How to Choose The Right Flooring For Your Custom Home

Thinking of building a new home in Florida? Then you’ve got a lot to consider! Among the myriad of design choices to make, flooring is one that should not be taken lightly. Your selection will determine how long your floors hold up over time, as well as your home’s comfort and value.

To make the decision process easier, we’ve gathered all of the top considerations in our quick and easy guide to choosing the right flooring for your custom home.

Keep Your Lifestyle in Mind

Day to day life in your household should be a major influence on your flooring choice. There are a variety of highly personal factors that will affect how well a particular material works for your needs and the way you use your spaces.

• Foot Traffic Consider the amount of foot traffic expected in your home. If you have many household members, or you frequently entertain guests, you’ll need to accommodate them with more durable flooring, especially in high-traffic areas such as entryways, hallways, and living rooms. Low-traffic areas such as bedrooms may be suitable for softer options.
• Children and Pets It doesn’t just matter how much traffic is in your home, it also matters who it’s coming from! Children and pets are significantly harder on flooring, and controlling messes or pet hair should factor into your choice of flooring. Comfort for these household members is also worth keeping in mind, favoring softer floors for spaces where they play or rest.
• Mobility If someone in the home is prone to falls, or needs mobility aids to get around, then the texture of your flooring will need to be chosen carefully. You may need to select non-slip materials, and/or floors that allow for smooth movement of wheelchairs, walkers, or canes.
• Cleaning Habits Are you one of those strange folks who gets a kick out of daily cleaning? Or are you the type who’d rather put it off for another day (or two, or three)? Perhaps you have a busy schedule that doesn’t allow much time for domestic upkeep? These tendencies are important to remember when choosing flooring, as certain materials are harder to keep looking presentable.

Pick the Right Materials for the Right Spaces

Different types of flooring perform best in different environments. And anyone who’s had the misfortune of living in a home with a carpeted bathroom knows that the wrong choice can be very wrong! Aside from the potential for some icky mishaps, an unsuitable installation can also lead to faster deterioration.

Select flooring materials that have the right features and durability for the purpose and conditions of the room in question. For example, a sunroom or lanai is best served by hardier materials that can weather dirt, rain, and humidity, such as stone tile. Kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room flooring needs similar resilience, though not to such an extreme. Tile, vinyl planks, and specially treated wood laminate can all perform well here.

Flooring Material Pros and Cons

Hardwood

Pros: Classic beauty, versatile in style, authentic natural material, durable, can look as good as new when resurfaced, increases home value, easy to clean

Cons: Expensive, high maintenance, scratch-prone, noise-amplifying, vulnerable to moisture, labor-intensive installation

Vinyl Plank

Pros: Versatile in style, cost effective, stain and scratch resistant, easy to clean

Cons: Shorter lifespan, difficult removal, not always eco-friendly, noise-amplifying, repair requires entire plank replacement

Laminate Plank

Pros: Cost effective, easy installation, versatile in style, easy to clean, durable

Cons: Vulnerable to moisture without treatment, fades in sunlight, noise-amplifying, repair requires entire plank replacement

Tile

Pros: Versatile in style, durable, water resistant, easy to clean, cooler to touch, increases home value

Cons: Hard under foot, slippery when wet, cooler to touch, noise-amplifying, labor-intensive installation, vulnerable to cracking or chipping

Linoleum (PVC)

Pros: Cost effective, versatile in style, durable, water-resistant, easy to clean

Cons: Not always eco-friendly, can be noise-amplifying, scratch-prone, fades or discolors over time

Cork

Pros: Attractive, noise-dampening, eco-friendly, soft on feet, hypoallergenic, non-slip

Cons: Cost, expansion/contraction with temperature, susceptibility to damage, fades in sunlight, best installed as floating floor

Carpet

Pros: Soft, affordable, insulating, non-slip, style versatility, easy replacement

Cons: Odor-retentive, stain-prone, hard to clean, vulnerable to moisture, wears down quickly under high traffic

Consider Your Floor’s Aesthetics

Last but not least, it’s important to put some thought into how your flooring will harmonize with the rest of your home’s materials and design. A mismatch in looks can be quite jarring, making the interior less appealing to both you and any future buyers.

If you’re aiming for a certain architectural theme, choosing mismatched flooring can also diminish the style’s authenticity. For example, a cool grey laminate may look sharp in a modern home, but out of place in one that pays homage to Spanish colonial style.

Paying attention to four main aesthetic variables is the best way to narrow down your selections. Follow the guidelines below to ensure you get started on the right foot:

• Color Tones Color tones should synchronize with the rest of the colors present in the home (i.e. warm with warm, cool with cool).
• Color Depths Color depths should be balanced with the rest of the interior. Contrast may be best in some cases, while other interiors may call for a closer match. Darker floors tend to look better in larger rooms with bulkier furnishings, while lighter floors keep an open feel in smaller rooms, and don’t overwhelm delicate furnishings. Unpainted wood trim looks most cohesive when paired with matching flooring.
• Pattern Complexity Busy flooring patterns look best when other surfaces and decor skew minimalistic. If you opt for an ornate wallpaper or patterned furniture, a simple flooring pattern will be most complementary.
• Finish Sheen High-gloss flooring tends to be more suitable for more formal or modern interiors. Rustic designs harmonize better with finishes toward the matte end of the spectrum.

Get Every Detail Right with Capitol Homes

Southern Florida is a prime destination for building custom homes thanks to its affordable land prices, leaving a bigger budget for personalized design. Many new residents see tremendous value in getting a home that fits their unique preferences, right down to fixtures and finishes. At Capitol Homes, we specialize in constructing finely designed custom homes throughout the wider southwest region of Florida. Our team of experts is ready to walk you through your options and help you craft the property of your dreams. We welcome you to visit our model homes, where you can see material samples in person and discuss the possibilities in more detail.