Family life is hard enough without having to worry about keeping your home in tip-top condition. In this blog, we’ll be looking at a range of flooring options and the pros and cons of each of them. If you’re looking for flooring with equal parts durability and style, here are our top flooring ideas for busy homes.
What to look for in a floor for the family home
Getting the whole family to agree on something can be difficult but to make everyone happy, keep the following in mind when choosing your flooring:
Style – As the foundation of your family home, your floor will be with you for many years to come. Make sure you choose a versatile design that will complement changing interior design trends.
Durability – From the rough’n’tumble of the kid’s playtime to the post-walk mess of pets, your floors need to withstand a lot. Don’t let your flooring hold you back – be sure to choose a floor with the durability to withstand the chaos of everyday life.
Our favourite flooring ideas for busy homes
1- Engineered wood flooring
Engineered wood flooring is a great way to achieve the look of solid wood flooring without the hefty price tag. Topped with a real wood layer and a central core of cross-layered plywood or softwood, it’s a great option for family homes.
Pros of engineered wood flooring:
- Affordable – even though engineered wood is pricier than laminate or vinyl, it’s considerably more affordable than solid wood flooring
- Stylish – available in many natural-wood textures and designs, engineered wood is a great choice for the style conscious
- Temperature resistance – unlike solid wood, engineered wood is designed to withstand temperature changes making it a great option for foundations with underfloor heating
Cons of engineered wood flooring:
- Maintenance – like solid wood flooring, engineered wood requires regular maintenance to keep it looking shiny and new
- Colour fading – UV light can unfortunately cause engineered wood to fade over time
- Potentially weak – depending on where you purchase your engineered wood and its construction, some manufactures use cheap materials for its core, causing it to weaken over time. If you’re opting for an engineered wood, make sure you invest in a high-quality construction to keep your floors structurally sound for longer.
2- Laminate flooring
Laminate is a popular choice for flooring in family homes thanks to the many colours, patterns and designs available. Made with compressed wooden material or MDF. resin and often an additional protective layer, laminate flooring is more durable than many think.
Pros of laminate flooring:
- Easy to clean – Laminate floors are easy to maintain with a simple spray mop making them a popular choice for family homes
- Durable – depending on its AC rating (AC1-AC5 – the higher the number the higher its durability) Laminate is very durable. We recommend an AC3 or above rating for high traffic areas such as corridors and family rooms
- Affordable – Laminate is one of the most affordable flooring options. It’s also DIY friendly and easy to install
Cons of Laminate flooring:
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- Can’t be refinished – once Laminate becomes damaged, it can’t be refinished and can often be expensive to repair
- Slippery – Laminate can often be slippery. For family homes, we recommend an R10 rating or above rating as the increased texture can increase slip resistance. In areas with higher slip risk, such as bathrooms, you might want to opt for flooring with higher slip resistance (R11-R13) or a product tested under Pendulum Test (PTV ≥36) for safer wet-condition performance. When purchasing R10-rated laminate flooring, check if additional surface treatments (e.g., textured finishes) enhance grip, especially in areas with occasional water exposure.
- Lifting – moisture can cause Laminate flooring to lift over time. Ensure you’re using cleaners that are compatible with Laminate flooring to avoid cosmetic damage and lifting
3- Carpet
Carpet is a popular choice for family homes thanks to its warm feeling underfoot, stain resistance and design choices. Available in natural, synthetic or blended materials, carpet is a great option to create a cosy feeling in the home.
Pros of Carpet flooring:
- Quiet – Carpet absorbs noise making it a great choice for lively family homes
- Easy installation – Carpet is quick and easy to install
- Versatile – available in many different colours, patterns and compositions, carpet is a great choice to suit your design needs
Cons of Carpet flooring:
- Shows wear and tread – over time, carpets can become worn in high-traffic areas. Avoid carpet in corridors and hallways although we recommend it for family rooms and bedrooms to create a cosy feel
- Staining – many carpets are now available with stain resistance however this is limited to surface stains. Deeper, darker stains are often difficult to remove from carpets, especially if they’re deeper in the pile and lighter in colour
- Maintenance – Carpet needs frequent deep cleaning which can be more expensive and difficult compared to the maintenance of hard-wood flooring
4- Solid-wood flooring
Solid-wood flooring is the most natural and classic choice for hard-wood floors. Cut from natural timber, Solid-wood flooring is an aesthetic choice for flooring in family homes.
Pros of Solid-wood flooring:
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- Adds value to your home – thanks to its natural beauty, solid-wood flooring can actually add value to your home as it’s sought after by home buyers.
- Variety – Solid-wood flooring is available in many wood variations and laying styles meaning there’s something for every room and every family
- Beauty – not only are Solid-wood floors a life-long investment but they add timeless beauty to any family home and often out-live their owners!
Cons of Solid-wood flooring:
- Expensive – Solid-wood floors are amongst the most expensive flooring options due to its natural quality
- Vulnerable to moisture – due to the way wood expands and contacts in reaction to moisture, solid-wood floors can often warp if they come into contact with moisture. We recommend avoiding Solid-wood flooring in kitchens and bathrooms
- Easily scratched and dented – natural wood is easily marked and needs regular refinishing which can be expensive and time consuming
5- Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) flooring
Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) is a popular choice for busy family homes as it provides both style and durability. It achieves the look of natural materials with a detailed image of actual wood or stone, with a mix of grain or textured patterns that replicate the real materials.
Pros of LVT flooring:
- High-quality design – LVT often looks as real as Solid-wood flooring thanks to improvements in embossing technology. Luvanto’s unique grain embossing technology produces the finish of a solid-wood flooring.
- Durability – LVT flooring is extremely durable thanks to its advanced stain resistance. Luvanto flooring is also extremely easy to clean and maintain with the right care.
- Slip resistance – Opt for a flooring with a minimum R10 rating. If you require even greater performance, look for products with Pendulum Test results of ≥50 wet / ≥60 dry).
- Versatile – LVT is available in a range of finishes, designs and laying styles meaning there’s something for everyone!
Cons of LVT flooring:
- Varies in quality – like many types of flooring, the quality of LVT varies depending on the supplier. Make sure you stick to a trusted supplier such as Luvanto for the best results
- Potential fading – although LVT is extremely durable, it’s not indestructible. However, LVT fades much less easily compared to many other flooring choices
There are many options of flooring for family homes. Flooring is not a one-size-fits-all so ensure you do your research before you commit to a flooring option.
To try before you buy, order 3 FREE samples from Luvanto and use our Viusaliser to see how our floors will look in your home.
