Whether you are looking forward to building your dream home or buying a house, your choice of flooring remains one of the most important decisions that you will need to make. Your decision will affect your comfort, design, aesthetics, and even the type of maintenance that you'll need to perform on an ongoing basis.

This is not a decision that you should make in hurry. There are a lot of things that you need to consider such as the costs, benefits, and the downsides of every type of flooring before you commit. You also need to consider how you want to use your floor and the kind of maintenance you'll need to perform. All this will definitely affect your decision. Making out time to learn about various options can ensure you choose the best type of flooring that you will enjoy for many years to come. 

When making your choice of flooring materials, it is important to understand that some materials act better as a cost-effective floor covering for the next 5 years. However, there are materials that are investments in your home that will continue to pay dividends for generations. Aesthetics shouldn't be your only consideration when choosing flooring materials. In this article, you will learn of top flooring materials in the United States. You will also be able to learn which one is the right choice for you.

4 Top Flooring Materials You Need To Consider

1. Hardwood Flooring

This is perhaps, the most popular flooring in the United States. You can see this in more than 40% of homes in the United States. Hardwood flooring is hands-down one of the most beautiful flooring materials you can ever purchase. What makes them special is that you can even order custom-designed flooring materials. For instance, you can order for boards that have been hand-scraped distressed, or even reclaimed. 

Pros

• Easy to clean
• Extremely durable
• It can be sanded and refinished many times over their lifetime
• Sturdy and wear-resistant
• Gives your floor an earthy luxurious feel

Cons

• Expensive upfront cost
• Labor-intensive to install
• You need to monitor your home humidity levels
• It can develop scrapes, scratches, and dents over time
  

Recommended Room: Best for the living room. 

2. Laminate Flooring

In recent years, laminate flooring is increasingly becoming a popular choice for flooring among homeowners. Perhaps, the reason behind the increasing popularity of laminate flooring is due to its price, ease of installation, and incredible durability. When it comes to price, this floor material beat out every other material in price per square foot (except vinyl). Again, laminate flooring should be your ideal choice if you are looking for the type of flooring to install in high-traffic space. This is because they are one of the toughest floorings money can buy. Moreover, this material is one of the most DIY-friendly materials on the market. 

Pros

• Cost-effective
• Easy to install
• Resistant to damage
• Resistant to stain
• Resists scratches, dents, and stains
• No defects as you’ll occasionally find in hardwood
• DIY-friendly

Cons

• Plumbing damage (water) can damage it
• Can't be refinished like hardwood
• Less attractive then hardwood
• Louder than carpet or vinyl

Recommended Room: High-traffic rooms such as a foyer, kitchen, and laundry room. 

3. Vinyl

Back in the 1950's, Vinyl became popular with homeowners because it is a more affordable way to cover an expansive space. Over the years, Vinyl has become more durable. This has seen it become more expensive than it used to be. However, vinyl does an incredible job of mimicking other top-choice flooring materials such as ceramic, wood, and stone. This flooring material is DIY-friendly and even an inexperienced homeowner can install it. The only problem is that it is more susceptible to scrapes and scratches.

Pros

• Easy to install
• Inexpensive
• Durable and flexible
• Easy to clean
• Can mimic other flooring materials

Cons

• Prone to scrapes and scratches
• Chemicals used to make vinyl flooring can emit VOC's over time
• Difficult to repair

Recommended Room: Best for bedrooms because of its softness and warmth

4. Carpet

Carpet has been and remains a favorite for a lot of homeowners in the United States. Most people love this flooring option because it is warm, comfortable, soft, and will help you reduce noise in your home. New varieties of carpets are more stain resistant. However, you need to professionally clean your carpet at least once a year to maintain a soft, attractive, and sanitary carpet.

Pros

• Creates a comfortable atmosphere
• Acts as a noise dampener
• Can improve indoor air quality
• Can act as insulation to retain warm air in cold months

Cons

• Can become costly to clean
• Stains easily

Recommended Room: Low-traffic room such as bedrooms

Final Thought

Remember that you need to consider flooring installation when you are making your choice of flooring materials for your home. You need an experienced installer if you want your work to stand out. It is important that you ask for estimates and demand for the portfolio from multiple flooring installers before choosing an installer. When it comes to working with the best flooring installer, we can offer you an exceptional service at the price you will love to pay.