Durable Floor Options for Your New Home

by Lauren Busser, Direct from the Designers™’ Editorial Director

When you are selecting the floors for your home, you want to make sure that they will last. Whether it is foot traffic, spills, or your pets, floors take a lot of abuse and depending on what room you are selecting flooring for, you may want to take special considerations into account. Here are five popular types of flooring and some of their strengths.

Hardwood Flooring

The first type of flooring you probably think of is hardwood. Hardwood floors are appealing and durable, and with many different species of hardwood on the market, you can be sure that you will find a color, grain, and pattern you like. Each species is unique in terms of durability, though, so you must take each type of wood into consideration.

Hardwoods can be graded on a scale using Janka ratings, where red oak acts as the average benchmark against which other woods are compared. Red oak is a flooring that is hard enough that it can be sawed and milled, but not so soft that it dents easily. Other woods, such as Brazilian Cherry, are much harder than oak, and thus more durable. On the other end of the scale, Southern Yellow Pine and Elk Rock Elm are softer and may dent more easily.

There is no question that hardwood is a flooring that has stood the test of time. Deciding which of these species of hardwood flooring is right for you is a matter of preference. Some people are focused on durability, while others may prefer a flooring that gives a more distressed appearance with use.

If you want the most durable hardwood floor according to the Janka ratings, then you should check out the Bellawood® Brazilian Walnut from Lumber Liquidators. The Bellawood® Brazilian Walnut flooring is select grade, which means that it is uniform in color with no large knots and has the longest average length of planks. It has also been subjected to the industry sandpaper abrasion test to ensure its durability. And if that wasn’t enough, it comes with Bellawood’s® 100-year transferable warranty.

Bamboo

Bamboo is extremely durable and has grown in popularity over the last few years as homeowners grow conscious of the environment. Bamboo is a grass that matures much more quickly than a tree, so it is very sustainable. You can find bamboo flooring at Lumber Liquidators in every color from Natural Strand Bamboo to the darker Ruo Horizontal Handscraped.

One of our favorite bamboo floorings is the Bellawood® Stonewashed Ultra-Strand Bamboo Flooring, which features alluring golden hues with a distressed, wirebrushed appearance. This flooring also comes with a 100-year transferable warranty that ensures that you will love it in your home for years to come.

Cork Flooring

Cork is a natural and renewable material made from the bark of cork oak trees. Lately, it has gained popularity as a flooring material because of its durability, beauty, and eco-friendly qualities. A properly maintained cork floor can last 40 years or more. Cork is naturally resistant to cracking and abrasions, impermeable to gas and liquid, and resistant to mold, mildew, and termites. It is also anti-microbial and bounces back so that indentations made by furniture are not permanent.

Cork doesn’t just have eco-friendly properties, but it is also aesthetically versatile. There are many styles, colors, and sizes to choose from, and with direct print technology, there are also plenty of options for patterns.

One example of cork flooring that we love is the Lumber Liquidators Lisbon Cork Tobacco Road Cork. This is an example of cork that uses direct print technology to give the flooring the look of wood or tile while still giving you all the benefits of cork. Tobacco Road cork is also easy to install with simple click installation and comes with a 25-year warranty.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is another durable flooring option. It is made from pressed wood and resists scratches, moisture, and wear and tear better than hardwood flooring. Laminate flooring also works really well in high-traffic areas and is easy to clean on a routine basis.

Vinyl Flooring

If you want an easy to care for, durable solution for your floor, you might want to check out some vinyl options. This durable flooring is easy to clean, slip-resistant, and provides a cushioned footing without costing an arm and a leg.

Vinyl flooring has come a long way since the mid-20^th century. It can come in a variety of sizes including sheets, tiles, and planks and is now faster and easier to install. You can also find vinyl with different textures for a wide array of styles.

Want to see a variety of stylish flooring options? Take a look at Lumber Liquidators. With a vast assortment of hardwood, laminate, and vinyl flooring, you are sure to find something that fits your home’s unique style. Use their store locator to find a showroom near you.