Today there are lots of interesting new materials and trends in home flooring products to consider in your next home renovation project.
Here at quinju we would advise against homeowners going all out and investing tons of money in some potentially short-lived trend. However, there are always some recurrent themes that pick up on the trends in color and style of the time. These are the trends that are worth considering as they are more likely to hold their value over time.
Some predominate trends beyond color and décor introduce new and innovative technologies, alternative and organic materials, and personalized and unique designs.
Porcelain tiles and planks
Porcelain tiles are now available in more than the traditional square or rectangle shapes. This product is manufactured from fine clay, minerals and feldspar and are fired at higher temperatures than ceramic tiles. This gives porcelain a denser body and typically a harder glaze is applied, adding to the durability. Contemporary trends in these tiles include looks more like traditional hardwood. This gives you options to include the look of wood in high humidity and wet areas.
Hardwood Flooring
Although hardwood flooring has been used consistently in our homes for centuries. Lately there has been a move to wider formats and less formal styles like distressed finishes and new color options. One of these is reclaimed wood or wood that is re-purposed for flooring. Things like old barn beams are reshaped into wood floor. Luckily flooring manufactures have created lots of options in look-a-likes on quick and easy to install options like laminated flooring. Grey is a current color trend in flooring of all types and hardwood as well. This provides lots of options in modern décor and a multitude of complementing color pallets.
If you want more tips on choosing your new flooring and more about hardwood flooring check out our Flooring Choice's article.
Eco-Green Flooring Options
Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo flooring provides the look and feel of exotic hardwood at a fraction of the cost. Bamboo is a fast-growing grass that produces new stalks without the need to replant. This makes it one of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable flooring choices available. It performs just like wood and is harder than many hardwood species like Red Oak. Today's colors and styles have improved dramatically in the past years. It can be installed like traditional hardwood strip but is also available in laminate and engineered composite formats. These products can be fastened to the sub floor or can be installed as a floating flooring on a padded underlay.
Recycled Carpet tiles
A great option of Eco-friendly carpeting now on the market is recycled carpet tiles. Recycled carpet tiles are made from ground up used vinyl and nylon carpeting. Some brands of recycled carpet tile are made of 100% recycled materials including both the fibers and the backing. Beyond the environmental benefits they provide better indoor air quality than traditional carpet. They are long lasting and provide more design options too.
You can learn more about indoor air quality and providing a healthy home in our article on healthy home ventilation.
Recycled carpet tiles can be installed directly over almost any smooth-surface floor like concrete, plywood, laminate, vinyl or hardwood. The only installation tools required are a sharp carpet knife and a metal straightedge for cutting the tiles to fit against walls and around corners. The individual tiles are adhesive-backed to stick directly to the floor.
Whatever your choice in flooring products we know that quinju.com can help you with education and support with our project management tools for free. Get your project started now by clicking on the green button below.
