August 2015 - TORLYS

Choosing the right floor for your home is no easy decision, but it’s an important one to get right.

When you’re choosing your flooring there are multiple elements to consider so that you look at realistic options, stay on budget, and finish your project on time.

Here are seven key tips to make sure that you don’t make silly mistakes during this decision-making process:

1. Consider the Room

As expert contractor, Tom Silva reminds us, during any reno you need to consider the varying needs of each room in the house. That means you’re probably going to pick a completely different floor for a bathroom versus a living room. Here are some room-specific tips to keep in mind:

Living rooms: These rooms are often central open spaces that take a lot of foot traffic. Go for a floor that is highly scratch resistant, and can handle the weight of heavy furniture.

Bathrooms: These rooms get wet. A lot. Go for a floor that is mould and mildew resistant. You may also want a more textured floor if you’re looking for slip resistance and something warm on your bare feet.

Bedrooms: If your bedrooms are upstairs, chances are you’ll a want a floor with a soundproofing layer. This way you won’t hear trampling feet above you when you’re downstairs.

Kitchens: These rooms get a lot of foot (and food) traffic, so go for a floor that is low maintenance and won’t showcase a bit of dirt.

2. Consider Your Lifestyle and Life Stage

This is one of the most important elements to consider: how are you primarily using the space? Do you have kids, pets, lots of people over on weekends?

Getting a great looking floor doesn’t mean much if it becomes a constant chore to upkeep because it doesn’t suit your lifestyle. Be honest about where you’re at in life and choose a realistic option.

That being said, if you’re remodelling or buying a home, it’s smart to think long-term. Are you considering a family? This will make a big impact on your purchasing decision.

3. Honour Your Budget (and Timing)

What’s your price point? Are you looking to do multiple rooms or just one? Get quotes early on based on the square footage of the room. This way, you can map out how much to allocate for the room or multiple rooms, and you won’t run the risk of going way over budget during your renovation.

Timing is also a super important factor to consider. For example, if you’re doing the floor installation yourself, you’ll want to order all the materials well in advance. A special order may take several weeks to arrive.

Pro Tip: If you have leftover flooring after your installation, store it in a safe, dry place. Replacing one plank from your existing stock is much easier and cheaper than sourcing and buying another shipment of your flooring.

4. Think about Future Upgrades

Is this floor remodelling part of a long-term upgrade in your home? If so, it’s worth picking out styles in advance and choosing the best floor that matches those styles. This way your new floor will match your upgrades, not your current, soon-to-be-changed furniture. It may sound obvious, but this key point can often get overlooked.

5. Know your Style

What kind of style inspires you? How would you define your style? When you’re choosing your floor, you want to make sure that it meshes with the vibe of your home. Unless you’re doing a complete remodelling, you’ll want to make sure that it complements your current furniture and uses for the space.

Flooring stores will let you take samples home for a couple days. Definitely take advantage of that. Here’s why: your home’s lighting is much different than that of a retailer’s. You want to make sure that the flooring you pick looks as good in your home as it does in the store.

Pro Tip: Examine the floor samples in your home at different times of the day. You’ll notice how different they look in the day versus the evening. You want to love your floor at all times of the day.

6. Invest in Longevity

Can you easily replace flooring planks or tiles? What’s the warranty? These are the kinds of questions you need to ask as a savvy floor purchaser. There’s no real right or wrong answer to these questions, but you need to think about how long you plan on being in your home and how much the space gets used.

7. Make Your Flooring Count by Planning in Advance

It’s worth the time and energy to plan in advance before buying a floor. This way, you make an informed purchase that you’ll be much happier within the long-term.

How did your last floor renovation go? Looking for more advice on how to choose the right floor for you? The TORLYS Team loves to help. Contact us on Twitter or Facebook to get in touch.

High quality laminate floors are exceptionally strong. When they’re engineered to last the test of time, they can take a lot of wear and tear and still look absolutely stunning.

But what does a “durable floor” really mean? We’ve put together a checklist so that you can ask the right questions when you’re shopping around.

Here’s how we define a durable floor:

Checklist item #1: It Can Handle Spills

There’s a good chance that you’d like to install a durable floor in common areas of the home like your kitchen and living room. It’s absolutely inevitable that you’re going to spill something on the floor. Good laminates are super easy to clean and are resilient to liquid so it really just takes a cloth to clean up.

Checklist item #2: It Resists Scratches and Dents

What good is a laminate floor that can’t handle the daily movements of everyday living? Whether you’re setting up your family room for movie night or re-arranging heavy furniture based on the latest design-inspired idea for your home, a durable floor needs to be able to handle it.

Checklist item #3: It Can Take Lots of Foot Traffic

Perhaps, like many of us at TORLYS, you’re a proud resident of the Canadian climate. That means you know what’s like to live through all the seasons. Coming home in muddy boots? Kids running around playing dress up in the dead of winter? Good laminates have you covered. They can take lots of foot traffic, and can wick away dirt and grime like it’s their day job.

Checklist item #4: It is Pet-Friendly

If you have a pet, you can probably attest to the fact that your furry little friend holds the same status as any other family member in your home. And your floor needs to accommodate that. A scratch-resistant laminate floor can handle pets playing around the house.

Checklist Item #5: It Comes with a Warranty

If your laminate floor doesn’t come with a warranty, proceed with caution. Every company should be able to stand behind their product, and if they can’t, you shouldn’t buy it.

Where to Start Looking for Laminates that Last

All of the TORLYS laminate floors are extremely resilient, and have undergone strict regulatory testing to meet our durability standards.

However, if you’re having trouble choosing the exact floor for you, we can help you get started. Use our Floor Finder or the Visualizer to narrow down your options to the perfect laminate.

Buy for the Long Haul – You’ll Thank Yourself Later

When you’re looking for answers about durability, don’t be afraid to quiz your local flooring dealer. Before you buy, make sure that your laminate floor ticks off all of the checklist items so that you can find a floor that looks amazing for years to come.

Want to chat about finding a durable floor that suits your unique needs? Send us a message on Twitter or Facebook and chat with a member of the TORLYS Team at any time!

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