Flooring is a key part of the design of your home, playing an important role in the look, feel and function of your living space. A new floor is a big investment and should take into account both style and function. We spoke with Andrew Bridi, owner of On Centre Design Build, a custom home builder and renovator in the GTA, for his tips on finding the right flooring for any space.
Consider floor traffic
Whether you’re a busy family with young kids and pets or a mature couple will determine the type of flooring that will best suit your home. While hardwood flooring is a great fit for a low-traffic home, a high-traffic home would be better suited by laminate or resilient flooring – a vinyl flooring that can be made to look like hardwood or stone. “Resilient flooring is especially popular in basements, is economically priced, very durable, resistant to high humidity and doesn’t scratch like wood,” says Bridi.
Location
While solid hardwood flooring is still popular on main floors, this flooring is not ideal for basements since hardwood can easily be damaged by moisture that comes up through the ground. The installation process also makes hardwood floors a poor choice for basements. “Basements require a flooring that can be installed on a concrete surface,” says Bridi. Engineered wood, laminate or resilient flooring are installed as a floating floor and are popular choices in basements.
Heat your tootsies
When renovating a bathroom, consider a heated floor. “The costs for heated floors have drastically dropped as technology has improved,” says Bridi. A heated floor can cost around $15 per square foot. Plus, there’s nothing like the feeling of warm tile under your feet, especially in the middle of winter.
Budget
Changing your flooring can be one of your home’s most expensive improvements. Bridi breaks down the cost estimates:
- Hardwood and engineered flooring are the most expensive, costing around $5 to $10 per square foot.
- Laminate can cost around $1 to $4 per square foot.
- Resilient vinyl flooring lands in the middle, costing $4 to $6 per square foot.
Bring home a sample
The last thing you want to do is install 1,000 square feet of Gray Oak based on a sample from a showroom only to find it clashes with your cabinets or furniture. Since the lighting in your home is different than that in the store, asking for a sample to take home is the best way to determine if the colour is right for your space.
Contact On Centre Design Build for your home renovation needs, including flooring ideas, kitchen and bathroom improvements!
