This article is part of our ongoing home construction specification plan series.
Assembling a Home Construction Specification Plan — Spec Plan O: Flooring
I admit it: I am partial to wood flooring. Although wall to wall carpeting is nice, there is something about a freshly polished oak floor that causes me to take notice. I’ve been in plenty of homes where I paid scant attention to the Berber carpeting, tiling, even stone flooring, but when it comes to wood, you got my attention!
Time to Select the Flooring
One of the last big projects with getting your new home ready for move-in is the flooring. Choices abound and you can design your home to include various options in different rooms. Let’s take a look at some flooring projects certain to give your home a warm and inviting appeal.
Traditionally, when it comes to multi-storied homes, the “rule of thumb” regarding flooring was this:
- Hardwoods on the first floor;
- Carpeting on the upper floors; and
- Tiling in the kitchen and baths.
Let Your Personal Tastes Come Forth
Some homeowners in a bid to be unique and to express their personal tastes aren’t always so predictable. A mix and match of hardwoods and carpeting can be found on the first floor with the living room carpeted and the dining room featuring darker woods, even reclaimed flooring.
In some homes the foyer is carpeted but the entranceway is hardwoods with a running carpet or area rug included.
Kitchens, Bathrooms Can Look Unique Too
There was a time when people experimented with putting carpet down in their kitchens, but that practice pretty much came to a halt when dishwashers leaked, sinks overflowed and food stains took over. Still, an indoor/outdoor type of carpeting could be useful especially in a home with lots of children running about.
Tiling remains appealing for its ease of placement as well as cost. Vinyl is a strong favorite as it is easy to clean and to less costly to replace. Both vinyl and tiling can look great in the bathrooms as can specialized stone.
Why Not Wood Upstairs?
What’s to stop you from having wood floors upstairs? Noise, for one. If the insulation between the levels of your home isn’t adequate, you’ll soon tire of the noise above your head. Walk around any basement and you’ll hear an unwelcome racket each time furniture is moved, people walk, or any other kind of activity is present.
If you choose upper level flooring, rugs on top of the floors can deaden the noise. Work with your builder to make sure that the insulation is adequate and that your choice of flooring is appropriate and discuss with an interior designer what types of area rugs would do the job while still looking nice.
With your flooring in place, you’re about ready to move in. A few projects remain but the most difficult part is now behind you.
For more information about wood flooring, please read the following Fox report.
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