A real wood floor never goes out of style. It compliments every décor, from minimalist to Louis XIV, and ages gracefully. The most popular woods used in flooring are oak and maple, which can be stained or color washed to your exact specifications. Wood flooring can be designed in numerous patterns, limited only by your imagination (and budget). Some of the most popular are parquet, plank, strip and herringbone. When choosing a stain color, have your contractor apply a few color samples and look at them in different kinds of light. Think of the ambiance you are trying to create in the room—traditional or modern, causal or formal, spacious or cozy. Wood floors can also be bleached for a light and airy look or painted. Hardwood floors can be customized to satisfy every taste and personality and installed in any room regardless of what type of flooring—concrete floors, existing floorboards or particleboard subflooring—is already there.

Aesthetically, a wooden floor is stunning. But consider a few issues before you make this your final choice. How much traffic does the room get every day? Hardwood floors can be dented and scratched, especially from high-heel shoes. Although a variety of urethane finishes provide excellent protection (and shine), they do not completely prevent dents and scratches. These same finishes, however, make wood floors much easier to clean and maintain than previous generations of wood flooring. Humidity is another factor to consider. If the humidity in your area varies from season to season, a wood floor may expand and contract with the rise and fall of moisture in the air. Storing the wood on site for a period of time before installing will allow the wood to acclimatize to the specific humidity level in the home. The service provider should consider whether the floor is being installed in a particularly humid or dry time of the year, and make his measurements accordingly.

If you love the look of real wood but have an active household, laminate flooring may be the perfect choice for you. Laminates are plastic- or wood-based products that look like hardwood. They come in various textures, are durable and easy to maintain. Laminates can also imitate the look of stone, marble or tile, offering a wide variety of creative looks you may not have imagined. A wood-patterned laminate floor has some significant advantages over the real thing; for example, it will not be discolored by sunlight and is very scratch resistant. Laminate floors wear well and usually come with a guarantee of ten years or more.

Cleanups are also a breeze with laminate flooring. Laminates repel liquid and do not allow stains to set in. This point alone saves your floor, your time and your psychological well-being.

Both hardwood floors and laminates, while possessing the great qualities of longevity and beauty, are quite expensive. If you are looking to invest less money, you may want to explore vinyl or carpet floor coverings.

Vinyl floor covering (linoleum) is the least expensive choice and offers more options than any other type of flooring. Patterns range from classic black-and-white squares to brick, stone, abstract shapes, animal prints—just about anything you can dream up has already been manufactured in a vinyl print. Vinyl is a very popular flooring, but it’s important to consider that this material is vulnerable to cuts, rips and scratches from furniture that may be moved across it or sharp objects that fall to the floor. Although it resists moisture, vinyl can stain, so spills need to be handled quickly and carefully according to the manufacturer’s directions.

A cozy, lush floor covering, carpeting adds warmth, soundproofing, texture, color and insulation to a room. When considering carpeting, inquire about the carpet’s durability and consider whether it will receive light-, medium- or heavy-duty use. Industry experts suggest light duty for occasionally trafficked areas, medium duty for the bedroom or office, and heavy duty for hallways, stairs and other high-traffic areas. Carpeting requires extra maintenance as stains are more difficult to remove and general cleaning is more work. If you or someone in your home is allergy prone, carpeting is not a good option because it retains dirt, dust and other particles.

Ceramic, quarry (stone, including marble) and terra cotta make up this premium category of floor covering. The look and feel of a hard-tiled floor is unlike any other, with grooves and textures that can be felt underfoot. Often used in kitchens and baths, tile flooring can give a distinct look and originality to any room in your home. In light colors, these materials do take on stains, so it is important to keep this in mind when choosing hard tile for particular rooms. Tile may be one of the most expensive kinds of flooring, but its remarkable beauty and longevity make it a good investment.