Changing your flooring can make a huge and dramatic difference in how your home looks and now you have more choices than ever before.
Laminate flooring: A type of wood flooring that works well in most rooms of the house, but not in bathrooms or rooms that are prone to getting wet frequently. Laminate is actual wood that is hardwood glued together and is strong, durable, and fairly easy to install with pieces that lock together. Laminate floors don’t like water, so stay away from mopping. It is specially treated to reject staining, dirt, and dust, so for the most part you will just have to brush it off. Once a month, use a slight damp micro-fiber cloth to gently go over it.
Parquet flooring: this, too, is a wood floor that is made from pieces of wood glued and pressed together. This type of flooring must be installed by professionals, unlike the interlocking laminate flooring. As with the laminate floor, parquet doesn’t like water so avoid getting it too wet, and avoid letting it stay wet. Also avoid dragging anything heavy across it as it will scratch. The floor will need to be sealed so that moisture doesn’t get in, and using a strongly wrung out mop about once a month will keep it clean.
Bamboo flooring: the newest craze in flooring, bamboo is all the rage! More durable than wood or laminate, brighter in color and lighter in weight than most woods, bamboo is sure to compliment any room. As with parquet flooring, bamboo is not for the DIY’er, it has to be installed by a professional. Shop around because as bamboo gets more popular, it also gets more affordable. Maintenance for bamboo floors is easy. Vacuum or sweep to pick up the dirt, and mop as you would with any non-wood floor.
Cork flooring: probably the most unique (yet widely available) flooring option is cork. It comes in a large variety of colors (over fifty-four to be exact). Cork is an environmentally friendly flooring choice, and it has come a long way since it was first introduced so many years ago. It is very comfortable to walk on and will add a special look to any room. Remember, this isn’t corkboard, and is actually very durable. It is also moisture-proof, setting it aside from the hardwood and laminate floors. It is fairly easy to install yourself or it can be done by a flooring professional, the choice is yours. Simply sweep and mop the floor as you would any non-wood floor, and the cork flooring will last a very long time.
As you can see, there are many options when it comes to flooring. Of the ones listed here, cork and bamboo are the most environmentally-friendly. When shopping for floors take your time and have fun shopping around for the floor that is right for you and your home.
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