Choosing flooring for your new home is an important decision when building a custom home. Your flooring is an integral part of your lifestyle and the design of your home. It is something you will see and use daily and the flooring you choose when building a new home can last for decades or even a lifetime.
Selecting flooring for a new home being such an important decision, we want to provide you with a resource to make this decision easier. Whether you are building a custom home in Boise with us or across the country, this guide will help you choose the best flooring for a new home based on your lifestyle, design preferences, and budget.
Top Flooring Considerations When Building A New Home
From style to maintenance, there are many things to consider when choosing flooring for your new home.
Function
First up is function. Function is one of the top considerations for flooring in a new home because first and foremost you need your flooring to work for the space it’s in. Considering the functionality of the flooring you select can make your life much easier by saving you time and money on replacing a floor that just doesn’t function as it should.
One thing you’ll want to consider in terms of function is the location of the flooring. In different rooms, different flooring will function better or worse. For example, many people prefer carpet in their bedrooms for comfort; whereas an entryway may lend itself more toward an easier to clean flooring option. Here are a few things to consider about the functionality of your new home’s flooring.
- What use will this room have?
- Is the room prone to moisture?
- Will this be in a heavily trafficked area?
- Do I want a softer surface, like carpet?
- Do I want heated/radiant flooring?
Maintenance & Durability
For most homeowners, the durability of the flooring and maintenance are large factors in the decision-making process. If the flooring you choose for your new home is more durable you can easily save money by replacing your floors less frequently. Lower maintenance flooring can also save you time and money with less need for additional costs like refinishing or repairs. There are often tradeoffs in terms of quality and durability and the price that you’ll want to weigh when selecting the flooring for your home. Here are a few maintenance and durability items to consider when choosing flooring for your new home to help you with your decision.
- How does this flooring hold up to wear and tear?
- Is it easy to clean?
- How difficult is it to repair this type of flooring?
- How often does the flooring need to be replaced?
- Can it be refinished?
- If so, how often should it be refinished?
- Is the material sustainable?
Style
Your flooring is one of the most visible design aspects of your home. It’s important to consider what you want for your aesthetic as you are choosing flooring for a new home. For most flooring options today, you’ll have a range of color and style options, so the good news is it’s likely that when you choose a material you’ll be able to find a style that fits your vision.
- Does this go with the overall style of my home?
- What finish or color would be best? Do you want darker or lighter flooring?
- Will this style go with the furnishings and finishes in my home?
- Do I need to add any flooring finishes like baseboards, etc?
- If my style changes can I do anything to update the look or do I need to get completely new flooring?
Budget
Selecting flooring that fits within your home construction budget is essential. Oftentimes the builder you work with will have a standard flooring option that they recommend along with options to upgrade based on your style or quality levels. This is always a good place to start when understanding the costs associated and pairing with your budget.
What quality level your builder includes as the standard will vary. At Pathway Builders, our focus is on value for our clients which is why our standard flooring inclusions are a tile entryway, a high-quality Luxury Vinyl Plank in the kitchen, dining, and bathrooms, and thicker weave carpet and carpet pad in all our custom-built homes. We also have options to upgrade to tile or luxury vinyl plank tile in bathrooms and laundry areas. These flooring options are what we recommend as a custom home builder and they are available in a variety of styles.
Here are a few budget questions to consider as you are choosing the best flooring for your new home.
- Is there a higher quality option in this flooring type that provides greater value?
- Does the flooring installation method impact the cost of my home build?
- Is there another flooring option that better fits my budget?
- Is it more cost-effective to install similar flooring in a greater number of rooms?
Lifestyle
It’s also important to consider your lifestyle in the choice of flooring for your new home. Having kids or pets can make a difference in the flooring that’s best for your new home because of safety or the difference in wear and tear when, for example, you have two large dogs. If you have young children who are more likely to spill, you may want to consider an easier-to-clean flooring option.
Common Types of Flooring To Consider For Your New Home
Below are some of the most common types of flooring with a few advantages and considerations for each type. Pair these flooring types with the considerations above to narrow your options to the types of flooring that would work best in your new custom home.
Hardwood Flooring
- Description: Hardwood flooring is made from natural wood, providing a timeless and elegant look. Common hardwood species used in flooring include oak, maple, and walnut.
- Advantages of hardwood flooring: Durable, long-lasting, adds warmth to any space, and can be refinished to extend its lifespan.
- Considerations: Susceptible to scratches and moisture damage; may require periodic refinishing, can be a more expensive option.
Laminate Flooring
- Description: Laminate flooring consists of a high-density fiberboard core with a photographic layer that mimics the look of wood, tile, or stone, topped with a clear protective layer.
- Advantages: Affordable, easy to install, resistant to scratches and stains, easy to clean, and available in a variety of styles.
- Considerations: Not as durable as hardwood, cannot be refinished, and may not add the same level of value to your home.
Carpet
- Description: Carpet is a soft flooring option made from various fibers, including nylon, polyester, and wool. It comes in a variety of styles, such as cut pile and loop pile. The fiber the carpet is made of and the pile are the two factors that most impact the quality and durability of a carpet. In general, carpets with more dense piles and weight are higher quality.
- Advantages: Provides warmth, comfort, and sound insulation; available in a wide range of colors and textures.
- Considerations: Prone to staining, may trap allergens, and may require more regular cleaning to maintain.
Vinyl Flooring
- Description: Vinyl flooring is a synthetic flooring material made to replicate the look of wood, tile, or stone.
- Advantages: Water-resistant, budget-friendly, and versatile in design options.
- Considerations: May show wear over time, less comfortable to walk on, susceptible to scratches or tears, not easy to repair, and may not have the same aesthetic appeal as natural materials.
Because of the disadvantages of standard vinyl flooring, we don’t recommend vinyl as a flooring option. At Pathway Builders, we no longer offer standard vinyl flooring; however, luxury vinyl flooring is now our standard inclusion because of the value and many benefits it offers over standard vinyl flooring.
Luxury Vinyl Plank or Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring
- Description: A type of vinyl flooring that is of higher quality than standard vinyl, made with a thicker wear layer to extend durability and comfort. Available in tiles or planks depending on the material it is designed to replicate. Luxury vinyl plank is typically designed to imitate wood; whereas, luxury vinyl tile is designed to imitate stone tiles.
- Advantages: Water-resistant, budget-friendly, low maintenance, easy to repair, available in a wide range of styles, easy to clean, more comfortable to walk on than standard vinyl or laminate, and durable.
- Considerations: May not have the same comfort level as natural materials, more expensive than other flooring types.
Get a more detailed comparison between luxury vinyl and standard vinyl flooring.
Ceramic Tile Flooring
- Description: Ceramic tiles are made from clay and other natural materials that are then fired to create a hard surface. They come in various shapes, sizes, and colors.
- Advantages: Durable, water-resistant, easy to clean, and suitable for high-traffic areas; offer a wide range of design possibilities.
- Considerations: Cold underfoot, may crack under heavy impact, and installation can be labor-intensive.
Each of these flooring types cater to various preferences, budgets, and practical needs which is why they are the most common flooring types used in new homes today. Almost every home will actually have a combination of flooring types due to the different ways we use the rooms in our homes. For example, unless we’re back in the sixties or seventies when the carpet in the bathroom was the trend, you’ll likely opt for tile or luxury vinyl flooring in your bathroom because they are both water-resistant flooring types.
What Type of Flooring Is Best In A New Home?
The type of flooring that is best in a new home will be based on your budget, preferences, and use. Most of the clients we work with choose flooring for their new home that is a combination of tile, hardwood or luxury vinyl, and carpet.
Choosing flooring for a new home build is just one of many choices you’ll make during the home building process; however, it’s one of the most important. This guide is designed as a starting point to provide you with the top considerations along with differences and advantages of some of the most commonly used flooring in new homes. When you work with a custom home builder, you’ll be able to access their knowledge and recommendations to further guide you as you choose the best flooring for your new home.
Have questions about choosing flooring for your new home build or looking for a custom home builder in Eagle, Boise, or another area of southwestern Idaho? We’d love to connect with you. Get in touch with us here to learn more about building a home on your land in Boise.