Residential Real EstateFloored by Indecision?
You"ve decided to remodel your kitchen. Or you"re building a new home. In
either scenario, you"re making the decision about the right kind of
flooring for your kitchen. The flooring we want, of course, often isn"t the flooring that meets our budgets. But before you resign yourself to your
second choice -- or before you take out a bank loan to go the extra mile and purchase your first choice -- consider that there are pros and cons to every choice.
The two most popular choices among consumers are vinyl sheeting and tile.
Dubbed "resilient residential flooring," vinyl and tile are relatively
affordable, but prices range anywhere from about $5 to $40 per square yard.
Installation ranges from approximately $4 to $9 per square yard. There are
two varieties of resilient flooring: layered and full-depth, and prices
vary according to which one you select. Layered flooring consists of a top
layer of printed vinyl, which sits on top of a layer of lining (often made
of foam). Full-depth flooring consists of colored particles that extend
from the top all the way to the bottom layer of the flooring -- hence the
name full-depth. Full-depth flooring is considered to have a longer life
because of the absence of a top layer that could be punctured or torn. The
price of layered flooring can vary according to the thickness of the liner.
Layered flooring is the kind you"ll spot in most apartment homes, many
condominiums and quite a few single-family homes, as well. It can hold up
quite well depending on whether or not you have children and how many
residents live in your home. The patterns from which you"ll have to choose
make layered flooring an attractive option. Since it"s often hard for the
average consumer to gauge quality based on the outward appearance of
layered flooring, the asking price may give you a hint of about the
relative quality of the layer of lining underneath the pattern.
Experts recommend selecting layered flooring that doesn"t dip below a
middle-of-the-road price range. Somewhere around $14 to $20 per square yard
is considered a good range within which you should stay. If you dip too far
below that range, you could end up having to replace your flooring sooner
than you expected.
You"ll notice that some layered flooring is glued down at the edges rather
than in large, connected sheets. This type of flooring is more expensive,
but it"s also more flexible under the pressure of your feet, which reduces
the amount of wear and tear on your floor.
If you"re a hard-core do-it-yourselfer, you may elect to apply
self-sticking squares of vinyl, an inexpensive but patience-testing choice.
Prices range anywhere from about 50 cents to $3 per square. Again, be
assured that if you choose this route, your patience will be tested; you"re
going to have to align all of the seams, and depending on the material on
which you"re lying the vinyl, you could face problems later on. If wood is
underneath that vinyl, water could eventually seep between the vinyl
squares and cause the wood to expand and the vinyl to pop up. If you have a
concrete floor underneath the vinyl, you don"t face as many risks. And if
you have a layer of vinyl flooring underneath the layer you"re installing,
you"re usually safe, although such factors as the presence of embossing on
the underlying layer or asbestos -- a common ingredient in vinyl flooring
prior to the early 1980s -- could pose serious problems. If you"re not sure
about the components of your old vinyl, call a professional. Certain
procedures will need to be followed in order to remove the risk of airborne
asbestos.
Does anyone use carpeting in their kitchen anymore? Believe it or not, some
still do despite the risk of stains. Fans of carpeting choose it for the
warmth it provides the feet, and for its affordability. Obviously, it"s
best to invest in stain-resistant carpeting, and if you have very young
children (or if you"re an adult prone to klutziness), it"s best to steer
away from carpeting altogether.
If you dream of hardwoods in your kitchen, you"ll want to consider first
that wooden planks will run you at minimum anywhere from $6 to $8 per
square foot installed. While it"s expensive, though, it"s relatively
low-maintenance and will hold up well for many years. When wood floors are
installed, three layers of urethane are usually applied to its surface.
While that"s a time-consuming protective process, it won"t ensure the
absolute safety of your wood floor; you"re still going to experience the
inevitable knicks and dents that come from dropping canned goods or sharp
objects, or merely walking across the floor with your shoes on. Where
you"ll have to be hypervigilant is around water. Hardwoods and water don"t
mix -- anytime, anyplace. If water sits on wood for any length of time and
remains unnoticed, your wood could buckle.
So it"s easy to see why vinyl remains the most popular choice among
consumers. This isn"t to say that you shouldn"t consider the other two
options; just enter the decision with your eyes open. Knowing the inherent
pros and cons of each material will help you take extra precautions to
ensure the long lifespan of your floor.
Real Times Homeowners" Advice