Running a family home is always a rewarding task. Whether your little ones have only just arrived, or they’re already running around causing mischief, there’s no doubt that making their life at home the best it can possibly be will become your top priority. But with all this new energy, it’s likely that you’re going to run into a few challenges on the way.
Your home is a delicate eco-system, and with new responsibilities, you need to find new ways of achieving perfect harmony. In order to benefit everyone, you’re going to have to assess every facet of your household, and adapt where necessary.
Whilst some changes are more salient than others, there are some that go overlooked time and time again.
One of these is your choice of flooring.
Whilst it may not seem like it at first, the right flooring can drastically improve the dynamic of your home, saving you both time and money further down the line.
Having children is great! But it’s no secret that they can be a little bit accident prone. If any mishaps happen with your flooring, you need to be certain that it’s not going to sustain damages, otherwise, you’re going to have to make some serious repairs.
Not only is this inconvenient, it also runs the risk of throwing your home life completely out of balance, disrupting routines and stopping activities.
It’s best to get properly equipped. Read our guide below, and see what we think is the best choice of flooring for family homes!
Engineered Wood Flooring
For generations, hardwood flooring has been a favourite choice amongst homeowners for its unfaltering durability and endurance. But the truth is, traditional solid wood flooring isn’t always cut out for the modern-day family.
Real wood is often susceptible to warping and shrinkages in the presence of moisture, which isn’t ideal when your kids and pets begin to make spillages.
That’s where engineered wood flooring comes in.
Engineered boards offer the same incredible wear resistance and longevity as their solid wood counterparts, but are more resistant to moisture and fluids.
This is because engineered wood is constructed from a specially designed core of compressed timbers, bonded together at perpendicular angles. This creates a criss-cross mesh of wood grains that prevents movement from within the board.
Additionally, damages can be pacified by simply sanding and refinishing the surface. This is much easier than re-installation, and won’t get in the way of your family life.
Laminate
Whilst engineered wood flooring is a great choice, it does come with a steep price-tag. For a more cost-effective flooring solution with plenty of benefits, choose laminate instead.
Laminate flooring is composed of a variety of synthetic fibres (often including high density fibreboard), making it incredibly cheap to manufacture. As a result, it’s often a more desirable choice for families who are renovating on a budget.
Laminate boards are also resilient against heavy footfall, and provide scratch and stain resistance without fail.
This is great news for those who are notorious for being a little bit reckless!
Finally, laminate flooring is easy to install, and doesn’t require excess materials and intensive labour.
This means that you won’t have to spend vast amounts on the fitting procedure, and your home will get back to running smoothly much sooner.
Luxury Vinyl Tiles
Luxury vinyl tiles are a less traditional solution for family flooring, but have been gaining popularity in recent years.
Delivering a perfect blend of both laminate and engineered qualities, LVT is both highly durable and incredibly versatile.
Each tile is constructed from sturdy PVC for dimensional stability, and has been coated in a specially designed polyurethane layer for low maintenance. LVT is easy to clean, and proves 100% waterproof in any interior setting.
In addition, vinyl tiles are designed to hold anti-slip properties, which could save you a trip to the hospital if your kids love to run wild.
