When it comes to home flooring, everyone’s got a preference. Some swear by the natural look and feel of hardwood flooring. Others prefer vinyl flooring or laminate flooring.

A significant portion likes carpeting. Carpeting accounts for 51 percent of the U.S. flooring and 44 percent of homeowners have indicated they prefer carpeting in the bedroom.

When it comes to carpet installation in a home, there are several benefits:

• Carpet installation is fast, cheap and easy compared to wood flooring.
• Carpet can be extended with regular vacuuming and steam cleaning.
• Carpet offers a level of comfort that can be hard to get with hardwood flooring.
• Having the right carpet can really make a room stand out and have a significant design impact on a particular room of a house where it’s installed.
• Carpets made out of recycled content can be eco-friendly for a home and eliminate a potentially high source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can cause serious health problems if they are not dealt with.
• A good quality carpet can last between 10-15 years.
• On the design front, there are a lot of options compared to other flooring options.
• Carpets are usually low emitters of VOCs and can trap dust and other potential allergens. These can be removed with regular cleaning.

Invented more than 80 years ago, vinyl flooring is one of the most resilient flooring materials available today. There are two types of vinyl flooring: sheet flooring where flooring material is laid out in sheets and vinyl tile flooring. This is often used in commercial settings, but can also be used in the home. In fact, 90 percent of homeowners prefer hardwood or tile in the kitchen.

Advantages of vinyl flooring include:

• Durability: It stands up well to heavy foot traffic, which makes it a popular choice for commercial buildings.
• It is comfortable to walk on and reduces noise. That makes it advantageous for homeowners who have kids or pets who are used to tromping through the house.
• It is less expensive than some other flooring options and is also easy to maintain.
• It comes in a wide range of colors, so you can find the right color you’re looking for to match the décor of your kitchen, bathroom or wherever you might be installing vinyl flooring.

A third option for floor is laminate flooring. Laminate flooring is a synthetic flooring material which fuses multiple layers together with a lamination process. Advantages of choosing laminate flooring as your flooring option include:

• It’s fast and easy to install. In older days, laminate flooring often required glue to hold pieces together, but today’s laminate flooring often comes with a locking design allow you to construct a floor with laminate flooring that goes together like a puzzle.
• It’s very easy to clean. A wet mop will usually do the trick when it comes to cleaning and brooms and vacuums work well too.
• It can be installed in a variety of environments, including slightly moist areas such as kitchens. Since laminate flooring pieces are interlocking, there is little to know room for moisture to seep through.
• It’s durable and unlike some other types of flooring materials, laminate flooring stands tough against dents and scratches. Laminate flooring comes with a protective layer that protects other layers of flooring. In addition, laminate flooring can last between 15-25 years.
• Laminate flooring often comes with underlayment, which makes it comfortable to step on. Without the underlayment, laminate can feel hard to stand on, but underlayment gives laminate flooring a bit of spring and makes it more tolerable in the kitchen.

Whatever your preference for flooring whether it’s hardwood, vinyl, laminate or some other material, it’s important to take time to research. Replacing the flooring in the kitchen and other rooms can sometimes be a lengthy undertaking and you want to make sure you’ve got the right material for the job. Take time to review the pros and cons of different types of flooring and then decide which one will work best.