What Lies Beneath: The Importance of Flooring.

How often do you think about what goes on underneath your feet: the floor of your home or business?

Many people may take flooring for granted, but that can be a mistake. Your floors take the brunt of the impact from your daily activities, and the signs of wear and tear that often show up first on your floors can make a negative first impression on visitors to your home or business.

If you’re thinking about replacing one or more of your floors, you might be tempted just to buy the cheapest material available, but that can be a costly mistake. Just as you wouldn’t hire an employee who wasn’t qualified for the job, you shouldn’t install a floor that isn’t suited to the purpose you want it to serve.

Here are some things to think about when you’re trying to choose the right flooring for your home or office.

Durability

Not every room sees the same amount of foot traffic. Areas that see high amounts of traffic need durable flooring that can hold up to a lot of abuse while showing minimal signs of wear.

It is especially important to install a durable floor in the entryway of your home or business. This is the first area people will see as they enter your premises, so it will make a strong primary impression. Furthermore, entryways not only see a lot of people coming and going but also must stand up to the water, mud, and debris that individuals often drag into a building on their shoes as they enter.

Purpose

The purpose and function of a room determine what sort of flooring you should install there. For example, restrooms require flooring that is resistant to water, such as tile or sheet vinyl. Other materials that may work perfectly well elsewhere in the building, such as carpet or wood, do not work well in the bathroom. Wet carpeting can develop mold, while wood floors exposed to moisture are prone to warping.

Maintenance

Whether you’re running a business or managing a home, you probably have more important things to concentrate on than cleaning and maintaining your floors. If you lead an active lifestyle and the area you are flooring sees a significant amount of traffic, opt for a material that is easy to clean and care for, such as linoleum.

What Flooring Creaks and Squeaks Are Trying to Tell You

Both old and new homes are prone to the sounds of settling, those creaky noises you may hear when you walk on an upstairs level or on the hardwood floors of your house. How can you tell if flooring noises mean something more? What causes those sounds, and how worried should you be? This information can help you know when you are listening to routine squeaks and when you should contact a professional flooring company to assess the situation and make repairs.

It’s Not the Heat…

One of the most common causes of squeaky floor boards is change in the temperature and humidity levels. When the temperatures fall along with the humidity, your whole house loses moisture, including your hardwood floors. On the other hand, when the temperatures and humidity creep up, the added moisture in the air can cause your hardwoods to swell. Either way, you may hear an increase in creaks. While some of these noises are to be expected, they may also be due to improper installation, especially if the wood planks did not have time to acclimate.

Popping and Locking

Have you walked across the floor and heard a distinctive popping sound? Chances are good you are listening to your subfloor rubbing against the nails of any loose floor planks. This issue may be corrected by simply screwing down any loose planks, unless the flooring was installed incorrectly. In that case, you may want to have part or all your floor replaced. A professional flooring installation team can ensure the subfloor is level and the moisture barrier is adequate before tackling the hardwood, engineered wood, or laminate planks.

Feeling Hollow

A hollow sound may indicate a different kind of problem: an insufficient underlayer for the type of flooring you have, especially if the flooring was installed with the floating method. Find out what material was used for your underlayer – which can range from inexpensive foam to pricey cork – to see if that is the source of the noise. If the underlayer is fine and the hollow sound persists, you may want to have your flooring reinstalled using a different technique, such as the glue, nail, or staple down methods.

The good news is that no matter the source of your creaks and squeaks, you can find a remedy and some peace and quiet.

Flooring Experts

Surface Design Solutions can help you choose an appropriate flooring material that will stand up to use for years to come. When you’re ready to take on this important project, contact us through our convenient online form.