Flooring of the Future: Linoleum
There are a lot of things in our everyday lives that make it seem like we’re living in the future. Smart devices, interconnected networks, and virtual assistants – all things straight from science fiction. This extends to your floors as well, although the material I am talking about might cause you to think in the opposite direction. Linoleum flooring is something that gets a pretty bad rap, thanks to some patently untrue notions remaining from a bygone era. It has a lot to offer, though, and while it might not displace hardwood flooring or commercial carpeting as the main choices for your home or business, it definitely belongs in your home in the future. It is especially a good idea for life in Nashville and the Middle Tennessee area, since it can handle all of the strange quirks of life here.
Durable, Resilient, and Versatile
The main selling point of linoleum and its cousin, vinyl plank flooring, is their versatility. This is a flooring material that can pretty much do everything. It offers a very durable experience, so once you install it, the next time you’ll need a new flooring installation is when you want a change in scenery. It is cushion-y enough to place in the bedroom or other rooms that feature a lot of foot traffic. The material is made so that when something heavy, like your foot, hits the surface, it gives a little. This makes it much more comfortable than hardwoods.
When compared to carpeting, it holds up very favorably, since it is so much easier to maintain. Say goodbye to having to vacuum everyday just to make sure everything is clean – a quick sweep, and maybe the occasional mop, is all you will need to make it better. Additionally, linoleum flooring handles water much better than either hardwoods or carpeting because it is sealed, meaning the water has to work that much harder to make its way down into the core.
Cost Effective
One of the other major selling points of linoleum is the cost. For your average linoleum, you are looking at somewhere between $2 and $5 per square foot, including the installation. Hardwood installation, even if you do it yourself, is about five times more expensive, and can run more than that. If you have it professionally installed, something we here at Ozburn-Hessey recommend, it will cost as much as $21 per square foot. Carpeting, similarly, runs very expensive, varying wildly in cost from as little as $6 per square foot to more than $100, but that reflects more on the carpeting being used.
When taken as a whole, it becomes clear that linoleum is the flooring material of the future, thanks to its durability, its versatility, the way the color stays for the duration of the material’s life, and more. Visually, it can be very difficult to tell from actual hardwoods, and it holds up better to water and general life than carpet. It is also cheaper than either, and easier to install for the professionals here at Ozburn-Hessey. When laid out like that, there really is no better choice moving forward.