Good morning everybody.  Today I found an informative article about flooring published at the local daily news encourging readers to think of the flooring as a fifth wall, because it has a significant impact on the overall look of the room.

With each entance, flooring makes a statement abou the homeowner; whether it is wood, ceramic tiles, vinyl, linoleum or laminate. Some flooring is more common in some rooms than others. Price concious shoppers are turning to more affordable types of flooring:
 

Solid Wood

Installed cost: $5 to $10 per square foot. Wood, including bamboo, offers a natural look and feel, and can be refinished many times. More are offering rustic-looking, distressed finishes. But it tends to dent easily and is challenging to install. Several products changed color under UV light, and some can be damaged by large spills. Tip: Factory finishes tend to be tougher than those applied by a contractor, a potential benefit of buying pre-finished floors.

Engineered Wood

Installed cost: $4 to $9 per square foot. Engineered wood and bamboo cost less than solid-wood flooring and offer the same warm, natural look. They can often be floated without glue or fasteners. But most dent easily and can be damaged by large spills. And because they’re a veneer over substrate, most can be refinished just once. Tip: Wide planks can help small rooms look bigger.

Laminate

Installed cost: $3 to $7 per square foot. Laminate offers toughness, mimics a variety of natural materials and can usually be floated. The best wear well and resist stains and color change from sunlight. But most dent easily, and laminate can’t be saved once you’ve worn through the top layer. Tip: Laminate boards from one package often have a similar pattern, so mix pieces from multiple packages to avoid repetition.

Vinyl

Installed cost: $2 to $6 per square foot. Vinyl is tough and durable. And today’s products look more like real stone or wood than vinyl has in the past. But even the best still don’t look completely real up close. And off-gassing brings phthalate concerns for those with young children, though there’s no cause for alarm. Tip: Do-it-yourselfers should pick tiles or planks over a sheet that must be cut precisely.

Linoleum

Installed cost: $4 to $8 per square foot. This mimics stone and other materials, as vinyl does, but it is made of tree bark and linseed oil, so it’s considered a green option. The best offer superb resistance to scratches, stains and fading from sunlight. But the best vinyl offers better wear resistance and easier installation for about the same price.

Ceramic tile

Installed cost: $8 to $15 per square foot; $5 to $8 for products that can be floated. An enduring material in use since ancient times, ceramic tile is available in a large assortment of colors, shapes and prices including ceramic tile planks with a wood-grain look. Floating products cost less and are easier to install. Dropped items can crack traditional and floating tiles, and grout stains.

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