Choosing the right flooring for your interior design can be a lot more complicated than it first seems.

• Do you need a hard floor or carpets?
• How easy is it to clean and maintain?
• Which flooring is the most cost-effective?
• Will my vinyl look like real tiles?
• What’s best for a home with kids and dogs?

The Pinnacle Works interiors team specialise in transformation renovation projects and creating bespoke decor that maximises the quality of your living space to perfectly fit your design aesthetic. We have put together our top tips for choosing the right flooring for your home, from different flooring types, whether as a finishing touch to a big construction project or to bring a fresh new look to your home!

The Importance of Your Home Flooring Choices

Your floors bear the brunt of wear and tear, but also have a significant impact on how your home feels and functions.

One of the first things to consider is where your flooring will be laid. Hallways, utility areas, kitchens and bathrooms tend to have the widest use and need a moisture-resistant floor surface to be able to cope with muddy boots and stampedes out of the door on the school run! Living spaces and bedrooms need to be comfortable, and yet also need to be easy to clean, budget-friendly, and simple to look after.

Aesthetics are also an essential factor since your properties’ floors have to fit in with the rest of your design scheme and complement colours, furniture and decor. As well as the visual impact of a room, your flooring also changes the atmosphere; from warm, rich laminate wood to soft, sumptuous carpets and contemporary, cutting-edge tiling – there are multiple choices, each of which makes a stamp on the usage of living space.

Three Most Popular Interior Flooring Types

During our renovation projects, the Pinnacle team installs and fits a wide range of flooring – so we have a great idea of the most popular, high-quality and durable flooring that makes for long-lasting home design.

• Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT): vinyl has long been one of the most cost-effective, quick to install and highly functional floor coverings. Gone are the days of thin, cold sheet vinyl, having been superseded by LVT flooring. LVT is affordable, robust and warm underfoot, and comes in any design and style – from slate finishes to grained wood.
• Laminate Flooring – laminate wood flooring is hugely popular and comes in a vast range of colours, tones, finishes and styles. Treated laminate is also suitable for high moisture areas, and we fit specialist bathroom and kitchen laminates for these rooms.
• Engineered Wood Flooring – these panels are crafted from heat-formed wood with a supporting base, and then coated with a real wood veneer. This innovative design system is ideal for rooms where underfloor heating is being installed as part of a construction project, and is both stable and shrink-resistant.

Different Flooring Types Compared – Advantages and Disadvantages

Let’s look at these three most popular flooring types, and what the pros and cons are of each: 

Luxury Vinyl Tiles: Pros and Cons

Cost – LVTs are more expensive than traditional rolled vinyl, at around £40-£60 per square metre.

Wear and upkeep – vinyl requires minimal maintenance, is water-resistant, and perfectly capable of providing years of durable use in any high traffic areas, including kitchens and hallways.

Designs – LVTs are available in (literally) any colour, style, design or shape you would like. From realistic grained wood finishes to sleek Italian slate tile, there are limitless options to choose from.

Laying patterns – tiles are uniquely versatile, and with different textures and finishes are impossible to differentiate from genuine hardwood or tiling. LVTs come in a vast range of sizes, and use a secure click lock system – these could be laid as wooden floorboards, in a tiling pattern, or as a brickwork design to suit your aesthetic.

Comfort – LVTs are probably the most comfortable and liveable flooring surface, being soft and warm to walk on, as well as slip-resistant and with gentle cushioning (ideal if you have young family members who are prone to spills and breakages).

Laminate Flooring: Pros and Cons

Cost – laminate is one of the lowest cost flooring options and depending on the thickness, quality and design chosen tends to be from around £10-£20 per square metre.

Wear and upkeep – the primary factor when choosing laminate is to make sure you have the right quality and finish for your room. Laminate can be susceptible to moisture damage, which means it can buckle and bow, and need repairs or replacement panels, which often means removing skirting boards to relay damaged panels flush.

Designs – modern laminate comes in a massive range of materials, from plastic laminate to real-wood finished boards, and treated water-resistant panels for use in bathrooms and kitchens. Most laminates come in a grained, textured wood pattern, and high-quality laminate flooring can have just the same appearance as hardwood floors.

Laying patterns – most laminates are manufactured in pre-cut panels, which are applied by a professional flooring fitter in a specific pattern. This avoids undue wear and tear, ensures that the flooring has room to expand and contract around the edges, and that design features are consistent throughout your space.

Comfort – as a hard finished floor, laminate can be more rigid underfoot than LVTs. However, it is non-allergenic, is simple to clean, and provides excellent stain resistance.

Engineered Wood Flooring: Pros and Cons

Cost – engineered wood flooring can vary significantly in price depending on the wood you choose, and the colour, design and treatment. Typically prices start from around £45 per square metre and so it is an excellent middle ground between an expensive traditional hardwood floor.

Wear and upkeep – with a real wood veneer, engineered wood flooring does require maintenance to keep it looking shiny and smooth. Over time, flooring exposed to direct sunlight can fade, so it is vital to look after it properly to ensure your new flooring remains in great condition.

Designs – engineered hardwood can add real value to a property, and is a contemporary and modern floor covering with the benefit of innovative manufacturing techniques. Pinnacle can source engineered flooring in any range of styles, colours, patterns or designs, all with a genuine real wood veneer in your selected finish.

Laying patterns – engineered wood flooring is fitted to resemble traditional hardwood (although at a fraction of the price). The installation process is quick and seamless, and with the temperature resistant property of engineered wood, it is far more able to cope with moisture or temperature changes than laminate.

Comfort – this type of flooring looks, feels and performs like a complete hardwood floor. It is easy to clean, provides a unique style statement, and is ideal for properties with underfloor heating for the ultimate living comfort.

Which is the Right Flooring for Your Home?

The best flooring for your home depends on your budget, the rooms you wish to renovate, what style and design you are going for, and how you expect to use the space going forward.

• LVTs are an excellent option for comfortable homes, being suited to heavy foot traffic with minimal maintenance. Vinyl is waterproof, hardwearing, and is soft, warm, and quiet to walk on, making it perfect for any room of your property. Click and lock LVT is extremely fast to install, and generally lasts for around 25-30 years. The downside is that this can be more expensive and that some people prefer  engineering wood flooring for that real wood finish.
• Laminate has advanced a long way, and modern laminate finishes are available in any type of design, colour or finish to perfectly complement your interior style. This is one of the most cost-effective flooring choices, particularly for large rooms. However, it can buckle and bow if non-specific flooring is installed in high-moisture        environments, and may need replacing every few years so a professional fit service is important.
• Engineered flooring is built from real timber, and so can be more expensive than a synthetic laminate. However, the authentic materials give a traditional country feel, and yet provides a quality flooring that fits a highly contemporary home. As a downside, engineered flooring isn’t always suited to very high traffic areas, and      will need some TLC to keep it looking its best.

Expert Flooring Installations

As your home is unique, so too is your choice of flooring.

We hope this information is useful and provides a balanced view of the most popular flooring choices, and the pros and cons of each. We source, manufacture or design any flooring required for any renovation project, from bespoke flooring from our carpentry team to fast and efficient LVT installations. If you need any support choosing the right type of flooring or are interested in taking a look at some of the options from any of these flooring materials, get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.