HARDWOOD
Solid hardwood flooring adds both beauty and value to you home or office. It is almost impossible not to find something you like with an endless array of wood pieces and finishes. Properly maintained, hardwood flooring can provide years of maintenance-free brilliance. And in most cases, the option to sand and refinish your floor down the road can rejuvenate a floor for several more years of enjoyment.
LAMINATE
Laminate also offers a wide variety of styles and colors that closely mimic hardwood, tile, and other flooring options. Laminate at its core is a hard, almost plastic like material, usually coated with an aluminum oxide finish. This combinations makes laminate a harder and more resilient surface than even the hardest of hardwoods. Laminate also can be installed below- grade where hardwood dare not go.
ENGINEERED
Engineered wood is a clever invention that allows the consumer to enjoy the beauty of real wood with the installation flexibility of a laminate. Engineered wood is constructed using a real wood veneer attached to a plywood board backing. This design allows for it to be installed almost anywhere and to almost any surface. Depending on the maker it can be glued, stapled, or sometimes installed as a floating floor. Its only drawback is unlike hardwood, it cannot be sanded.
TILE
When it comes to tile the material, pattern options, and color combinations are just daunting. It can be difficult to make a choice between them. Whether you decide on a natural stone or a ceramic/porcelain tile you can count on an extremely permanent floor area. Tile might be the most permanent, maintenance free floor option on the list. Usually installed in areas that you would expect high to mild levels of moisture, tile takes on water without warping, shrinking, cracking, or corroding.
VINYL
Vinyl is the baby of the family. Relatively new to consumers, vinyl offers a little bit of everything. Like laminate, vinyl is printed to mimic all kinds of floor surfaces from Brazilian cherry wood, to black granite. And like tile, the rubber like material is a close impervious to moisture. Unlike tile, however, vinyl flooring cannot be cracked, chipped or broken. It also lacks the cool stone feeling that commonly comes with a tile floor. Because of it versatility vinyl can be installed anywhere in your home. It's usually glued, but some brands have the option for it to be installed as a floating floor.
CARPET
Probably the most familiar of all the flooring choices, carpet is warm, simple and plush. While carpet may lack the the long life and easy clean options of the hard floors, it's affordability and comfortability make carpet a valued option.