Flooring 101

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Flooring is an important selection as you start to build and design your new home. It sets the tone for the rest of the house, which is why it’s important to get it right and consider all of your options. Our Selection Studio team works with new homebuyers to find selections that not only work with your every day lifestyle but that also suit your family’s style. Before selecting flooring for your new home, here are a few things you should explore in terms of durability and style.

Hardwood Tile vs. Solid Hardwood.

You’ve probably experienced both of these floors without really noticing, as they can look very similar depending on the floor. Traditional hardwood is certainly a homebuyer favourite as it gives the home that warm feeling, but it’s downside is it’s difficult to keep it scratch-free, especially with a busy house. Our Design Consultants recommend using a distressed, heavy character-wood in a lighter colour with a matte finish to make those scratch marks less noticeable. Another option homebuyers are turning an eye to, is tile…tile that looks like hardwood! You can get really creative with this type of selection, like the herringbone multi-toned hardwood tile we used in our new Ellsworth show home in Legacy. Plus, it’s a very practical choice if you have a busy household as tile is such a resilient flooring. A few things to keep in mind with tile are that it’s definitely cooler to the touch and also quite a bit harder on your feet. If you love to cook large meals that take a whole day to prepare or have kids who are still crawling around then this may not be the best fit for you.

Decorated Tile.

This is a fun way to accent your home’s design by using a little bit of it here and there in a front entrance way, a mud room or even as your ensuite shower tile. There are plenty of colours and patterns to choose from and it’s a great option if you are looking for a unique pop. Consider using this new porcelain stoneware tile that adds a bit of a vintage look with out being too wild (spoiler alert: our Design Consultants are bringing this to the Morrison Homes Selection Studio Spring 2016!).

Vinyl.

Vinyl is always a great choice as it’s durable, affordable and can easily look like a real hardwood or tile. It’s constructed in layers, with one of the layers being a cork undelay, so not only is it nice and soft on your feet but it is quiet underfoot as well in any rooms below. One of our favorite applications for vinyl is in your basement, as we display in our brand new Wakefield show home in Legacy. It’s completely waterproof and easy to maintain, it works especially well for a wet bar or even in a home gym.