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    How to: Choose your flooring when renovating

    Published on 30 March 2015, Monday, 10:15 AM
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    There are plenty of alternatives when it comes to flooring options. If you're renovating, you've got some tough calls to make. We thought we'd make this one a little bit easier by providing a run down on the basic flooring types.

    Wood and imitation wood

    There are two main types of wooden flooring to consider, depending on the look you are going for. If you're renovating an old villa and want to stick with an original but enhanced look, traditional tongue and groove hardwood is the way to go. With this option, you need to make sure you have the right equipment and know how to sand a floor in order to get the best finish. Protective coats are also a must.

    Timber laminate is a more modern approach that comes in gloss or flat options. It also allows you to choose from a range of colours and styles to suit your look. The appearance is less natural and the floor has a hollow "tap" sound when you walk on it, but the cost savings can make up for this. Laminate is also very durable and can save you money and effort over time.

    Carpet

    Carpet is one of the easiest ways to enhance the comfort and appearance of an area. Like a DIY painting job, because you are covering a large surface area, the overall impression is quite impressive when the relatively low cost is considered.

    This option also helps with heat retention. Combined with proper under-floor insulation and nice underlay, you can greatly increase the comfort and livability of your home.

    Tile

    Tile is the classic choice for wet areas in the home, although wood is often used in older houses as well. A DIY bathroom renovation can make great use of tile as you can offset large, cheaper tiles with a small amount of expensive tiles to create a stunning feature.

    Tiling can also be done on walls or as splashbacks, allowing you to kill two birds with one stone.

    Vinyl

    Vinyl sheets or tiles are cost effective ways to recover a bathroom or kitchen floor in need of some love. However, unless you go for the more expensive luxury versions, they can be visually less-appealing than ceramic tiles. For this reason, they can be great cost savers in areas where you can afford to skimp a bit.

    A perfect room in the house for this is the laundry or mud-room. It's also a fantastic way to breathe new life into an investment property without breaking the bank. In addition to this it's easy to install and comes in a great range of colours and styles, making it easy to sync it up with your wallpaper, paint or decor.

    Nathan Mills portrait image
    Nathan Mills
    Nathan is a seasoned Kennards Hire team member passionate about empowering DIYers in their projects. He loves everything DIY and brings together years of equipment and project experience to help customers get the right tools for their next job.