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Inspiration + more

Flooring Inspiration

Is New Flooring on Your 2023 To-Do List?

Changing up your home’s flooring can drastically enhance the style of your home as well as increase your home’s value. With a little preparation, we can help you choose the right flooring option for your home and lifestyle. Before you can pick out colours and styles, we’ve put together some important points you’ll need to consider before taking home any samples.

Types of Flooring

Solid Wood Flooring

Pros

Hardwood flooring is a premium material that offers the appeal of a natural wood, combined with long-term durability. Messes can be easily wiped away compared to carpeting. They also come in a variety of options including plank, strip wood and parquet. There is no limit to style since unfinished wood floors can be stained to suit any colour desired. Compared to engineered, harder woods tend to be more durable.

Cons

Hardwood is not recommended for damp or heated areas, such as bathrooms. It has a higher price tag, and requires refinishing over time to protect from dents and scratches. Avoid regular contact with water and harsh detergents as beautiful hardwood won't stand up to constant washing.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Pros

Engineered wood is 100% natural wood with a thin top layer of veneer and a sturdy bottom layer that resists expansion and contraction. Engineered hardwood is an attractive and cost- effective alternative to natural hardwood. With a scratch-resistant finish, Engineered Hardwood floors are the most durable natural wood option. Matte or low gloss finishes also help to hide scratches or scuffs.

Cons

Engineered Hardwood has the advantage of water resistance, however, neither option is ideal for damp rooms. Engineered Hardwood will still dent, scratch and scuff, and may fade over time. As always, be on the lookout for cheap imitations and opt for a high-quality Engineered Hardwood brand.

Laminate

Pros

Laminate flooring, thanks to advancements, is a popuplar wood flooring alternative for homes to achieve a wood look. Laminate is affordable and easy to install, and it consists of a photographic applique layer that simulates the look of wood, stone or ceramic. The sealant layer helps to make it scratch resistant, making it a good choice for high-traffic areas in the home.

Cons

Laminate can be damaged by liquids if they’re left to sit for too long. Another potential issue with this laminate flooring is that the layer that protects the laminate is very slippery, and extra caution should be taken on stairs or high-traffic hallways.

Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Pros

Luxury vinyl is the most popular form of resilient flooring. It is strikingly similar to hardwood planks; but boasts a more comfortable underfoot surface and an easier installation process. Newer vinyl is made of 100% polymer materials making it the waterproof choice for bathrooms and damp locations over laminate. Vinyl also allows for easy cleaning and holds up well to a variety of cleaning agents.

Cons

In the event of removal, hardened adhesive backing will require elbow grease to remove. Under heavier furniture or appliances, it is susceptible to ripping or tearing. There is also a great variance of quality with LVT flooring, and home owners or contractors should do their due diligence in researching quality brands.

Porcelain and Ceramic Tile Flooring

Pros

Porcelain and ceramic are long lasting flooring materials, requiring little maintenance. Tile flooring is moisture resistant, and is the perfect choice for areas where spills are common including bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. Ceramic and porcelain tiles come in a wide variety of veining patterns, geometric patterns, colours and shapes to choose from. Tiles are as close to scratch proof as it gets.

Cons

Porcelain is pricier than ceramic tiles. Installation is challenging and time-consuming. While easy to clean, grout build up and cleaning is difficult to keep up.

Checklist

Measure

It’s a good idea to book a “site measure” with a contractor or flooring professional. You can also measure the area yourself if you’re DIY-ing your flooring project! This needs to be accurately calculated to ensure the amount of material you’ll need. Always add an extra 5% buffer to account for any mistakes or missed areas.

Design

Quality, durability and value should be the determining factors when choosing a certain look. When in doubt, our experts are always available to answer any of your questions about design types.

Preparing Floors

If you’re doing the project yourself, make sure to level floors and ensure they’re free of excess moisture before installation.

Underlays

Underlays provide an essential barrier between concrete and flooring. This is an extra layer of protection between any moisture from the floor that could affect the structure of the new flooring.

Old Flooring Removal

If possible, you can take out the old flooring yourself to save some money on your project.

Preparation

Make sure there is access to the work site and remove any furniture in the way.

Installation

We recommend using a licensed contractor to install flooring and can happily recommend trades workers that we work with, but if you are DIY-ing your flooring project, make sure to measure properly and start away from the wall (chalk lines are your best friend!)

Post Installation

Keep a record of the names and manufacturers of your product, as well as the copy of the product warranty for any future issues if they happen to arise. Inspect your floor and bring up any concerns you have before the end of your install warranty.

Recent Articles

April 12, 2024
Sustainable Flooring Options for Your Home and the Earth

Making environmentally conscious decisions during your reno, while also staying true to your design vision, sounds like an impossible task. But it’s easier than you think! You have a range of materials available that are aesthetically pleasing, versatile, and on-trend, while still being eco-friendly. Bamboo As a flooring material, bamboo is a great choice both […]

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November 1, 2022
Is the Hardwood Flooring Era Fading?

With its natural beauty, stylish tones and longevity, there is no doubt that hardwood flooring is the ultimate choice when redesigning your home. Since hardwood started modernizing homes hundreds of years ago, it has proven to be a timeless choice. Hardwood flooring is more durable and robust compared to standard floorings such as tile, carpet, […]

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Recent Articles

April 12, 2024
Sustainable Flooring Options for Your Home and the Earth

Making environmentally conscious decisions during your reno, while also staying true to your design vision, sounds like an impossible task. But it’s easier than you think! You have a range of materials available that are aesthetically pleasing, versatile, and on-trend, while still being eco-friendly. Bamboo As a flooring material, bamboo is a great choice both […]

Read More
March 21, 2024
Trends in Tile for 2024

We believe tile will play a big part in many home transformations this year. Designers and homeowners alike will take advantage of this durable and stylish medium to create bold statements in design, which will be a popular move in 2024. Read on to see how you can bring tile to your next reno project […]

Read More
November 1, 2022
Is the Hardwood Flooring Era Fading?

With its natural beauty, stylish tones and longevity, there is no doubt that hardwood flooring is the ultimate choice when redesigning your home. Since hardwood started modernizing homes hundreds of years ago, it has proven to be a timeless choice. Hardwood flooring is more durable and robust compared to standard floorings such as tile, carpet, […]

Read More
October 5, 2022
Welcome to Barton Bath + Floor

As a small, family-owned business that relies on foot traffic to keep things running smoothly, we greatly appreciate your support in-store! Our showroom is a great starting point if you’re unsure where to begin and we’ll guide you until your project is complete. Discover New Brands for Less Our website is a great way to […]

Read More
May 3, 2022
Leading Tile Trends for 2022

The use of tile in homes has evolved greatly over the years. Its practicality, versatility, and variety make it a compelling decor choice for just about any surface in the house. This year, expect to see tile being used in more bold and creative ways.

Read More
January 3, 2022
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We have some fantastic winter styles that will make your bathroom warm and welcoming for you and potential guests during the holiday season.

Read More
October 1, 2021
6 Tips to Protect Your Hardwood Flooring

Make the most out of your space with remodeling tricks that will make the bathroom your favourite room in the house.

Read More
June 2, 2021
Top Flooring Trends for 2021

Keep your home up to date with all today’s latest trends in flooring for stylish and practical living options. A brand new floor can majorly impact a room and your family’s living space. With so many flooring possibilities you can achieve any kind of desired look no matter your budget.

Read More
October 19, 2020
What’s Trending Today in Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

Luxury vinyl planks (LVPs) are amongst the most versatile, innovative and high performing options in flooring today. Strikingly similar to the planks of hardwood they boast realistic visuals, a comfortable underfoot with easy installation process. Vinyl is waterproof making it perfect for high traffic areas like kitchens, with a protective top layer resistant to dents, […]

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