Your Options in New Flooring are Better Than Ever
Home remodeling is all the rage these days. In 2012, it was estimated that homeowners spent 284 billion dollars on improvement and repair of their homes. If you turn on your television at virtually any time of the day or night, you’re very likely to find some sort of remodel or rehab show on the air. People love looking at spaces that have lost any charm they may have once had and seeing them transformed into something brand new and exciting. It also seems to be that what gets viewers even more excited is when the hosts of the show can rehab a room on a small budget. The further the experts can stretch the budget for a remodel the better. It’s better for the owners of the space, and it’s also better for the show’s ratings. Everybody loves a bargain.
That doesn’t mean that the experts have skimped on quality. What it typically means is that they have spent the owner’s money wisely. They’ve put in light fixtures that didn’t cost a whole lot but looked much better than the original. They laid tile down in the rooms where it was needed and raised the wow factor exponentially. For these and other reasons, quality can go a lot further than quantity.
If you are thinking about remodeling your home but can only do one room at a time, consider starting with the kitchen. In a 2014 survey about kitchen remodeling, it was revealed that 25% of the respondents budgeted less than 10,000 dollars for their remodel and ended up actually spending 15% less than their budget. A good kitchen design can improve the feeling you have for your home very dramatically. If you decide on the many hardwood flooring options for your kitchen, vinyl tile, or even laminate flooring, the improvement you will see straight away is sure to make you smile every time you enter the space.
Hardwood flooring has been a part of the homeowner experience for many, many years. The hardwoods that come from the US are truly sustainable. The natural hardwood that comes from our nation’s great forests can last up to 100 years if properly cared for. Due to very smart management programs around the country where hardwoods are harvested, a 2008 report by the United States Forest Service stated that we have more wood than there is a demand for. So, if you’ve been wondering about whether or not you would be damaging our environment by putting down those hardwood floors you’ve always wanted instead of tile, don’t let that concern stop you. We’re in very good shape.
Some folks don’t care for hardwood floors. They find them to be more difficult to maintain than they have the time to spend. There are many very fine looking alternatives to traditional hardwood floors that are easier to care for, last longer and look just as good. Laminate flooring is a very popular choice. It looks great and is very easy to maintain. It is very similar to tile flooring in that regard.
If you finish with your kitchen and are ready to move to the other rooms in your house, before you begin picking out your paint, curtains, or furniture, you might want to consider what type of flooring you wish to put down. Will it be hardwood in these rooms? Perhaps a good tile in the bathrooms. You will also, undoubtedly consider carpet in some of the rooms of your house. The bedrooms might be some of those rooms. With all of the fuss over hardwood, laminate, tile and other flooring types, it can be easy to forget about good old carpet. In 2012, carpet made up 37% of all of the flooring options put down. Carpets in the modern day and age are made to last. They are also designed to handle the challenges of pets and children and the like. Spills can be easily cleaned in today’s carpet offerings.
Remodeling your home can turn out to be one of the most stressful things you do as a homeowner, but it doesn’t have to be. When you know ahead of time what you want, things can go very, very well. Enjoy your remodel. Enjoy your home.