One of the biggest questions you may ask is which type of flooring is better. The answer depends on your use. Is it for you, a child, or an older adult? Are you concerned about environmental issues, for instance, does the flooring off-gas chemicals, is it created in a green manner, and will it be recyclable someday when it is time to replace it? Do you plan on selling your home sooner rather than later? Some of these elements may be more important to you than others, but all should be considered when making a flooring choice for your bedroom. Here are nine flooring materials, including their advantages and disadvantages.
Carpeting
Carpet is a prevalent choice for a bedroom flooring surface in North America and many other western nations, mainly because it is soft and warm on the feet—an obvious advantage in a room where you are often bare-footed. That tactile comfort helps to create a sense of lush luxury in many colors and patterns in the room while also dampening sounds and protecting you from cold toes on chilly winter mornings. But there are other reasons that carpet is popular in bedrooms, as well as some reasons you might not want to use it, such as environmental considerations. Carpet comes in two major categories: cut pile and loop pile. The fiber loops are cut for cut pile, and the fiber loops are left uncut in loop pile carpets. Saxony, textured, and frieze are variations of cut pile carpets, while Berber and level loop are the main types of loop pile carpet. Textured cut-pile carpeting is the most popular type for bedroom use. It’s soft, has a casual look, and resists dirt reasonably well.
Hardwood Flooring
Next to carpeting, hardwood flooring is the most popular choice for bedroom flooring. Among real estate professionals, genuine hardwood is usually regarded as one of the best flooring materials. Not only is it beautiful and hard-wearing, but it’s relatively durable. Even better, it biodegrades and is considered an environmentally friendlier surface. For home resale, hardwood flooring is the best option. It’s hard to match the natural appeal of real wood flooring, adding beauty to any decor style. While there are dozens of types of hardwood used for flooring, some of the most popular are ash, walnut, oak, and maple. The two basic types of wood flooring are solid and engineered wood. Solid wood floors are full-length pieces of wood from top to bottom, while engineered wood floors are manufactured using three to nine layers of wood veneers. Strip, plank, and parquet are the three most common wood flooring styles. For bedroom use, strip and plank are by far the most popular. Both are traditional, linear pieces of wood, but the plank is wider than the strip, giving it a more casual vibe.
Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo flooring is often lumped in with hardwood flooring since the products are similar in quality and use the same installation methods. However, the bamboo plant is a form of grass, not wood. Bamboo grows very quickly, making it a completely renewable material, and flooring made from bamboo fibers is harder than most hardwoods, making it a very durable flooring. This easy-to-care-for flooring usually costs less than $5 per square foot for materials, with installation adding about $5 per square foot. At this price, it is comparable to mid-range hardwood flooring. The look is unique. It’s worth checking into bamboo flooring if you are already considering hardwood. Bamboo flooring comes in strips and planks that fit tightly together, like wood and laminate flooring. There are many grain and color options available.
Cork Flooring
Cork flooring is most often used in kitchens due to its durability and comfortable support when standing for long periods. Although it is still a relatively unusual flooring material, natural cork flooring is used in bedrooms. One of cork flooring’s most important features is its ability to insulate between floors, providing soundproofing and helping keep heat and air conditioning where it belongs. When stepping onto cork flooring with heels, your shoe will make an indentation into the cork, but the cork particles bounce back after you lift your feet. Over time, heavy furniture can leave permanent indentations. Cork flooring is eco-friendly, available in many colors, and exceptionally durable. It’s expensive, though.
Vinyl or Linoleum Flooring
Whether it takes the form of sheet vinyl, vinyl tiles, or newer luxury vinyl flooring (LVF) tongue-and-groove planks, vinyl is a surprisingly versatile flooring choice for bedrooms—no longer just used in bathrooms and kitchens. Many looks are available, with luxury vinyl products almost indistinguishable from wood, ceramic, or stone. Vinyl planks are a good choice for bedrooms. Although not as soft as carpeting, it’s not as hard as hardwood or tile, and breaks falls better. The biggest downside is vinyl is a plastic material; it off-gases chemicals and cannot be recycled. Vinyl flooring replaced linoleum in the 1970s, but homeowners concerned about the environmental impact of vinyl flooring are starting to return to linoleum. Linoleum, made from linseed oil and other natural ingredients, is the original resilient flooring. It has most of the same virtues as vinyl but is a more environmentally sound choice. Linoleum is slightly more expensive than most types of vinyl flooring, and design choices may be more limited. Still, it is worth looking into if you are considering a resilient flooring material that is 100% biodegradable.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is made from a thin layer of plastic laminate printed with a design layer, bonded to a base layer of high-density fiberboard (HDF), and topped with a clear wear layer or protective plastic coating. It is a remarkably versatile material that can be manufactured to look like almost any material, including hardwood, stone, or even metal. Laminate is probably the best option for a DIY floor installer as it’s made specifically for easy installation and is a reasonably simple weekend project. It’s also a low-cost alternative, much less expensive than hardwood, and still offers an attractive appearance. Although, it is viewed as a bargain-basement choice when compared to hardwood, porcelain or ceramic tile, or luxury vinyl Laminate holds up quite well to daily wear-and-tear but is susceptible to scratching and can also buckle if water or other liquids puddle on it. It is almost impossible to repair. You can disassemble and replace individual planks, but it’s more often fully replaced. You can’t refinish it. It doesn’t offer any thermal or sound insulation, although good quality underlayment may help dampen the sound somewhat.
Ceramic or Stone Tile
Ceramic tile and stone are rarely used in bedrooms since they are usually considered too cold, hard, and noisy for the bedroom. Still, ceramic or porcelain tile or stone works beautifully when incorporated with certain decorating styles, notably Mediterranean, Tuscan, tropical, Spanish, or Moroccan themes.
Area Rugs
Although you can layer area rugs over carpet, they are typically used to soften hard floorings, such as wood or laminate. When choosing an area rug for your bedroom, there are endless options of size, color, pattern, weave, and material. It’s easy to change a room’s style, color, or tone by swapping out a different area rug. Also, you can easily roll it up and take it with you when you move. Your personal preference is the best guide to the right rug for your bedroom: choose one that feels soft and cozy to your feet, has a non-slip backing (if not, place a non-slip pad underneath), adds a dose of style to your bedroom, and complements the overall decorating theme. While there’s no need to break your budget on an area rug, it’s also true that a good quality rug will generally last longer, look and feel better, and shed less than a cheap bargain brand. In terms of size, if the bed is placed on top of it, the rug should be large enough to extend at least two feet from both sides and the bed’s foot. Smaller rugs used at the base of the bed or along its side should be large enough to fill most of the space. They can help keep a bedroom free from noise.
Rubber Flooring
Rubber flooring is made of virgin or recycled rubber. This type of flooring is durable, sometimes lasting for more than 30 years, and can be an excellent alternative for a child’s bedroom or playroom. It can stand up to dropped weights and is less likely to scuff, dent, wear, or tear. Besides its durability, it’s also easy to clean and maintain. It comes in a wide range of colors, and styles, including tile and sheet versions and flat or patterned looks. Rubber is resistant to fire and burns and is non-toxic when burned. Rubber is manufactured from renewable rubber sap harvested from rubber trees without harming the tree or the environment. Recycled rubber floors are made from rubber car tires, saving them from going to landfills.
