Flooring Materials that Buyers Looking For
Add Value to Residential Properties With These Floor Materials
Flooring has seen significant innovation over the past decade, with factory-finished materials becoming nearly indistinguishable from pricey onsite finishes. If you’re planning to install a new floor on your next build, learn which trends are hottest right now.
Bamboo Flooring:
Bamboo has been around for decades; however, there has been a recent explosion in styles and colors. While technically a member of the grass family, bamboo is at least as hard as most hardwoods. What’s more, strand-woven bamboo can be twice as hard as traditional bamboo flooring. In addition to common thin-banded styles, bamboo is now available in wide-plank designs, which mimic the appearance of classic hardwoods. As with all wood floors, it’s generally best to avoid installing bamboo in baths, kitchens and other moisture-prone rooms.
Reclaimed Wood:
Modern flooring often uses new technology to create classic looks. One example of this is reclaimed hardwood. Modern factory-finished hardwood flooring can deliver all the charm of reclaimed timber – including the timeless hand-hewn appearance- without the added expense of true salvaged lumber. Factory-finished flooring also holds up to moisture fluctuations much better than wood flooring completed onsite.
Large-Format Tile:
Modern tile has seen an explosion of shapes, sizes, patterns and materials. For instance, nowadays many people are flooring their owns with large-format tiles – 12″ x 24″ and even 36″ x 36″ – instead of gradational 12″ x 12″ tiles. These products don’t only look great, they create more tile surface, meaning less grout lines to clean. That said, because they are so heavy, large-format tiles require a perfectly level substrate from a professional installer.
Cork:
Much more comfortable to walk on compared to tile and traditional hardwood, cork floor offers fantastic acoustic-insulating qualities. Once only available in blonde, today’s options span the color wheel. Thanks to modern factory finishes, cork is also more durable than ever. That said, it is susceptible to moisture damage and can fade in direct sunlight.
Luxury Vinyl:
A new category of flooring, this product blends the durability of vinyl with the high-end look of stone or hardwood. Modern printing capabilities make luxury vinyl appear so realistic, most people have to get down on their hands and knees to determine if it’s real. Since it stands up well to moisture, wood-look vinyl flooring is a great solution for bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms.
American Hardwood:
Unlike bamboo or cork, which are shipped from across the globe, domestic hardwoods are harvested just a few hundred miles away. Modern practices promote good sustainability by replenishing forests as they fall. In turn, maple, hickory, oak and heart pine are starting to make a comeback.
Concrete:
Sleek, durable and trendy, concrete flooring is now available in a variety of textures, colors and finishes. This allows it to adapt seamlessly to virtually any decor. Though not particularly comfortable to walk on, concrete floors can be very cost effective, especially in old buildings with old subfloors.
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