation best practices ensure your new floors are long-lasting. 
6. Clean: Once the installation is complete, our technicians will remove any plastic coverings and clean the finished flooring. We recommend hiring a professional cleaning company after the installation so your new flooring can shine and sparkle. 

When you’re ready to replace your floors, it’s important to keep these questions in mind. It will help you create a plan to stay on track. Make sure to talk with a flooring specialist as they will be able to provide guidance in choosing the right flooring to fit your style and price. The next time you are ready to replace your floors, use this list as a guide!