Floored by Choices?

Step up your knowledge of what’s underfoot.

By Scott Sowers

Photos courtesy of Daltile

The experts at GraniTech say that neutral colors work well on a large expanse, allowing furnishings to stand out.

Other than ceilings, floors represent the largest expanse of a single color and texture in your home. Pick the right one and everything in your room will rest upon a sensational foundation. Get it wrong and you’ll tear your hair out trying to disguise your mistake.

From a functional angle, floors are made to be walked on, scratched by furniture, and bombed by dropped canned goods. So what’s the best choice for looks and durability?

The first rule is, do your homework.

Affordable Tile

“The floor by definition anchors the room,” says Dana E. Tydings of Tydings Design Inc. in Laytonsville. “I like to treat the shell of the room first, the floors, walls and ceilings. If you do it well, you can put Ikea furniture in there and it’ll look good.”

Tydings steers away from wall-to-wall carpeting and has been known to paint hardwood floors. But her number one favorite floor material is probably not what you’d expect.

“Porcelain tile,” says Tydings, “is hard as rock and can actually look like wood.” Porcelain and ceramic tile are very affordable choices when compared to other surfaces like marble and granite. Expect to pay about $17 per square foot, installed, a price that is somewhat dependent on the condition of your subfloor.

Flooring materials are nailed, glued or set in “mud” on the subfloor, which can be made of plywood or concrete. When replacing an existing floor, it’s better to remove what’s there as opposed to just putting another layer on top. Getting a level subsurface is critical, especially if you select a hard surface like porcelain or stone tile.

Stone’s Strengths

“Travertine or marble,” says Gizem Ozkaya, a sales and design specialist with GraniTech Inc. in Lorton, “both have a warm feel and a clean transitional look that’s appealing to the eye.” Travertine is a type of marble that features natural indentations and fissures in the surface. Expect to pay about $25 per square foot for installed travertine, one of the most popular stone-based tiles. Keep in mind that all natural stone, including marble, granite and limestone, is porous and must be sealed to prevent staining.

Photo courtesy of Studio Santalla

Architect Ernesto Santalla of Studio Santalla likes to use a rug in the same color palette to complement natural stone tile.

When using stone tile, you can make a small room look bigger by using larger size 12 x 12 inch or 18 x 18 inch tiles. The finish on stone tiles can also be changed by tumbling, which takes off some sheen and honing, which makes them smoother. But some design experts like to keep flooring as natural as possible.

“I prefer non-polished stone,” says Ernesto Santalla, architect and president of Studio Santalla in Georgetown. “Stone is durable, and, even if it chips, the material goes all the way through,” he says.

Before making the final flooring decision, think about the big picture. Santalla recommends looking at “what the space is being used for and what kind of traffic it will have.” Stone and tile are well suited to high-traffic areas because they wear well. If traffic is less of a concern, wood might be the way to go.

Wood-n’t It Be Nice?

Photo courtesy of Tarkett Wood and Nash Floor Company

If it’s properly taken care of, a wood floor from Nash Floor Company will never need to be refinished.

“Hardwood floors increase the value of the home because of their popularity and performance characteristics,” says Chris Nash, vice president of the Nash Floor Company in Rockville. Going with wood involves choosing from a dizzying array of species, plank widths, hardness factors, finishes and construction methods. “Engineered” wood is made from plywood covered with a layer of hardwood on top. It’s less expensive than solid hardwood, expands and contracts less, and some types can even be sanded and refinished.

Solid hardwood can also be sanded and refinished, but some species contract with changes in the home’s humidity, which leaves gaps between the planks. The most popular choice in wood floors remains an old stand-by. “The standard is oak,” says Nash. “That’s the benchmark.” A solid oak floor will run you about $10 per square foot, assuming that your subfloor is in good shape.

The Softer Side of Floors

The downside of hard materials like oak, tile and stone is that they can be tough on the feet. “Cork is soft on the feet, which is huge, and it’s sound-dampening,” Tom Bresnahan of Arlandria Floors, located on the border of Alexandria and Arlington, says. Cork shows up most often in kitchens.

Photo courtesy of Wicanders Cork Floors

Arlandria Floors offers cork floors that soften sounds and contribute to a comfortable work space. And there are other colors besides “cork.”

In residential applications, it’s sealed with a thin layer of vinyl so that it doesn’t require the regular waxing that traditional cork floors do. For cork-based tile expect to pay from $8 to $11 per square foot. For more information on cork floors visit wicanders.com.

Lowdown on Rugs

“Some people think of them as a work of art,” says Mark Keshishian, manager and part owner of Mark Keshishian and Sons Inc. in Chevy Chase. Keshishian specializes in handmade rugs from all over the world that range in price from “$49 to $49,000.” Selecting a rug can boggle the mind, but there is a logical starting point. “Come in armed with sizes, minimum, maximum,” says Keshishian, “and the look or style you’re trying to create.”

To preserve the color in fine Oriental rugs, they must be professionally hand cleaned using gentle soap and soft nylon brushes.

If you’re stepping into the world of Oriental rugs, it’s good to get on a first-name basis with a reputable dealer. This immense design element deserves deliberation and will consume a generous portion of your budget. Since a good rug can last a lifetime, you need to consider its maintenance.

“It depends on the use, but rugs should be cleaned at least every two years,” says Richard Ayoub of Hanna Ayoub Rug Cleaning Company in Washington. High quality rugs are made from wool or silk, natural fabrics that must be professionally cleaned by hand. For an emergency situation like a wine or coffee spill, “blot it up right away—the main thing is to weaken it,” Ayoub says. Clean water can dilute the stain, but it should still be taken to the cleaners as soon as possible.

Your floor is the most functional surface in your home. Consider all the options and then spring for the best material that fits your budget and your lifestyle.

Flooring at a Glance

Tile
Pros: Flexibility of colors/textures
Cons: Unforgiving on the feet
Price: $17 per sq. ft.

Stone
Pros: Durable and natural looking
Cons: Porous/stainable
Price: $25 per sq. ft.

Wood
Pros: Can be refinished/warm look
Cons: Scratches easily
Price: $10 per sq. ft.

Vinyl
Pros: Affordable/easily installed
Cons: Lower end look
Price: $1 per sq. ft.

Cork
Pros: Soft on feet
Cons: Natural mottled texture too casual for formal spaces
Price: $8-$11 per sq. ft.

For more information on these products, please refer to our Resource Page or send an e-mail to resource@whgmag.com.