When choosing a new floor covering for any room of the house, you may find there are so many options available it can get overwhelming. By looking at all the choices and considering three factors – style, function, and cost – the job of getting a beautiful new floor is made much more simple.
Ceramic Tile Floors
Ceramic tile can also give you that “designer look”. The tiles that many are using are much larger, and are available in even more choices and evolving designs that can create an incredible floor.
Price installed: $6 – $10 per square foot
Carpet
There are a wide variety of styles of carpet available. In the past few years “Berber” was very popular due to its durability and affordability. Now there is resurgence in the popularity of a variety of shag carpets, deep piles, and a combination of both.
Price installed: $18 – $30 per yard
Vinyl Floors
Previously thought of as just an inexpensive choice in flooring, now the new generation of vinyl floors are not only very durable but can add a real “designers touch” to your home.
Price installed: $18 – $30 per yard
Hardwood Floors
Whenever you are shopping for a home, one feature you will always see advertised (if available) is “Beautiful Hardwood Floors”. The look of brand new hardwood floors, or even newly refinished hardwood floors, adds an unmistakable quality and value to your home.
Where the choices in wood used to be pretty limited, new wood floors and even “engineered wood” floors are now becoming more popular.
Price installed: $7 – $12 per square foot
Laminate Floors
Everyone has heard someone refer to laminate floors as “Pergo”. However, Pergo is just one of many companies such as Armstrong, Wilson Art, and Formica who make this virtually indestructible type of flooring.
The floating nature of laminate flooring makes it easy to install, and the range of styles and colors is virtually endless—from simulated wood and tile to creative and decorative choices that will provide any home with an amazingly durable and beautiful floor.
Price installed: $6 – $12 per square foot
danny,this is not a comment but a question. last week on your show . the older guy helped another guy reinishe a wood floor by scraping, one WAY THEN SCRAPING THE OTHER WAY. then they took chains and pounded it then stained it and sealed it. i need to know the info on entire procedure for this process please.
Danny: My husband and I have 6 dogs in our home. During the day when we are at work they are crated. Our entire home is covered in wall to wall carpeting. Because of the number of pets that we have the constant upkeep on the carpet we wanted to remove the carpet and put in something that will hold better with our pets. What do you recommend?
I have the same problem! I also have a pool and the dogs (and myself) are hard on the floors. I have a concrete slab and there are a couple big cracks (about 1/4 to 1/2″ wide and there is a difference in their levels). I live in AZ. I’m thinking tile, but was wondering if I had any options?
We are getting ready to tile an 11 by 14 kitchen. We want it to blend in well with the living room. What size tile would make the kitchen look larger ? We were thinking perhaps a 14 square or 18 inch square. We need your advice.
How much extra should we buy to cover for the maintance ? Thanks, Lois
Lois,
I would suggest using 18×18 in tiles and consider installing them on a diagonal. I would try to end up with at least 3-4 tiles for future use, if needed. Good luck.
Like wendy we have 2 dogs that have accidents that have ruined our family room carpet and will have to be replaced. we’re wondering about carpet squares. what would you suggest to wendy and us?
danny.. great show ..love it and I am thinking of remodeling my home your web site has various ideas for home inprovement for the entire house and more…looking forward to learning more keep the show coming
I am turning my attached garage into a family room with a pool table. It will be where we will spend most of our time and we have a dog. my question is what would be the best floor to install without laying a sub floor and we dont want carpet my wife likes laminate and tile but we are not sure if tile can withstand pool balls coming off the table. either way laminate or tile will be cold please help
Hello,
Our carpet was ruined by dogs and cats.
Now we have to replace it. What would you suggest for a household with 3 German Shepherds and 6 cats.
The present foundation under the carpeting is plywood. We have to replace the livingroom and diningroom and bedroom carpets.
Thank you for any budget conscious suggestion.
I see a lot of questions, just like the problem I am having. I have an older dog that is having seizures and has ruined my downstairs carpeting. I have been researching different options, but everything I come up with seems to be don’t let it get wet. In a family with children and pets how do you keep flooring from getting any liquid on it. I also do not have a lot of money to spend so I need to make the right decision. Thanks for any input.
Hi, we have a cement floor in the basement that used to have hard tiles on it. However, the tiles began to come up and so we took all of the tiles up. Under the tiles was a black substance that I assume is some kind of adhesive. This adhesive will not come up. So, we are looking for something to do with the floor. It sometimes gets wet down there, so we need something that won’t be damaged by occasional water. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks
I have carpet in my den it is a high traffic area,my walls
are knotty wood pine,what can i put down that will not
look like the entire room is wood.please help
Polished concrete would be the perfect solution for you based on the circumstances described. Please visit our website for more info.
Hi Danny,
I have a kitchen that needs a complete update but there is no money right now. There is carpet on the kitchen floor and an ajoining breakfast room. What can you recommend that would be inexpensive and do you think it would have to be redone when the kitchen is updated? Also it is a condo and there is a unit below so I’m also concerned kitchen traffic.
Hi Paulette,
Sheet vinyl is the least expensive and easiest to install option for a kitchen floor. Engineered wood flooring is also being used more and more on kitchen floors, though the finish doesn’t hold up to water as well as tile.
I live in a basement apartment which has a floor drain that floods every so many years due to tree roots growing in the pipes. I have recently pulled up all the berber carpet that was here due to ruination from water and dog accidents. I have been looking at a company that sells molds to make your own tile from concrete. Would you think this would be a sturdy indestructible way to make the floors look nice or would the concrete tiles not be durable with wear and tear?
For all those dog lovers out there, and I am one of them,
there is no way to have a clean floor when you have animals. I have a dog, she is small but she is getting old and occasionally she can’t make it to the door….. so we have an accident. I have pulled up all of the carpet, in every room. I installed white Marble tiles in the bathrooms, looks great, is inexpensive, and you can wipe and clean up easy. The rest of the house has a good grade of laminate flooring, looks like wood with the best underlayment, it sounds like wood as you walk on the floor and I have placed cotton runners and area rugs all over the house where it looks like it is suppose to be done with design in mind. If there is an accident, now I just take to rug up and wash it. Presto! Cotton rugs (see Ikea) can be replaced and are not so expensive, so replacement after several washings is the answer. That is the only way I can keep my little dog, I just cannot put her down yet. She has given me too much joy and comfort throughout the years.
Due to water damage, we will be replacing our engineered wood flooring in the kitchen and the carpeting in the living room and hallway (total 750 sq. ft.). My preference is for a smooth and slightly shiny engineered floor. However, all the good quality (3+mm wear layer) floors I’ve seen are either hand scraped ( a look I don’t like) or smooth and dull. I think the hand scraped look is just a fad and I’ll be sorry to have chosen it in 5 yrs. On the other hand, the dull finish on the smooth choice I’ve seen appears depressing to me. What are your thoughts on this? Does the product I’m seeking exist somewhere?
I have a question. We live in an open concept condo. We need to replace living room and hallway carpet. Same carpet is in the 2 bedrooms, that carpet is fine. Will it look ok to just replace the hallway and living room without doing the bedrooms?
Thanks.
I just moved into a newly constructed rental apartment with my 2 cats… laminated floors in all areas except for the bedrooms which are carpeted. I am keeping pet bowls, 2 litter boxes, perches and scratching posts on the laminate but the place looks messey. I want to consolidate all into the smallest bedroom but need to protect the carpet from accidents. I want to lay something on top of the carpet (thinking of a floating laminate) which will be “leakproof”…but I need the best ideas and advice from a pro. What say you??
What would be the best flooring to use in our kitchen that is the entrance to the house from the deck/pool? We need something that will not be ruined from dripping chlorine water. Thanks!
Hi Allie,
Tile in general and porcelain tile in particular would be your best bet. Both hold up well to water and chemicals, but porcelain tile is more water resistant that ceramic tile. Be sure and seal the grout once it has cured to prevent it from staining. To find out more, watch our videos on Ceramic vs. Porcelain Tile and Sealing Grout in Tile Floors. For a primer on how to tile a floor, check out our article on How to Lay a Tile Floor. Good luck with your project!
I have 400ft of flooring to replace in a rental unit. What flooring is best for high usage? This unit is on a raised foundation and tile cracked in the past. I would like some advice! Thanks
My husband and I have to replace the tile in the main body of the house i.e. hallways, kitchen, living room and dinning. Its about 1800 square feet of 18 year old ceramic tile. We had a flood last year and used 5 of the 9 leftover tiles and after a slab leak this year we are short tiles to fix. So the questions is can you just tile over the top? Keep in mind we are serious DIYers.
I want to change from carpet to hardwood flooring in my living room and hallway. I have bamboo flooring in my kitchen and dining rooms. Now i see numerous colors of bamboo, which I like more than mine. Would it be better to stick with same color bamboo, or is a change alright. Will different colors of flooring decrease home value if I sell later.
I have brick pavers for flooring in my kitchen. I want to replace them. What is the best way to remove them?
Help help help….No One has an answer for pet friendly flooring. Like those above, I have 2 dogs that are aging and have accidents. I am looking for the best flooring to (be blunt) hold a puddle of dog pee for several hours without damage while I am at work. I have been researching with no luck for months and months.
Left a decision of what to do with replacing flooring on an open kitchen living room area to my husband. I am now having major concerns with vinyl flooring choice.. A little research says no value added to house and it tears and is hard to clean. Need some advice.
Please help! I have a Yorkshire terrier who is choosing to pee wherever he wants. All our carpets are ruined and smell. Is disgusting. We are ready to pull out and get new flooring which is beautiful and will be easily cleaned even if the pee sits while we are at work. I love look of wood but know is probably not an option. Please give guidance that will last. Thanks. Eager to hear soon.
COULD U TELL ME THE BEST FLOOR FOR A BUSY HALLWAY INCLUDING DOGS CATS AND TODDLER
MANY THANKS
RUTH
We want to install laminate in our basement over a cement floor, we are in the country and have a sump pump. There is a lot of disagreement on the preparations. Do we need to put a sub floor in before installing the laminate or is a moisture barrier enough.
I am also trying to find some answers with regards to finding the right flooring as I have two small dogs (one who pees while I am at work). My female dog uses the dog pads but my male has never used these. We have a very bad stained living room carpet which needs replacing with a different flooring and a kitchen that needs replacing with new flooring. It has a 70’s old linoleum on right now. We also would like to sell our house at some point in time when we have done the renovations. Please help. Thanks.
I’m sick of my carpet. I have hardwood in a few rooms but notice it shows dirt & dust bad. Don’t like tile, it’s too cold on the feet. I thought about cork, How durable and how easy to keep clean is cork?
I recently had a flood in my living room due to heavy rains this past month. I don’t want to replace the carpet with more carpet and I hear hardwood and water don’t mix. Tile is my only other option but i am concerned with the changes in my heating bills as the tile would sit on a concrete slab for a Midwest winter. Any suggestions?
Thinking of painting and sealing the concrete padding in my spare room. Do you have any suggestions?
we have concrete floors in our condo we have read on consumer complaints about their own experience about laminant flooring once installed by pros and even manufacture denies any fault from material but installers are done by their own distributor.same with tarkett floors and quick step flooring. any ideas? I live in oak park, il.
Hi,love your site,i have a huge problem,my entire house has 3/4 inch hard wood oak,i want to put the same wood I’m my kitchen, but the subfloor in the kitchen is higher than that of the living room, how do I fix this ?please help, thank you.By the way this is my first time.
One of the most essential aspect to keep under consideration while selecting the flooring is the selection of the material. In case you want to give your kitchen a timeless look that you should opt for hardwood flooring. However, hardwood floors are expensive, in case you are looking for a cost-effective option you should opt for laminated flooring which is cheaper and easier to maintain.