All flooring options undergo wear and tear over time. However, if your home has pets, several family members including kids, or large and frequent gatherings of guests, you need long-lasting flooring options designed to withstand heavy foot traffic.
Even when you prefer to rearrange your heavy furniture frequently, which involves pushing and pulling it over the floor, having durable flooring is essential. Not sure what your ideal choice would be?
We bring you seven of the most durable flooring materials that can stand up to heavy use and serve you both functionally and aesthetically.
Natural Stone
Natural stone flooring is extremely durable and strong. With its unique aesthetics, it can offer a timeless appeal to your space attracting heavy foot traffic. When properly maintained, natural stone flooring can serve you for decades.
From marble and granite to slate and travertine, there are different types of natural flooring materials, each having a distinct character. While marble is known for its smooth finish and luxurious veining, granite offers unmatched resistance to heat and scratches. However, some stones like marble can look worn sooner than expected when subject to heavy traffic.
Professional installation is necessary for natural stone flooring. Proper sealing and regular cleaning using pH-neutral solutions are equally crucial to preserve the stone’s beauty.
Solid Hardwood
If you want your flooring to have a warm tone and beautiful texture, investing in solid hardwood will be good. You can get solid hardwood flooring options in an array of types, finishes, and grades. You can sand and refinish solid hardwood floors several times during their lifespan.
When maintained with adequate care, solid hardwood floors can last long and withstand heavy foot traffic for three to five decades and sometimes, even more. However, such floors are susceptible to scratches, dents, water damage, and stains.
This makes it essential to wipe up spills immediately, keep the surface away from excessive moisture accumulation, and invest in regular maintenance. It’s equally vital to hire experts for the installation to get a perfect fit and proper acclimation for each plank.
Laminate
Laminate flooring has a synthetic layer that looks similar to hardwood or tile. But unlike hardwood or tile, it’s scratch- and stain-resistant. It’s ideal for heavy foot traffic and is a cost-effective alternative to traditional hardwood or tile flooring.
The durability of laminate flooring is indicated by its AC (Abrasion Class) rating. Such flooring is available in five ratings, from AC1 (least durable) to AC5 (most durable). Homes with heavy foot traffic should target a rating of AC4 or AC5.
Since laminate isn’t as resistant to moisture as most other flooring materials, it’s unsuitable for areas prone to high humidity, water spills, or moisture accumulation unless you choose a waterproof variety. If its top layer is worn or damaged, you will need to replace the entire flooring. On average, laminate flooring can serve you for almost 10 to 15 years.
Engineered Wood
If you find solid hardwood flooring pretty expensive, you can choose engineered wood flooring. Such flooring is ideal for heavy foot traffic areas and imparts a touch of sophistication to your space.
Though such flooring can last for about 2.5 decades, you can extend its lifespan with proper care and maintenance. Despite its ability to withstand heavy foot traffic, engineered wood flooring isn’t suitable if you have pets that scrawl and scratch or you move around your modular furniture frequently.
Since such flooring can’t be redone or sanded and lasts as long as its top layer, which is prone to scrapes, dents, and usual wear and tear, consider your requirements carefully before moving ahead with it.
Porcelain Or Ceramic Tile
Porcelain tiles or ceramic tiles are resistant to dents, scratches, stains, discoloration from sunlight, and flooding. Since they are moisture-resistant and waterproof too, they are ideal for your bathrooms, kitchens, and basements.
There’s a downside though. During cold or in AC rooms, tiles can be uncomfortable to place your foot on unless you use rugs or mats. Poorly installed tiles can crack. Even dropping heavy objects on the floor can damage tiled surfaces.
Since poor installation as well as poor grouting or underlayment can ultimately cause cracks in tiles, it’s best to get them installed by professionals. Tile flooring can serve you for about 2 to 2.5 decades.
LVT Or Luxury Vinyl Tile
If you are looking for a versatile and durable flooring option that can withstand heavy foot traffic and imitate the look of natural materials like stone or hardwood, LVT or Luxury Vinyl Tile is worth considering.
Such flooring is easy to clean, waterproof, won’t stain or dent easily, and is capable of withstanding exposure to moisture. This makes LVT suitable for families with kids and pets, and in areas like bathrooms and kitchens.
LVT installation procedures typically involve click-lock or glue-down methods and should be done by seasoned professionals for long-lasting durability. When done right, LVT can serve you for almost 15 to 20 years.
Concrete
Known for its strength, low maintenance, durability, customisable aesthetics, and versatility, concrete flooring is extremely suitable for areas with heavy foot traffic. You can get them in a wide variety of finishes.
While coloured concrete can create vibrant and attractive designs, stamped concrete can imitate the appearance of tile or natural stone. If you need a sleek, contemporary finish, you can opt for polished concrete. Concrete flooring can serve you for five to seven decades or even more.
Installing concrete flooring is complex. Such flooring is cold and hard underfoot, which can be uncomfortable. Yet, it’s built to handle heavy foot traffic and blends safety, longevity, and aesthetics, which are the key reasons behind its popularity.
Final Words
Now that you know about the top seven flooring options for heavy foot traffic, you can take your pick. If you need help with the selection based on your budget, environment, and design vision, you can get in touch with our experts at Wow Décor today!
