A List of 10 Types of Flooring

Flooring material choices are forever growing and a wide range is available to suit your needs. You can choose flooring that is hard or soft and pick from a wide a variety of styles and colors.

Flooring material can also be environmentally friendly and choosing a material depends on where the flooring will be installed. You may prefer a softer material underfoot in the bedroom, and flooring that is easier to maintain in the kitchen.

Below is list of of choices:

1 - Bamboo - Bamboo flooring is made from the fast growing bamboo grass and can be harvested in 4 or 5 years. Bamboo can regenerate without seeding and is often grown without pesticides. As a flooring material bamboo is durable and dense, and wears as well as maple and oak. The natural density reduces the need to refinish as often as hardwood. Milled like hardwood, with a tongue and groove on all four sides, bamboo is easy to install.

2 - Carpet and Carpet Tiles - Carpeting offers warmth and softness underfoot and is often cheaper than other flooring options. Carpeting is also a good sound absorber. Covering whole floors may be best left to the professional but carpet tiles are also available and easy to lay. Carpet tiles can be installed in minutes and one damaged tile can be easily replaced.

3 - Cork - Cork is a renewable sustainable resource and is known for its shock-absorbing comfort underfoot, as well as its vibration and sound dampening qualities. Cork also has insect-resistant and anti-allergenic properties. Often available in tiles, cork can be installed as a floating floor or glued down.

4 - Hardwood - Hardwood flooring is durable and made of solid wood all the way through. Wood choices include maple, oak, cherry, hickory, white ash, Mongolian teak, acacia and alder.

5 - Engineered Wood - Similar in appearance to hardwood, engineered wood flooring is built differently. Unlike solid hardwood, engineered wood has three to seven layers laminated or glued together. More resistant to moisture, engineered flooring can be used in every room.

6 - Laminate flooring -  Laminate flooring is created by fusing several layers of material together. The core is made of either high density or medium density fiberboard. Laminate flooring is hypoallergenic, stain, scratch and fade-resistant. Laminate copies the look of hardwood and more recently has been made to resemble stone and ceramic tile.

7 - Hard Flooring - Concrete is a hard durable flooring material with a life expectancy exceeding other flooring. Thanks to new technology, the concrete surface can be made decorative by treating it with stains and colorants, or stamping and scoring it with a pattern. Easy to clean, and if properly maintained, concrete will never have to be replaced.

Also stone flooring is available as travertine tile, marble, granite, slate, limestone and sandstone. Ceramic and porcelain tile is also available.

8 - Linoleum - True linoleum is a durable flooring choice that has been around for over 100 years. Sold in sheet form or tiles, linoleum is available in a wide range of colors and patterns. The main ingredient in linoleum is linseed oil. Other materials include wood flour, pine rosin and jute. Linoleum is also antibacterial.

9 - Vinyl - Vinyl is a flooring material made primarily of polyvinyl chloride. It is available in sheets or tiles, and comes in a wide range of styles and colors.

10 - Rubber - Rubber flooring is also available in a variety of colors, as well as textures, designs and configurations like pavers, tiles and snap-together panels.

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