A majority of homeowners wish to have a flooring option that can improve the overall appearance of their home. While options like wooden floors do add a touch of luxury to the interior, they aren’t ideal for high-traffic areas like kitchens, halls, and mudrooms.

This is why you need to consider options that are durable as well as scratch and water-resistant. Here are several flooring options you may choose for the high-traffic areas at your home.

Alissa Johnson Interiors | Photo: @Rymcdon

Luxury vinyl flooring is a great choice for residential purposes. It can give you the look of hardwood floors even in wet areas and can handle heavy foot traffic, spills, drops, and more.

Find a reliable flooring store in St. Charles or in your locality to check out the variety of this flooring option.  Luxury vinyl is available in sheets, planks, and titles, so you are spoilt for choices.

• Sheet Vinyl: These flooring options are easy to install and can protect your floor against damage caused by water, pets, and children.

• Vinyl Plank: These options come with a hard-wear layer. They also offer the same appearance as hardwood flooring while providing better durability and a lower cost.

• Vinyl Tile: This flooring option is even easier to install and repair than sheet vinyl. The tiles are made of layers that can protect against rips, scratches, and dents.

Luxury vinyls are popular among homeowners because of their design versatility. Available in various patterns, colors, and sizes, vinyl easily mimics flooring options like ceramic tiles, terrazzo, and hardwood floors.

They are a perfect solution for improving your home ambiance.

Alissa Johnson Interiors | Photo: @Rymcdon

Most people associate the word “porcelain” with delicate fine china dishes that are quite fragile in nature. However, porcelain floor tiles are significantly different from those dishes.

Since the layers of the tiles have the same color all the way to the bottom, they won’t change color as they wear down slowly over time. Moreover, porcelain tiles are resistant to water and stains and are easy to maintain, making them the perfect solution for bathrooms and kitchens.

Stone flooring is one of the most common choices for heavy-use areas. You can find numerous options in stone flooring with different levels of sturdiness and scratch resistance. Some of the most popular natural stone flooring options for heavy traffic include the following:

• Granite Flooring: This stone floor is extremely durable and resistant to moisture. It also comes in a variety of colors, including brown, white, beige, red, and black. Since granite stones are heavy, you must consult a professional to determine whether your floors can support the weight.

• Limestone Flooring: This flooring option is less expensive than granite and comes in several finishes, such as brushed, polished, and tumbled. It is also available in lighter shades like beige, ivory, and reddish brown. However, without regular finishing, this flooring option can become less durable.

• Sandstone Flooring: These natural stone floors can be matte or polished. They generally come in sandy colors like brown, gold, tan, and red. These relatively porous stones are softer than limestone and granite and are susceptible to stains.

Based on your flooring requirements and budget, choose the option that is best for you.

Alissa Johnson Interiors | Photo: @johnstoffer

If you are looking for an affordable option, laminate flooring is the best option for high-traffic areas in your house. This type of flooring is made with a layer of high- or medium-density fiberboard.

There is also a high-quality photographic layer. Laminate flooring is also quite popular in the market because it can mimic the appearance of wood, stone, and other materials at a lower cost.

This type of flooring is highly scratch-resistant. While buying laminate flooring for your home, look for laminate with a high abrasion class (AC) rating, such as AC3 or AC4. They offer enhanced scratch resistance, making the floors ideal for high-traffic areas.

The Choice Is Completely Yours

With all these flooring options available for high-traffic areas, it may be a little confusing for you to make the right choice. Just identify your requirements, like budget, maintenance, sturdiness, longevity, etc., and you will have the answer.

It is always a good idea to consult a professional before you finalize the flooring material.

Jenny Kakoudakis likes to blog about interiors. She launched the award-winning Seasons in Colour in 2014. When she is not chasing criminals out of the financial system (her day job), she gets creative by redecorating her own home.

Download her free bathroom renovation guide here.