Planning your flooring renovation project

The most important thing to think about is the primary function of the room and what the floor will need to endure. Is it required to go in a warm and cosy living-room? A messy kitchen with utility? Does it have access to outside? The choice of floor depends heavily on the function.

A kitchen, for example, would be better suited to Luxury Vinyl Tiles. This is no longer your traditional rolls of spongy foam but a transformed new type of flooring solution with high density compressed foam with hardened PVC backing.LVT floors are the next big thing and they are more water resistant than laminate and have more realistic surface textures. In damp prone areas such as kitchens or bathroom they work particularly well. Vinyl is an ideal solution if easy maintenance is key as these products can be easily mopped with hardly any wear and staining, and it requires little-to-no upkeep. LVT is now available in impressive wood effect designs which looks as good as most high end laminates with added benefits.

In areas with a high footfall such as the hallway, or somewhere that has access to outside for example the living room with patio doors to the garden then laminate flooring would be the preferable option. Compared to carpet or real wood it is very durable, meaning most items dropped won't dent or damage it; however, if it does become damaged it can be replaced with ease. It will also will continue to look good throughout its lifetime.

Under floor heating is worth considering if your ripping out carpets because you will miss the warmth under your feet. If your considering this than make sure you look for at Engineered Wood flooring products as it is recommended for this function.

Price has a big impact on the type of floor you choose. Whether you splash out and buy premium in one room, or go for quantity over quality, renovating every room. You need to set aside an amount of money that you're prepared to spend on each room you're going to revamp. Deciding what your budget is, narrows down the flooring available which can make it easier for you to choose your final product as there’s 100’s available. A synthetic laminate flooring that is manufactured from different profiles of HDF cores with one thing in common, a laminate photographic image or graphical top layer that is designed to give the finished look of laminate wood or any other desired material. Laminate Flooring is the most popular choice of laminate flooring because of the extensive range of laminate colours and designs, it’s good value for money, laminate hard wearing, easy to laminate flooring install and maintain.

If you have a smaller budget and want the maximum visual effect, then cheap laminate flooring is the answer. It can be used in an array of rooms due to its durability and it's available in a multitude of colours, meaning there’s plenty of choice to fit a theme of almost any room. Laminate can also imitate the look of real wood flooring as after all you are looking at a high resolution printed material with lamination – that’s what laminate flooring is!

However, if you have a larger budget, you’re open to a wider choice of floors and it will invite premium options particularly solid wood flooring which is nothing but a single piece of natural wood. This type of flooring is even more durable and will last a lifetime if taken care of. It also gives the room a classic feel, keeping the look more traditional and earthy. Although not as easy to maintain as laminate but its far easier to clean than many different types of carpets. Another variation of real wood floors is engineered wood flooring that is made from a solid top layer which gives its character and back with a HDF code that gives it a handy option of sustaining underfloor heating.

You will find many flooring colours and designs to choose from including gloss and matt finishes and even textures to choose from.

For a bedroom choosing a neutral coloured floor that is doesn’t clash with the colour of your bed sheets or mood would be the best bet. If you feel that laminate or wood give you the shivers, then LVT could be a good alternative as it has a softer surface texture and better maintains a balanced temperature. Browse our laminate wooden flooring sale for the best laminate flooring offers and you can order a few samples to try before you buy. But don’t let this steer you away of hard flooring because you can always lay a rug under the bed for the first step in the morning.

If you want bigger choice, then it’s got to be Laminate that also wears well, and because of the durability and versatile colour scheme it can be placed in most rooms in the home.

Self-Installing floor materials such as laminate wood can be a real problem if you're not equipped with the right DIY tools and guidance. If you’ve decided to take on the project yourself for the first time, then its recommended to buy a floor with a click system with good instructions. It makes laying laminate flooring a lot easier as the planks simply click together into place without worrying about alignment.

TIP: Try to purchase a little more than you’ve calculated as you don’t want to be waiting around for that last piece of the floor.

If you're more experienced with hand-on DIY then you will be able to save money if you choosing to go with carpet. Fitting carpet requires a little more and skill as you are working with longer pieces of material that needs to be pulled and stretched to the optimum point but its otherwise fairly simple in principle.

The costliest and time consuming floor installations has to be with Tiles. Although tiles are harder to fit the end result is often worth it. They're very easy to clean, and very durable, meaning they can be placed nearly anywhere in the home. They can however be a little more expensive depending on your choice and take a longer time to fit than other flooring options. And if you make a mistake or manage to crack one then replacing it can be a pain.