Types of Flooring Interior Design

Flooring Types Hard Flooring Soft Flooring Wood Stone Tile Carpet Rugs Resilient

Wood - Most popular Strip Flooring Random Plank Parquet Tongue and groove Nailed to sub floor Pre-finished or unfinished Random Plank Wider than strips Screwed to sub floor, covered with wood plugs Parquet Small pieces arranged in different designs Pre-finished squares for easy installation

Stone Marble Various colors depending on origin Verdigris (vər-də-grēs) : marbles that have a green color Limestone: most common, usually white but may have cloudy streaks Onyx: may have layers of colors or banding

Stone Terrazzo formed using marble or chipped stones embedded in full concrete. artistic and very reliable best for outdoor spaces such as verandas or patios. strong but 50% chance of breakage at quarry

Stone Travertine: porous limestone used on floors or walls Comes from mineral springs Holes from escaping gas Holes filled with resin which may or may not be same color                        

Ceramic Tile Bathrooms, kitchens, entryways Made from baked clay Durable, moisture resistant, easy to clean Can crack if not installed on even surface

Other Tiles Ceramic Mosaic Mexican Quarry Individual tiles mounted together to keep together and make installation easier More often on walls Mexican Made from clay Shaped by hand Dried in sun Quarry Fired Earth/Clay Warm brown to beige

Resilient Floor Coverings Flooring with a semi-hard surface that returns to its original shape after stress Warmer and quieter to walk on Not quite as durable Vinyl and plastic laminate

Vinyl Resists stains, affordable Sheet Vinyl 6, 9, 12 foot sheets Rotogravure (rō-tə-grə-vyu̇r) Top layer covered with clear coating Thin, tears easily Inlaid Colored chips make designs (heat, pressure) Design all the way to backing Most durable of the vinyl

Vinyl Vinyl Tiles 12 in. X 12 in. Sticky backing Place together like a puzzle

Carpet Insulates against drafts Decreases noise More comforting feel Quality Pile (nap): visible surface of carpet Density: how close the tufts are made together, more important than depth Heat setting Twist Depth

Carpet Fibers 95% made of manufactured fibers Nylon: most popular, durable, easy to maintain, limited colors Polypropylene (olefin): strong, nonabsorbent, resists stains and static, colorfast, cheap, crushes easily, limited colors, heat sensitive

Carpet Fibers Cont. Polyester blend (PET) made from recycled plastics, resists stains and fading Acrylic: feels and looks like wool, low static level, resists mildew, subject to pilling

Carpet Fibers Cont. Wool: soft durable long lasting expensive moth sensitive shrinkage allergies hard to clean

Carpeting Textures / Categories Cut Pile Formal looking plush, velvet, smooth, may flatten Saxony Similar to cut but yarns have been twisted more giving less formal appearance Frieze Informal, curly texture, shows minimal marks

Carpeting Textures / Categories Level Loop Loops are all same height, may have flecks of darker color, durable Multi-level Loop Two or three loop heights, sculpted or embossed effect, good in high traffic areas Cut and Loop Pile Sculptured effect from some looks cut and some braided, very durable

Backing or Cushion Extends life of carpet Shock absorber Less than ½” thick

Laws Flammable Fabrics Act- Federal Govt. protects consumers with regulations. Must follow standards for fabrics, rugs, carpets, mattresses Label must include: Fiber content and percentage Manufacturer Country of origin Care information