When shopping, look closely at the thickness of the wear layer. A deeper wear layer allows sanding and refinishing in the future, extending the life of your floor. Also keep indoor humidity between roughly 35 and 55 percent with a humidifier in winter.
Houses across Canada go through significant seasonal swings from season to season. In the cold months, furnaces pull moisture from the air; in the warm months, humidity climb sharply. For natural wood, these changes may cause cracks, warping and movement.
What about wood in a kitchen or bathroom? Newer water-resistant laminates can work well for kitchens, as long as moisture is dealt with right away. Wood can also be used in a kitchen if you are careful, however in full bathrooms, vinyl or tile stay the better options.
Last but not least, be sure to see samples in the actual room. Colours often look quite different at home. If you are looking for expert advice and a large selection of floors for every room, check out this Canadian flooring store to find the floor that fits your home.
Winter in Canada are magical, but winter is hard on flooring. Slush, road salt, gravel and dry heated air can wear out your flooring over time. With a few simple habits, you can protect your flooring beautiful until spring.
That is where engineered hardwood makes a difference. Rather than being made from one solid board, via engineered flooring is made of cross-layered plies: a genuine wood veneer glued over a plywood or HDF core. This layered structure limits the natural movement of wood.
The outcome is a floor with the look identical to traditional wood while performs better in Canadian conditions. Since it is more stable, engineered wood can often be installed in places in which solid wood is a risk, such as below-grade rooms and on concrete.
Vinyl plank and vinyl tile have quickly become a favourite in wet areas. Water-resistant cores ensure that splashes won't damage the planks when wiped up quickly. Vinyl stays warmer under bare feet than tile, something a big bonus on cold Canadian mornings.
The first line of defence is the entrance. Place a rough outdoor mat plus a washable absorbent rug indoors the main entrances. This combination stops most of the snow and grit before it gets to your floors. Add a waterproof tray to make sure snowy boots never sit directly on the floor.
One of its main jobs is noise control. Floors that are not glued down may sound noisy if installed directly on the subfloor. A quality underlayment dampens impact sound, which is especially important in multi-storey homes in which strata rules frequently require specific acoustic ratings.
Humidity also matters and is very important. During the heating season, indoor air gets very dry, which causes wood floors to contract and small gaps to form. A whole-house humidifier that keeps indoor humidity around 35 to 50 percent benefits your floors and your health.
Whatever material you choose, don't overlook the details: caulking around the tub and toilet, clean transitions between rooms and solid subfloor preparation. Those small details make all the difference in how long your floor lasts.
The kitchen and the bathroom are the most demanding spaces in the house. They deal with spills, humidity, heavy foot traffic and frequent mopping. The flooring you choose for these rooms needs to be waterproof, tough and simple to maintain and still deliver good looks.
When people shop for flooring, they tend to focus on colour, the style and the price per square foot. But what you put under the boards is just as important. A good underlayment can make a big difference in how the floor feels, sound and moisture protection, and can help your flooring stay beautiful for years.
Tile stay a proven solution. Tile is nearly impervious to water, scratch-resistant and offered in endless patterns, from wood-effect tiles and marble and stone looks. Select tiles with good slip resistance in bathrooms, and consider in-floor heating for winter comfort.
The first thing to do is to think about how each room is used. A busy entryway calls for something tough and easy to clean, whereas a bedroom can focus more on comfort and warmth. Kitchens work best with moisture-resistant materials like LVP or tile.
Continuity matters too. A patchwork of different floors throughout the house can make a space look disjointed. Running the same floor in open-concept spaces creates a clean, open feel that feels more modern.
Road salt often leaves a white film which may dull the finish of your floor. Remove salt marks as soon as possible with a soft mop together with a floor-specific cleaner. Stay away from steam mops on wood-based floors.
Selecting new flooring is one of the biggest decisions you can make during a home renovation. Across Canada, the decision is especially critical because our homes need to withstand freezing winters, humid summers, slush and salt tracked in at the door.
Underlayment can also smooths out small irregularities in the base and adds a bit of cushioning and warmth. Remember, though, that cannot replace a flat subfloor: big height differences must be levelled first.(Image: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/m4ILLp74qRY/hq720.jpg)
