One of the easiest ways to dramatically change a room is by adding new flooring. Although in the past, many of us drifted towards plush carpeting, if you’re planning on selling your home, it’s time to do some rethinking. Any more, thick carpeting is associated with the 80’s and really dates your home. The latest trend is wood flooring, but you will have a lot more options than that.

First, it’s important to determine whether or not you’ll be staying in your home or selling it, before you think about switching the flooring. This will have a lot of bearing on your choices. If you like wood – perfect – you’ll be able to use it whether or not you want to sell your home. However, if you plan to stay, it’s important to focus on what you really like, not so much what is current.

As we mentioned previously, buyers today are looking for clean wood floors in medium shades that aren’t visually offensive. Patterned wood or parquet is usually frowned upon, unless it is in an entry. Dark floors are dramatic when paired with ultra white walls, but this can really close in a room. By far, if you’re going to pick wood floors, go with a light or medium finish that brightens up the room.

Another flooring that has become more popular, especially in warm climates, is the use of ceramic tile. This is however very expensive and may not be long wearing. If you’ve got a lot of kids, or are particularly hard on floors, we don’t recommend ceramic tile, simply because it can easily crack. An extreme version of the sleek look is a poured concrete floor, but this is expensive and harder to maintain.

If you’re thinking about adding carpet, you will have a lot of options. Plush carpet is definitely a thing of the past and since it is so hard to maintain, this is a good thing. Plush carpet wears easily and your rooms end up looking like they have trails blazed through them thanks to foot traffic. If you’re going to install new carpet, go for neutral colors that are stain resistant. Dark colors are dramatic when it comes to wood flooring, but with carpet, it’s definitely overbearing and not a good thing.

Berber carpet wears the best and is easier to maintain but may be a little harsh if you’ve got kids that will be crawling (and falling) on it. Look for a softer material that is still long lasting and stain resistant but not so hard to the touch.

By far, the best compromise when it comes to flooring is to go with wood, and dress it up with some very nice rugs. This gives you the best of both worlds and you’ll have a lot more options. You can still get the benefit of carpet, while staying very current and yet timeless with your home. At the end of the day, your choices are up to you, but if you need to update your home, the above tips will keep you right on the edge of what’s hot.

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Originally posted 2008-11-26 06:34:06. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Ceramic, Flooring, Handy Man, Wood Floors, carpet, concrete

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ceramic tile, choices, concrete floor, dark colors, dark floors, extreme version, foot traffic, neutral colors, new carpet, parquet, plush carpet, plush carpeting, selling your home, shades, sleek look, thick carpeting, warm climates, white walls, wood flooring, Wood Floors