Flooring Design Interior Home Design - is the base of any internal scheme and with the many options readily available it can be easy to get taken away and forget about the practical features that need to be taken into consideration. By their very nature floors are subject to the most use and therefore need to be able to stand up to knocks, spots and furniture not to mention human and pet traffic. Buying a cheap floor may save you money at the beginning but it will not last very long, looking used and poor before its time. Flooring really needs to be viewed as an investment and there are a number of alternatives available to suit all levels of funds. The first thing to determine upon is whether to go for hard or soft flooring.
In interior design Tiles are a type of hard flooring and are available in a wide range of natural and man-made materials. Ceramic tiles, mosaics, slate and marble are just some of the options obtainable and each come with their own advantages and disadvantages. The main benefit of tiles is that they are incredibly hard bearing and if well taken care of will last a very long time. As they are water-proof they are well matched to areas such as bathing rooms and utility rooms and being effortless to clean are also perfect for kitchens. However, tiles can be cold underfoot and can be slippery when wet so are not appropriate where older people or children are present. If they have a complicated pattern they can be
hard to match as well as being expensive and semi-permanent. They are also noisy and need other softer surfaces to minimize the amount of echo in a room.
In interior design Wooden floors are also categorized as hard flooring but being softer than tiles they are also warmer underfoot. With the large range of natural tones available they can help create a warm and homely sensation and although they can be noisy, if sprung it can help to reduce noise and add bounce to the floor. The drawback of wooden floors is that they are typically made from softwoods and therefore can dent easily specifically by the heels of footwear. Wooden floors are therefore best suited to rooms that do not receive heavy wear such as bedrooms.
In interior design Carpets are classed as soft flooring and by their very nature generate a feeling of warmth and comfort. They can really feel luxurious underfoot and are good for covering spots and dirt. Heavily designed carpets however, can make a room seem scaled-down and will date quickly. Plain carpets on the other can make a room seem much larger by creating a sense of room. As well as being warm, carpets also help to minimize noise whilst providing insulating material by guarding against heat loss through the floor.
