There are a lot of things to consider when choosing the best flooring to place in your home when you have a family with kids. While aesthetics is very important to most people, lifestyle is truly the bigger factor.
So, how can you meld both practicality and beauty together when it comes to the flooring of your home? If you have children, this can be an especially difficult decision and you may feel as though you have only a few options to choose from.
Well, that has never been further from the truth with today’s innovative options in flooring technology. To find out where Consumer Reports stand on various types of flooring,
take a look at their rankings here.
Carpet and Kids
Carpet in your home is an obvious choice for many people because of its comfort and affordability, but, what about when you add children to the mix? Often the fear of stains from dropped foods or art projects gone awry can deter us from this type of flooring. That doesn’t have to be the case as there are a few carpet options that are still great and kid friendly, especially to add a cozy factor to a child’s bedroom.
There are 2 types of carpets that we would recommend you consider during this process. These are based on durability, maintenance, and cost effectiveness.
Nylon Fiber:
Nylon fiber outperforms other fibers when it comes to resilience and maintenance. This carpet is known for lasting a decade or longer and is a good choice for high traffic areas and, depending on whether you choose a higher quality “branded” or lower quality “unbranded” nylon fiber, you are looking at spending anywhere from 10 to $45 per square yard. It is important to note that you will need to treat this type of carpet with stain protectors throughout its lifespan.
Triexta Fiber:
Triexta Fiber is slightly more expensive than nylon, coming in at 20 to $45 per square yard. However, it has excellent, permanent, anti-stain properties because it is derived partly from corn sugar. This fiber is well known for its resilience but since it’s fairly new to the market it is unclear how it compares to nylon in respect to durability.
Carpet cleaning after a big accident is important but thankfully, a quality vacuum and quick stain maintenance are all that’s recommended, along with yearly cleaning by a professional.
Laminate Flooring and Kids
Laminate flooring is an incredible choice for homes with kids because of its characteristics, aesthetics, and performance ability. While laminate flooring may not be the best choice for flooring your entire home, it is certainly a great choice in high-traffic areas where messes are made the most, such as the kitchen and bathroom.
Laminate flooring is constructed of dense fiberboard and a core board for moisture resistance. On top of that lies a decorative layer that can essentially be anything of your choosing! From simple to extravagant, the possibilities are endless. In addition to this, there is a clear plastic protective layer giving it the durability you’re looking for.
When it comes to laminate flooring, you really get what you pay for. Laminate is easy to care for because you can just sweep up dirt, mop over it once and it’s clean. However, if the top layer is damaged due to scratches or discoloration, you will need to replace it after the outer layer has worn through. A good brand of laminate will resist scratching and discoloration from sunlight.
Relatively speaking, laminate is affordable and costs anywhere between $3 and $7 per square foot, making it a great option.
Vinyl Flooring and Kids
Vinyl flooring is one of the best options if affordability, aesthetics, and durability are the most important factors to you. There are 2 types of vinyl flooring; standard and luxury tile. Incredibly, many people can’t tell at first glance (or second or third!) that vinyl flooring isn’t real hardwood, stone, or ceramic (whichever it is mimicking).
This type of flooring is very good at standing up to wear and tear and being resilient towards scratches, dents, sunlight discoloration, and stains and is known for its easy installation.
Hardwood Flooring and Kids
You may think hardwood flooring is not a practical choice if you have children but surprisingly, with today’s technology and considering the age and rambunctiousness of your child, this may still be a great choice for your home. A good hardwood floor requires little time and energy. With the appropriate precautions and maintenance measures, it is easy to protect your hardwood floor.
To protect your
hardwood floor from the daily grind, be sure to sweep daily, clean up spills as soon as they occur, and use a hardwood floor cleaner when you do want to do a heavy duty clean. With those precautions, you should be able to make your hardwood floor last for years to come!
Thankfully, just because you have a family doesn’t mean you need to compromise the look and feel that makes your house a home. Flooring is important and it’s easily possible to balance between what you want and what you need. At
Carpet To Go, we have all these types of flooring and more. Let us help you in your decision-making process and specific needs with a free consultation by
filling out this form.
