Top Six Cheap and Durable Flooring Options for Your Home

Regardless of whether you are selecting a garage flooring or kitchen flooring, there are a few things that you need to know about the prevalent materials. These intricacies include their ease or difficulty in installation, approximate per square foot cost, and durability. Here, in this article, we will discuss some of the most affordable flooring options you can consider.

Vinyl

You can find vinyl flooring in plants, tiles, and sheets, and are mainly produced with PVC. Consequently, if it is vinyl, it is durable. As vinyl is waterproof flooring, it can typically be installed in any corner of your house, comments Jessica, an associate who offers finance assignment help services for students. Vinyl is a low-maintenance material and does not need a lot of care. You can sweep or vacuum the floor, along with mopping every once a week, and you are sorted. More so, despite its high usability, it is still one of the less expensive flooring options that you can find in the market. If you get the vinyl flooring installed by a trained and qualified professional, it can easily last you over two decades.

Plank Vinyl

For some who needs a stone alternative or a realistic hardwood flooring, the perfect pick for you is the plank vinyl. More so, it is one of the most low-cost options in flooring if you desire a pricey, posh look without having to spend a lot of money. Further, unlike the sheet vinyl (which we will discuss next), you can easily find planks of smaller sizes in plank vinyl. Consequently, the entire installation process of the sheet vinyl flooring is relatively easy. More so, these planks can be stuck together or installed using the click-and-lock or peel-and-stick system. For this type of flooring too, installation is quite convenient, even for the people who are amateur in undertaking home improvement projects.

Please understand that price will depend on whether you shop for an EVP or the Engineered Vinyl Plank, Rigid Core Vinyl Plank, LVP, or the Luxury Vinyl Plank.

The approximate cost sans the installation begins from 1.39 USD per sq. ft. However, the price will also depend on the other metrics, such as the manufacturer guarantees, quality, and material thickness.

Sheet Vinyl

It is a cut to length alternative in the vinyl flooring. However, sheet vinyl has seen quite a lot of advancement in the last couple of years, especially in terms of texture, quality, and design. This kind of flooring is majorly available in two widths, that is, six inches and twelve inches, which makes it a bit heavy to carry around. Janet, who offers online assignment help Australia services, advises that since handling the sheet vinyl is a bit cumbersome, it is best to let the professional install it in your home.

Typically, the average per sq. ft. price of the sheet vinyl is 1.25 USD. However, this does not include the installation fee. Also, please know if you opt for sheet vinyl from luxury brands, you may have to pay a fee of 5 USD per sq. ft.

Laminate

Laminate is engineered using a compound of different materials. It is how it is able to mimic the look and feel of a stone or a hardwood, owing to a surface’s embossed photo-friendly image. In terms of cost, both vinyl and laminate are comparable. However, as far as durability is concerned, there is no competition for vinyl. Laminate must not be exposed to heat. Further, it has a life of only a decade and is also not water-friendly. Laminate must never be installed in the areas that are more water or moisture-prone, such as the bathrooms, kitchens, and basements, comments Natasha, who offers online photography courses. 

Typically, this material is installed as a floating floor. This means that the different pieces click and are locked together. They cannot be glued to the sub-floor directly. Even though the area’s preparation process can be a bit taxing, the installation is super-fast once that is done. All you need to do is put together the pieces that fit together.

In general, the price for this kind of flooring sans the installation starts at 2.5 USD for every sq. ft. However, the price also depends on the manufacturer’s guarantees and the brand or material.

Cork

Cork is an environmentally friendly, soft material, which is the perfect replacement for composite flooring. As opposed to hardwood, it is relatively easy to install.

Since cork is made using the oak tree, which is an eco-friendly material used for making planks, floor tiles, or sheets, the cost typically starts at 2 USD for every sq. ft. You will see an increase in the cost, depending on the quality, thickness, or material’s finish.

Though one of the key pros of cork is it is softer as compared to the other medium-priced flooring alternatives. However, the softness can also be a con. How? When the material is very soft, it tends to dent or scratch quickly. More so, it is not a good pick for bathrooms or any area of the house with high moisture levels as therein; the material may break or crack easily.

Carpet

Carpeting is another pocket-friendly alternative when you are considering changing your house’s flooring. Given the diversity in the quality, materials, there is an umpteen choice available in this flooring option. Regardless of the kind of carpet chosen, it will easily last you a decade if you immediately attend to the stains and vacuum the carpet frequently. Sonya, who offers online algebra tutoring, comments that even though the carpet feels very soft to walk and dampens the sound, it is prone to quick wear and tear. Thus, it must never be installed in the bathrooms or any other areas with high moisture content as that can be a breeding ground for molds.

In carpets, there are predominantly two options available. Firstly, you can go with the wall-to-wall carpeting, which is a relatively cheaper option as it may be available at a price lower than a dollar per sq. ft. However, this kind of flooring is not suitable for everyone. For a decent finish and accuracy, several tools and people need to be employed for this task. If not, the flooring may show bumps or wrinkles and weaken. Consequently, you will end up wasting all your money. Thus, it is best advised to hire a professional to install this flooring.

Secondly, there is a peel and stick carpet tiling option. It is a relatively easier method of using carpets as flooring. Similar to vinyl planks, in this too, you can find smaller pieces. Hence, the installation is relatively fast and effortless. More so, the carpet tiles that you find in the market already have their adhesive backing. This means you need to clean the floor under, peel of its stickers, and start placing the tiles onto the floor. These are also easy to cut to the desired size. You can use a box cutter and trim them in the required shape. These tiles will cost you a little lower than a dollar for every sq. ft.