what is the most durable flooring material

The 7 Most Durable Flooring Options for Your Home

• #1: Vinyl Plank (aka Luxury Vinyl)
• #2: Porcelain Tile
• #3: Hardwood
• #4: Laminate
• #5: Carpet
• #6: Bamboo
• #7: Sheet Vinyl

Full Answer

Which types of floors are most durable?

Types Of Wire Brushed Flooring

1. Oak Flooring. Oak wood flooring, along with maple, lists as one of the most durable wood species for floors, with white and red varieties as the most popular.
2. Maple. Maple wood flooring is one of the hardest wood flooring types on the market, which is harder than oak, and can withstand the process of wire brushing easily.
3. Walnut. ...
4. Hickory. ...

What hardwood floors are most durable?

The Most Durable Hardwood Floor Woods Bamboo, depending on how its made can be in the 900 to 1300 range for typical bamboo boards but up to 3000 for a... Zebrawood, an African hardwood with a very distinctive grain - people either love it or hate it, and it rarely gets... Hard mapl e and sugar maple ...

What is the Best Flooring for a whole house?

What’s the resale value of tile, stone, or marble flooring?

• Ceramic tile. Since most of the cost of ceramic tile is spent on labor, its ROI is largely determined by who installs it, says Alex Biyevetskiy, a home remodeling expert ...
• Porcelain tile. Buyers who have done their research are particularly attracted to porcelain tile. ...
• Stone tile. ...
• Marble tile. ...

What is the hardest and most durable wood floor?

• Brazilian ebony is one of the hardest woods, measuring 3,700 on the Janka hardness scale
• Dark brown to black shades that darken with age
• Extremely durable and not susceptible to scratches and scrapes
• High density makes it more resistant to moisture damage than other wood flooring

What is the best flooring to replace hardwood?

What is vinyl plank flooring?

What is the best flooring for a bathroom?

How long does Anderson Tuftex last?

Is Earthwerks waterproof?

Can porcelain tile be scratched?

Is hardwood flooring good for living room?

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What is LVP plank?

Luxury Vinyl Planks (LVP). LVP is one of the most popular choices for many reasons, durability being one of them.

How long does tile last?

However, even shoddy grout can last 8 to 10 years, so with minimal effort your new tile floor can last decades.

What is the most durable floor?

One of the most durable floors comes in the form of stone . Natural stone has been used for flooring for centuries and many of the original floors are still around. While it may take eons for wear and tear to show any signs on a stone floor, that doesn’t mean they are impervious.

Why is it important to know how the floor will be used?

It is important to know how the floor will be used, what will be on the floor (pet claws, food and drink messes, etc.) so that you can purchase the right flooring for the space.

What is the best feature of tile?

The best feature of tile is the ease of acquiring the materials. Tile is readily available almost everywhere flooring is sold. There are literally thousands of sizes, styles, colors and designs to choose from and with a little planning you can create some intricate, detailed floor styles.

How much does tile cost?

The best part is that tiles are fairly cheap. In many cases you can find individual tiles for less than 50 cents and when you buy in bulk the price drops even further.

Which flooring is the most durable?

Natural Stone/Travertine. Natural stone floors are among the most durable and longest lasting. They have a few negative marks, but not in the durability category.

What is the rating of laminate flooring?

AC, or Abrasion Class, ratings tell you how durable a laminate floor will be. Ranging from AC1 (moderate) to AC5 (heavy), these numbers, usually found in the specs section of a product description, let you know how well the laminate will hold up against traffic.

What is the Janka scale?

The Janka scale for the hardness of wood effectively maxes when you get to around 3600. Some companies, though, do advertise an extremely high Janka hardness rating of around 5000 for their flooring.

How long has natural stone been around?

Natural stone is a durable flooring that has lasted for thousands of years in the mountains. This alone should be a vote of confidence for natural stone's ability to weather anything that comes its way.

Why is concrete flooring so popular?

Concrete floors are a trendy staple of restaurants and clubs, and the reason is durability. Concrete is the most durable floor you can have in your home.

Why is my tile cracking?

An improper sub-floor or voids remaining below tiles contribute to cracking. Poorly grouted tile, too, will introduce moisture below the tiles, swelling sub-floor systems and creating movement that cracks the tile.

How long has Lee been remodeling?

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 12 years.

What is the range of bamboo?

Traditional construction bamboo: 900–1300. This is in the domestic red oak (wood) range.

What Are Some of the Most Durable Plastic Floors?

Multiple types of plastic yield extreme durability in flooring, creating products made for both indoor and outdoor usage. Plastic appears in formats that offer firmness or flexibility, allowing customers to match the planned use case.

Does Rubber Work As One of the Most Durable Flooring Options?

Rubber is an outstanding choice in areas where clients are seeking to make use of the most durable flooring types. Rubber lasts for years without showing wear. When using vulcanized rubber, the flooring is especially durable by applying a hardening technique to the rubber.

What Determines Flooring Durability?

Many companies boast that their products are durable, but it’s a term that is unfortunately vague, forcing contractors to have to dig a little deeper. That’s why it’s essential to know the difference between good marketing language and genuinely high-quality products.

8 of the Most Durable Flooring Materials for Your Home

There are so many different flooring materials on the market, knowing which durability qualities to look for might not be enough. To help you get started, you should also know the specific flooring options that are known for their durability.

How to Shop for Durable Flooring Products

Are you searching for durable flooring options for your next home improvement project? Consider shopping with BuildDirect, where every product is hand-picked by industry experts. Plus, if you become a PRO Rewards member, you will get instant access to exclusive deals, a 5% credit, unlimited samples, on-site delivery, and more.

How much does laminate flooring cost?

Quality Counts – durable laminate flooring is a budget friendly option but please, please don’t go too cheap. Anything below $2 a square foot could be a seriously false economy. $3 to $5 per square foot should see you right. Stick to respected brands like Pergo or Mohawk, look for a product with the NALFA (North American Laminate Flooring Association) Certification Seal; or go with a company that will offer you a minimum 25 year guarantee against wear and tear.

What is the Janka rating for hardwood floors?

Here are three factors to consider. Wood hardness – All hardwood is rated on the Janka scale for hardness. Solid hardwood floors with a higher Janka rating like Brazilian redwood will be tougher than a soft wood like pine, which will dent and ding fairly easily. Stability – Solid hardwood is less stable than engineered hardwood in very humid ...

How many coats of bamboo finish should I use?

Scratch Resistance – Higher quality bamboo flooring with 7-8 coats of a tough aluminum oxide finish from trusted manufacturers will be very durable, but cheaper flooring made from younger bamboo with only three to four coats of finish can wear pretty quickly. Don’t skimp, decent bamboo will set you back $6-$8 per square foot, and stick with trusted manufacturers – Companies like Teragren and Cali Bamboo with a solid track record are your best bet.

How deep is a LVT?

A standard LVT product will have a wear layer of about 4mil, but a superior LVT will have on that is 12mil deep.

What is quality control in woodworking?

Quality Control – Look closely at the quality of the boards. Low quality milling or finishes are a bad sign. Wider planks require higher standards of manufacturing and therefore suggest a higher quality product.

What is the difference between ceramic and porcelain tile?

Unsealed terracotta tiles, for example, are very porous and will stain easily if oily liquids spill onto them. Ceramic tiles are more porous than porcelain tiles, so be sure to check what type of tile you’re going for and if it needs any extra sealant for maximum stain resistance.

How to tell if wood is scratched?

Finger nail test – With your finger nail, or another sharp object, scratch a sample. If you can easily scratch through to the surface of the wood, then that’s not a good sign.

What does laminate flooring look like?

Laminate flooring can resemble almost anything: stone, tile, even wood. That’s because it’s composed of a photograph sandwiched between a dense fiberboard base and a clear plastic protective top layer. The repetitive patterns of laminate boards, however, can betray their fakeness.

Is Pergo laminate flooring good?

This laminate flooring from Pergo is a CR Best Buy because of its Overall Score of Excellent and its competitive price per square foot. It performs extremely well against foot traffic, stains, and sunlight. And it earns Very Good ratings for its scratch and dent resistance.

Can porcelain tile stain?

A classic flooring material, tile tends to resist wear, moisture, scratches, dents, and stains. But installing porcelain tiles can be challenging, so for most applications it might be best to hire a professional. Dropped cups and dishes break more easily on tile, and grout can stain. Replacing cracked tiles also can be a challenge.

Is prefinished wood good for scratching?

The first prefinished solid-wood product shown below performs better than its peers in our tests; it earns an Excellent score for scratch resistance, a Very Good mark for dent resistance, and a Good rating for foot traffic. (While it’s marketed as solid wood, it’s actually made from long bamboo fibers that are glued and pressed together into floor planks.) The second product isn’t as resistant to dents, but in its manufacture it doesn’t use glue that can emit formaldehyde. (Glue is used in the first model.)

Can you refinish engineered wood?

A major benefit of real wood is that it can be refinished many times, de Paz says. You may be able to refinish some engineered-wood products, but just once.

Is porcelain tile good for dents?

These porcelain tile choices earn Excellent scores for colorfastness against sunlight and for resisting foot traffic, scratches, water spills, and flooding. For resisting dents and stains, both products earn Very Good scores. You can expect the other colors of these products to perform similarly.

Is vinyl flooring good?

These two vinyl flooring options are rated Excellent overall, and in fact perform the same in all our tests (rounding accounts for the tiny score difference). Their resistance to scratches, dents, and color change from sunlight, water spills, and flooding is outstanding. They resist foot traffic, stains, and slipping very well.

What is the difference between granite and limestone?

Granite: comes in tiles for flooring and slabs for countertops and is known for its attractive veining and durability over decades if sealed and maintained. Limestone: a soft and pretty tile typically used for countertops, it's too soft for busy kitchens but can be used for accents in low-traffic areas.

What is bamboo flooring made of?

There are three types of bamboo flooring: Strand woven: the most durable and expensive solid bamboo flooring, made of pulped bamboo that is pressed and formed into very dense blocks of material and formed into planks. Engineered bamboo: flooring planks topped by a layer of bamboo and a waterproof coating.

What is Margot Cavin?

The Spruce / Margot Cavin. Ceramic tile is made from natural clay that's then shaped, glazed, and fired under extreme heat. It's a hard and durable flooring material that's impervious to water and stains, making it an ideal kitchen flooring option. Ceramic tile is also resistant to heat and breakage.

What is the most durable and expensive bamboo flooring?

Strand woven: the most durable and expensive solid bamboo flooring, made of pulped bamboo that is pressed and formed into very dense blocks of material and formed into planks

How long does linoleum last?

If properly cared for, linoleum flooring can last for decades. Linoleum kitchen flooring is susceptible to damage if it's immersed in water as a result of a leak or flood. You'll also avoid the problem of curling edges if you opt for the highest quality linoleum flooring. 07 of 07.

What is the best tile for countertops?

Limestone: a soft and pretty tile typically used for countertops, it's too soft for busy kitchens but can be used for accents in low-traffic areas

What is ceramic tile?

Ceramic tile, a material made from natural clay that is shaped, glazed, and fired under heat, is an extremely durable flooring material that very hard and impervious to water and stains. Ceramic tile—including porcelain—is resistant to heat and breakage, and under normal conditions, it can last indefinitely with little change to its appearance or function over time. Ceramic tiles are also available in numerous colors, faux natural patterns, as well as sizes, shapes, and even mosaics, giving you a wealth of design options.

How much does laminate flooring cost?

Costs: The cost per sq.ft. can be $2.00 to $5.00 for the materials and between $2.50 and $4.50 per sq.ft. for warrantied installation.

How much does sandstone tile cost?

With the proper care, sandstone tile can last for decades and is another good option for an expensive rich flooring look that is solid. Costs per sq. ft. range from $5.00 to $18.00 dependent on the type you are choosing. General installation costs are about $7.00 per sq. ft.

What is vinyl flooring?

Vinyl is sold in rolls and tiles. Rolls are the most common. Vinyl is an easy DIY flooring project. Three types of vinyl are sheet vinyl, modified loose lay, felt-backed, and vinyl-backed. It is common and better to use a felt- backed sheet as this type has an added layer of felt for strength and comfort.

What is engineered wood flooring?

Engineered wood flooring is made up of several pieces of wood called wood piles and placed together with a heat process under pressure. It is made up of hardwood or plywood, and the veneer is hardwood. Engineered wood is a good choice for those seeking wood floors that are resistant to moisture.

What is the new trend in modern homes and offices today?

The new trend in modern homes and offices today is concrete flooring. Gone are the days of dull gray industrial looks with rough surfaces. The new concrete flooring options are sure to increase value for any modern home. The floors are great in hot weather as they remain cool to the touch.

How much does it cost to install a bathroom floor?

Costs can range from $10.00 to $25 per sq.ft. of materials. Professional installation will cost between $5.50 and $10.00 per square foot.

What is modified loose lay flooring?

Modified loose-lay flooring, which includes a fiberglass backing for increased strength and is typically installed using double-sided tape. Consider luxury vinyl tile, it’s a high-end vinyl flooring option. It can be an affordable alternative to costly flooring materials such as natural stone and wood.

What is the best flooring to replace hardwood?

Mannington. A budget-friendly alternative to hardwood, laminate flooring continues to be popular because of its durability. Made of a high-density fiberboard or plywood core, a plastic design layer, and a protective wear layer, laminate mimics the look of hardwood or stone while also offering stain, scratch and scuff-resistance.

What is vinyl plank flooring?

Vinyl plank is an ideal flooring for laundry rooms, basements, kitchens, playrooms, or even mudrooms— it can easily handle tracked-in water, mud, or snow.

What is the best flooring for a bathroom?

Sheet vinyl is one of the best flooring options for bathrooms and kitchens (where you’ve probably seen it a million times), but it’s also great for mud rooms, kitchens, and basements.

How long does Anderson Tuftex last?

Anderson-Tuftex. Although it’s susceptible to water damage and scratches, many wood flooring types can last for decades (or even centuries ). In addition to its longevity, solid hardwood can be re-sanded several times over throughout the course of its life—meaning minor scratches and scuffs won’t be there forever.

Is Earthwerks waterproof?

Composed of multiple synthetic layers, vinyl plank is both a waterproof flooring option (or water-resistent, depending on the product) and endlessly customizable.

Can porcelain tile be scratched?

Don’t let the word “por celain” fool you: this tile can handle just about anything. Porcelain’s density makes it resistant to scratching and scuffing. And because porcelain features through-body color—meaning the color on the surface carries all the way through the tile—any chips or scratches won’t be noticeable.

Is hardwood flooring good for living room?

Regardless, hardwood is an excellent type of flooring for many well-trafficked areas of the home, including bedrooms and dining rooms. And of course, it’s always a great living room floor option.