The Top 6 New Flooring Materials to Consider
Some homeowners are more traditional and so prefer traditional flooring materials, like hardwood, stone, or manufactured tiles (porcelain or ceramic). Others are open to trying new things. This could mean installing new types of flooring, like luxury vinyl plank.
For those looking to spice things up, we’ve pulled together some of the new trendy flooring materials homeowners should keep on their radar.
Get ready for a two-part special where we examine why these flooring varieties are trending, their advantages, and disadvantages. Altogether there are six new flooring materials we want to bring to your attention; in this blog, we’re profiling the first three, and next month you’ll learn about the remaining three!
So if it’s time to renovate your space and hire the best flooring company near you, then here are some new flooring material options you’ll want to get your hands on.
A Note on New Flooring Materials
When we refer to new flooring materials, we don’t mean recently unveiled, just-hit-the-market new flooring; we mean newer, non-traditional flooring.
You won’t find hardwood flooring on this list!
Instead, this list is about shining a spotlight on other flooring materials to broaden your flooring horizon. Even if you don’t plan on using a new flooring material for a current renovation, you may find inspiration to hire the best flooring company near you to lay a new flooring material you discover on this list down the road.
New Flooring Materials You Should Consider
If you want to outfit your space with something other than hardwood, here are the newer, non-traditional flooring materials to choose from.
Vinyl Plank Flooring (LVP/LVT)
One of the most popular new flooring materials, giving laminate a run for its money, is the economical faux-wood option: luxury vinyl plank. Luxury vinyl flooring goes by many names, including luxury vinyl plank, vinyl plank flooring, or luxury vinyl tile flooring.
Whatever you call it, more and more homeowners are turning to LVP flooring. Why? Here are some advantages of hiring the best flooring company near you to install LVP:
- Water Resistant: It’s a common misconception that just because LVP is made of plastic, it’s waterproof. Rather, LVP is highly water resistant, so if you drop water on the floor, wipe it away, and it won’t compromise the integrity of your floor.
- Durable: LVP is a durable top choice for homeowners with pets or kids.
- Economical: LVP is more affordable than hardwood and on par with the cost of laminate, making it a very affordable flooring choice.
- Wood-Look: No one would pay LVP any attention if it didn’t offer highly realistic wood-look or stone-look planks/tiles. Not to mention, LVP is now offered in textured flooring to help prevent slips, trips, and falls. Textured floors also mimic the feel of wood floors.
We want you to know exactly what you’re buying though, so here are some downsides to LVP:
- Not Environmentally Friendly: Plastic isn’t environmentally friendly, but the fact that many LVP manufacturers offer lifetime warranties tells you that the floor will last a long time before it needs replacing, so that helps make it a little more eco-friendly.
- Subfloor: To prevent an uneven floor, you’ll want a proper subfloor for an even floor.
- VOCs: The drawback to plastic is it contains VOCs, which pose a small risk to your health. You can mitigate the risk by buying low-VOC LVP.
Keep reading for more trending flooring options.
Cement Tile
One of the most popular new flooring materials, giving laminate a run for its money, is the economical faux-wood option: luxury vinyl plank. Luxury vinyl flooring goes by many names, including luxury vinyl plank, vinyl plank flooring, or luxury vinyl tile flooring.
Whatever you call it, more and more homeowners are turning to LVP flooring. Why? Here are some advantages of hiring the best flooring company near you to install LVP:
- Water Resistant: It’s a common misconception that just because LVP is made of plastic, it’s waterproof. Rather, LVP is highly water resistant, so if you drop water on the floor, wipe it away, and it won’t compromise the integrity of your floor.
- Durable: LVP is a durable top choice for homeowners with pets or kids.
- Economical: LVP is more affordable than hardwood and on par with the cost of laminate, making it a very affordable flooring choice.
- Wood-Look: No one would pay LVP any attention if it didn’t offer highly realistic wood-look or stone-look planks/tiles. Not to mention, LVP is now offered in textured flooring to help prevent slips, trips, and falls. Textured floors also mimic the feel of wood floors.
We want you to know exactly what you’re buying though, so here are some downsides to LVP:
- Not Environmentally Friendly: Plastic isn’t environmentally friendly, but the fact that many LVP manufacturers offer lifetime warranties tells you that the floor will last a long time before it needs replacing, so that helps make it a little more eco-friendly.
- Subfloor: To prevent an uneven floor, you’ll want a proper subfloor for an even floor.
- VOCs: The drawback to plastic is it contains VOCs, which pose a small risk to your health. You can mitigate the risk by buying low-VOC LVP.
Keep reading for more trending flooring options.
Cement Tile