The family room of the home is a central gathering room for the family. It's the room where you and your kids will spend quality time together to enjoy each other’s company after a long day’s work and school.
The floor of the family room is also likely the most used surface. We tend to sit on the family room floor as we help with our kids’ art projects or homework or play games together.
Picking the right flooring is essential to maximize the use of the family room.
So, how do you decide what's best for you in terms of flooring? This is our list of pros and cons to help you decide which flooring will suit for your family room.
Carpet
Wall-to-wall carpeting is a perennial go-to for family rooms. The plush feel and the noise-canceling features are some of the main reasons people pick carpeting as a choice for their family rooms. However, some drawbacks make carpets less than ideal for some people. Let’s explore the pros and cons:
PROS:
● Variety: Carpets come in all colours, styles, pile lengths, and softness levels. That makes them an excellent option to incorporate in the decor of the family room.
● Soft to Touch: Carpets are soft and plush, making them easier to sit on and enjoy family time.
● Absorbs Noise: Carpets absorb a lot of noise, making them significant sound barriers for the family room.
● Low Maintenance Daily Care: Carpets can be low maintenance that requires regular vacuuming and occasional deep cleaning.
CONS:
● Not Pet-Friendly: Carpets are not for you if you have pets in the household. They will absorb any pet excrements and will make it very tough to clean.
● Holds Allergens: Along with pet dander, carpets can trap dust particles and allergens in the family room’s air. This may be a problem if your family has some allergies to dander, dust, pollen, etc.
● Washing Inconvenience: You can wash the floors easily, but washing carpets is not easy.
● Stains Easy: A household with children means a high likelihood of spills of food, drinks, or art supplies, etc. Carpets stain easily from spills, and the clean up is messy.
Hardwood & Engineered Wood
Hardwoods are another popular choice for flooring. In recent years, hardwood and engineered hardwood have become more trendy, and interior designers choose this material for flooring in their designs worldwide. If you are reading this from Ireland, check out this wooden floor installer’s showrooms for some of the popular designs these days.
PROS:
● Adds Value to Home: Hardwood floors are very desirable and add value to your home instantly.
● On Trend: While hardwood floors have been around for a long time, the new modern designs are very on-trend. It will instantly give your family room an updated look.
● Easy to Clean: Unlike carpets, hardwood doesn’t hold dust and allergens. That makes cleaning up a breeze.
● Available in Different Price Points: If hardwood floors are a bit over your budget, you can also consider engineered hardwood floors. These composite wood floors are durable, give the same look, and are less expensive than hardwood.
● Durable: Hardwood and engineered hardwood are durable and will last you years!
CONS:
● Can Scratch Easy: If your family is the rough-and-tumble kind, and the kids are busy bees with their sensory play, beware that hardwood floors can scratch easy. That also means pets can also scratch the floor finishes easily.
● Does Not Absorb Noise: Unlike carpets, there is no thick fabric to absorb noise and act as noise canceling. So, the family room will feel pretty loud. However, you can always put an area rug to minimize the noise too.
● Water Damage Prone: Hardwood can easily be damaged by water. So, you have to be careful not to leave spilled water on hardwood long.
● Pricey: Real hardwood (not engineered) would be on the higher end of the price point. Consider engineered wood for a budget-friendly option.
Laminate
Laminate flooring is another durable and inexpensive option. It is, in fact, the cheaper of all the floor types we discussed here.
PROS:
● Inexpensive: If you have a small budget for renovating the family room, this is a perfect option for you. This material is very cheap compared to wood and carpet.
● Easy DIY: While carpet and hardwood will require professional installations, laminate could be a great DIY project bringing the cost down even further.
● Durable: Laminate flooring can last up to 30 years if cared for properly. But, let’s face it, most of us will likely change over our flooring over that time.
● Pet-Friendly: Because of its durability and resistance to water damage, this is the ideal flooring for families with pets.
CONS:
● Does Not Add Value: If I were to compare laminate to fashion, I would probably compare it to fast fashion. Cheap and cheerful, but will not add much to your wardrobe. Laminate flooring is not going to add value to your home as hardwood would.
● Not Very Comfortable: Laminate is not the most comfortable to walk on as other options.
● No Noise Cancelling Here: Laminate flooring does nothing to block noise. It could be argued that walking on laminate flooring can make more noise than any other wood.
● Not The Best Looking: Laminate flooring is not there for its looks for sure. It is not the most appealing flooring. So, for the more discerning audience, laminate flooring might not fit your taste.
Now you have it. We discussed three different types of flooring options for your family room. Our advice will be to go into showrooms and stores and get a real feel of the material you choose for your family room.
If you can afford it, hardwood would be the best amongst the three. However, carpet and laminate are popular budget choices as well.
Look out for stains and allergens on carpets, while the hardwood may be fussy with spills and pets. The noise-canceling aspect can be quickly addressed with an area rug, though.
Whatever you choose, keep your family’s usage of the space in mind. As always, think of safety and comfort first.
