3 High-End Flooring Types To Consider For Your Next Remodel

When it comes to home improvement projects, some homeowners prefer to emphasize style, and others are more concerned with durability and overall quality. But in many cases, it’s very possible to find a balance between both.

This is especially the case with flooring. As for style, Americans say the overall look of their homes is traditional (44%), followed by modern (22%), eclectic (13%), country (10%) and global (2%).

However, while there are plenty of flooring types that can provide these specific looks, it’s important to make sure the type you choose is also made to last. Here are just a few high-end flooring ideas to consider for your next remodeling project.

Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are known for providing an elegant and luxurious look to almost any room of your home. In fact, the only rooms hardwood flooring typically isn’t recommended for are full bathrooms and laundry rooms.

Otherwise, hardwood flooring comes in countless designs and styles. It can appeal to both sides of the spectrum: homeowners with more modern tastes can choose a sleek and shiny hardwood floor that matches their preferences, while those who prefer a more rustic feel can opt for a hardwood floor that has a more antique and weathered look.

“You can get hardwood floors that look shiny and new, or you can buy brand new wood that looks like an antique and adds timeworn character to your room Many manufacturers offer distressed and hand-scraped hardwoods that will disguise heavy use over the years and give the floor an appealing timeworn appearance from the moment it’s installed,” writes Kim Hildenbrand on HGTV.

Marble Floors

On average, homeowners will spend between 1% to 4% of a home’s value annually on maintenance and repairs, which tend to increase as the house ages. For a $200,000 home, that’s at least $2,000 in repairs annually.

A durable floor such as marble is a great investment that provides a luxurious feel as well. According to the National Association of Home Builders, marble flooring can last up to 100 years with proper maintenance.

Marble is also known for its ability to take a high amount of polishing, which makes it look even more glamorous.

Another unique element of marble is that it’s an adequate conductor of heat, which means it can be used as part of a heated flooring system.

While the basic principles of induction heating have been applied to manufacturing since the 1920s, heated flooring systems are a much more recent development, but in many cases, marble is the ideal candidate for a heated flooring system.

Surprisingly, it’s also possible in some cases to install a radiant cooling system, ensuring your marble flooring will be kept at the absolute perfect temperature year round.

Bamboo Floors

As an eco-friendly option, bamboo flooring has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. Bamboo floors can be installed in a wide variety of colors and types.

There’s natural bamboo, which is blond and has no staining or carbonization, stained bamboo, which can be colorized by hand to your liking, and carbonized bamboo, which, as its name implies, has carbon added to it during the manufacturing process to help dye the bamboo entirely as opposed to just its exterior.

All three make great flooring options, but keep in mind that carbonized bamboo is typically not as strong as its natural and stained counterparts.

Ultimately, understanding the advantages and disadvantages of these high-end flooring types can help you decide what material best fits both your stylistic and functionality needs.