SPORTS AND GYM FLOORING You also find special flooring for Sports and Gym which usually come in interlocking mats and can be around 25 mm thick. Basketball courts, TT halls, and badminton courts usually use these to resist the force and tension created during matches. WHAT DO I CHOOSE? Flooring has been slowly moving from luxury to basic of interiors. While most flooring in the past decade was parquet or marbles, there are a lot more options today. When you consider your choice, you might have to factor in a few conditions. FUNCTIONALITY Consider what you would need the flooring for and where. Your living room might look better with chic flooring, but your bathroom would need waterproof floor. Wooden flooring for example, would lighten up the homeliness of your living room but will warp with moisture content in your bathroom. Consider the amount of human and animal traffic a floor will have to endure. For a high traffic area like the entrance, passages, and kitchen, choose flooring that is durable, resistant to water, and easy to maintain. Even better if it is resistant to stains, scratches, and scuff marks. If the space is a high moisture area such as the bathroom, go for waterproof materials such as PVC, marble or ceramics MOOD, SPACE, AND STYLE Once you know your choices serve to the function of the space, select materials with colors that match your style and mood you’re trying to create. There can be color options even in the type of flooring you’ve chosen- such as wooden flooring. Light and neutral colors create a calm ambience while dark wood colors create a warm and cozy aura. Solid wood flooring looks authentic and premium. Light colors also brighten up dark rooms and can make your room look more spacious. Moreover, if your material’s color is natural, it’s easier to blend it in with the furniture and rest of the decor. SIZE Size (sort of) matters! According to your material, you’ll most likely have an option between skinny, wide, square, or large rectangular tile/plank sizes. The shapes and sizes can be used to trick your eye to see the space that is larger or smaller. Horizontal tiles for instance, can make your space look longer. Larger and wider planks and tiles can make a smaller space look larger. SOUND Since your floor has the most interaction with people and surroundings, it also produces most noise. If you want minimal noise, vinyl tiles and carpets are your friends. GO GREEN! If you want to be more eco-friendly, go for choices such as bamboo. Apart from being super nice for Mother Nature, they’re also extremely durable and aesthetically pleasing. Even when making other choices, think about how they’re made and how much harm they cause to the environment. Don’t make a decision before bringing a couple of samples home to try them out at your houses’ light and your vision for the home. Try the sample at different times of the day. MAINTENANCE Laminate, marble floors and tiles are extremely easy to clean with a damp cloth and don’t need huge amount of efforts in making them look attractive and pleasing. Using a doormat on the outside of your entrance can really prevent a lot of dirt from making its way into the house. FUTURE REPLACEMENT You might want to change the decor of your space in passing of certain time or need to because of the condition of it. Make sure you understand what process you might have to follow if you had to replace your choice of flooring. This means understanding the installation process and cost of it first! • 74 / <strong>SPACES</strong> SEPTEMBER <strong>2017</strong>
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