Consumer Reports: The Right Type of Flooring for Every Room in Your Home
Yonkers, NY, July 26, 2017-Consumer Reports: Wood wins the prize as America’s favorite hard-surface flooring type, outselling vinyl, porcelain tile, and every other option, according to market-research firm Mintel’s 2016 report on residential flooring. But wood can be a loser in the kitchen, where a dropped can of peas can literally leave a lasting impression. Or in the laundry room, where a splash of bleach can blemish its finish.
Each room in your home-from steamy bathrooms to high-traffic family rooms-comes with its own challenges, so a flooring material that’s perfect for one space could be a problem in another.
Fortunately, homeowners no longer have to choose between form and function: Advances in printing technology have allowed manufacturers to create vinyl flooring that’s a dead ringer for reclaimed barnwood and porcelain tile that easily passes for Calacatta marble. And unlike the faux flooring of the past, today’s products eliminate pattern repetition and incorporate texture for a double dose of realism.
We’ve analyzed key areas in a typical home and chosen the top two flooring materials to meet the challenges in each.
Kitchen & Mudroom
Top choice: Porcelain Tile
Runner up: Vinyl
Bathroom & Laundry Room
Top choice: Porcelain Tile
Runner up: Vinyl
Dining, Living & Family Rooms
Top choice: Solid Wood
Runner up: Engineered Wood
Enclosed Porch or Sunroom
Top choice: Porcelain Tile
Runner up: Engineered Wood
Basement
Top choice: Vinyl
Runner up: Laminate
For the full Consumer Reports article, click here.