One of the last things people think about when upgrading their Tampa flooring is safety. Their first concern is how it looks.
The first thing people think about when upgrading their Tampa flooring is how it will look. They consider the room’s décor, whether it will last a long time, be easy to clean and moisture resistant. Next, they want to know how much it is going to cost them. Rarely, if ever, do homeowners consider how safe their floors are, which an important point to ponder, since we walk on them all day. We are in constant contact with them. If they are not water resistant, chip resistant and the like, we may end up flat on our faces on the very floor we wanted installed.
Does that mean you need to sacrifice beauty when you choose flooring? No, but it does mean you will also want to consider the practical points about your choice before you buy and install it. Remember, once you have it down, you will be living with it for a fair length of time. You want a long lasting, good looking, stain-resistant, durable, safe, and reasonably priced choice.
What are your options? Today, there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of choices, and the only limit is your imagination. Bamboo, cork, marble, rubber flooring, ceramic or traditional hardwood – it’s all out there. One of the most enduring choices of many American homeowners is tile.
Tile flooring comes in a wide variety of patterns, designs and varieties and can be used inside and outside to spiff up walls, on stairs and backsplashes in the kitchen. In other words the choices are unlimited and you can work with vitrified, vinyl, ceramic or mosaic tiles. Additionally, ceramic tiles only need minimal maintenance and are water resistant. Just keep in mind they need to be dead level on installation or the tiles will break over time. Grout properly or water will seep between the joints on the floor.
Another water resistant option is vitrified tiles, and they also happen to be more scratch resistant than ceramic tiles. Luckily, you can butt join these beauties and don’t have to worry about grouting. You don’t have to worry about them turning color over the years either. They keep their original color quite nicely for many years.
If you don’t like tiles, you might prefer vinyl, as it can be installed on top of your existing flooring. It is easy to care for, inexpensive and lasts for a long time, provided you maintain it properly. This isn’t to say it needs a lot of maintenance, but even just keeping it dust free and mopped now and then is good. The real people pleaser when it comes to maintenance though is mosaic flooring, largely because it’s darn hard to see any dirt or stains on the floor due to its design.
Flooring is about choices and convenience, and with the types of flooring on the market today, you will find precisely what you want.
Dean Dupre is with Champion Tile, a Clearwater Flooring, Tampa Flooring, and tile installation company. To learn more, visit Champtile.com.
