Each type of flooring material has its own unique benefits. To choose the best types of flooring for your home, first assess the needs of each room. From there, you can select between the wide range of flooring options by matching your style preferences to the size of your budget. This guide reviews several different types of flooring and their pros and cons, so you can find the best type of flooring for every room in your home.

Types of Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring is durable and provides a timeless, elegant look. Certain types of hardwood floors can be refinished up to five times, and you can change the sheen to match a newly decorated room. Area rugs make easy, attractive additions to rooms with hardwood floors. While hardwood flooring requires a higher upfront investment, many homeowners choose it for its longevity and beauty. You can opt to install hardwood flooring on your own or save time by hiring professionals to install your new flooring.

There are two basic types of hardwood flooring. Solid hardwood flooring consists of boards milled from a single piece of solid wood. Engineered hardwood flooring consists of a multi-layer base (made of compressed wood, resin and polymers) with real hardwood on the surface. It can be more budget-friendly than solid hardwood.

Hardwood is available in many different types of wood, such as red oak, white oak, cherry, walnut, hickory and maple. Natural hardwood options require regular maintenance and care to preserve their natural appearance.

Many engineered hardwoods now have waterproof, scratch and dent-resistant options. These choices are ideal for high-moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms, as well as busy areas like hallways. Families with children and pets can also benefit from these types of hardwood flooring choices.

Types of Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring delivers the look of real wood, tile or stone flooring at budget-friendly price. However, laminate usually requires less maintenance than these traditional types of flooring. Scratch-resistant, waterproof, noise-resistant and heated options are available in a variety of attractive, easy-to-install styles. For these reasons, laminate flooring has become a popular choice in many homes.

Laminate comes in planks, tiles or squares that feature an interlocking tongue-and-groove assembly. This simplifies installation.

Grain styles of laminate wood flooring mimic the look of pine, maple, cherry, oak and other hardwoods.

Other styles of laminate replicate the look of stone, marble, limestone, slate and travertine.

Durable laminate flooring options hold up well. They're ideal for wet bathroom floors, kitchen spills and wear and tear from pets.

Types of Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is extremely durable and cost-effective. It’s made from plastic, usually consisting of acrylic, PVC and similar polymers. It's a budget-friendly option for homeowners who want luxurious style and commercial grade durability. Vinyl flooring is available in planks, sheets or tiles. Since it is scratch- and stain-resistant and waterproof, vinyl flooring is both functional and stylish.

Vinyl flooring requires a higher upfront investment, but ideal for heavy traffic areas like kitchens and hallways. It's also easy to install.

All types of vinyl flooring are available in many different color options.

Vinyl can be installed in rolls or in a variety of different shapes, sizes and install methods. These install methods include adhesive, peel-and-stick and click-lock. Vinyl can also be installed directly over most existing floors.

Vinyl finishes include no-wax, urethane or enhanced urethane. Each offers stain-resistance and a nice shine that does not require polishing or buffing.

When shopping for your vinyl flooring, keep the wear layer in mind. This is the top surface of your flooring, usually made of a clear, polyurethane coat. The wear

layer makes the flooring waterproof, scratch- and/or stain-resistant. Thickness ranges between 4 to 40 millimeters, with a thicker wear layer making more sense for homes with pets, kids and high traffic.

Luxury vinyl plank flooring is made to look like hardwood, and vinyl tile flooring is made to look like high-end stones such as marble.