Choosing Floors

The floor is like a pair of shoes, it signifies class and personality. The type of floor you choose could significantly enhance the look of your home while adding great value.

Gone are the days when almost every other floor was cemented and was either green or red, with the higher class society having wooden floors or carpets.

Today, there is a lot more choice of floors without necessarily digging in too deep in the pocket. Some of the more popular floorings are;

Ceramic tiles

Ceramic tiles have grown in popularity in Kenya in the past few years. In fact, almost every other house has ceramic tiles as flooring. Tiles offer both class and beauty. They are easy to clean and have a wide variety of colors and designs. Tiles can be used both indoors and outdoors as they are waterproof and weather proof. They also vary in texture with the unglazed finish as the best alternative for outdoors. Anti-slip textures can be used in kitchens, bathrooms and stairs.

The drawback in ceramic tiles is that they can get really cold especially in the colder seasons, the gout lines could also be hard and difficult to clean.

Bamboo flooring

Bamboo is also quite popular in the Kenyan market. It is eco-friendly, easily available and easily replaceable. Bamboo closely resembles the more traditional hardwood flooring and is stylish and classy. Unlike the ceramic tiles, bamboo is much warmer to the feet and provides natural beauty. However, over a period of time, bamboo floors can become discolored or bleached out especially if exposed to sunlight. Being light wood, it can also be easily susceptible to scratches and greater care should be taken when dealing with heavy furniture and sharp objects- including heels and pet claws. The good thing is that the surface of the bamboo can be refinished by sanding it down and reapplying the finishing coats to give it a fresh look. Bamboo is a natural material, and can therefore be damaged by excessive moisture or humidity hence might not be suitable for kitchens, bathrooms or outdoors.

Hardwood flooring

This is one of the most expensive flooring available in the Kenyan market as the prices of wood are at an all time high. Hardwood flooring comes in maple, pecan, beech, cherry, oak, pine, birch, walnut, hickory and many more. Hardwood offers natural beauty, durability and style that you might not find in any other flooring. They are a longer lasting product with a wear resistant surface that can be refinished if need be. They are also easier to clean and maintain and are warm. Certain types of hardwood may darken with age and others could shrink and/or expand leaving gaps on the floor surface. Like the bamboo flooring, hardwood floors are also limited in color and design.

Carpets

Carpets will always have their place in the home. The greatest advantage with carpets is that they can be used with all other floorings, and since they are not permanent, they can be removed at will. A carpet can come in handy with the ceramic tiles as they can bring warmth in the colder seasons. They can also be used to cover unsightly scratches and damages in other floorings while waiting repair or replacement. Carpets can be picked to match up furniture or curtains or be used as an accessory by itself. There are different qualities on the market that vary in origin and in price. Local carpets are cheaper and easily available in leading supermarkets. Persian carpets are of a higher quality and much more expensive, usually available in selected stores and malls. On the other hand, carpets are vulnerable to stains and dirt and are not very easy to clean. They can cause allergic reactions as they easily capture dust and may not be ideal with such as asthmatic persons unless cleaned very, very regularly.

Please check out our full site at www.fundimjanja.com for more ideas and insights.