How to choose a floor.
Five floor types, no sales pitch. What each one is actually good at, what it can't survive, and how to read the specs that decide whether it lasts five years or twenty-five.
Start with three questions
Most people start with a look they like and work backwards. That's how the wrong floor ends up in the wrong room. Answer these three first, and the choice narrows itself.
The five floors, side by side
The honest version. Every floor on this table is the right answer somewhere — and the wrong one somewhere else.
| Vinyl plank | Hardwood | Laminate | Carpet | Tile | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterproof | Yes | No | No (some water-resistant) | No | Yes |
| Scratch resistance | Good at 20 mil | Weakest | Excellent | N/A — it mats instead | Excellent |
| Dent resistance | Moderate | Species-dependent | Very good | Crushes under furniture | Best |
| Comfort & warmth | Good with attached pad | Warm, solid | Harder, hollower | Best by far | Cold and hard (unless heated) |
| Sound | Quiet | Moderate | Loudest hard floor | Absorbs sound | Reflects sound |
| Repairable | Swap planks | Sand & refinish | Swap planks | Rarely — replace the room | Possible, but messy |
| Realistic lifespan | 15–20 yrs at 20 mil | 50–100 yrs, refinished | 15–25 yrs at AC4 | 5–15 yrs — spec-dependent | Decades |
| Resale appeal | Neutral to positive | Strongest | Neutral | Weakest on main floors | Strong in wet rooms |
| Install complexity | Low | Moderate to high | Lowest | Moderate — seams matter | Highest — prep is the job |
| The spec that matters | Wear layer (mil) | Veneer thickness (mm) | AC rating | Density, twist & underpad | PEI & DCOF |
The guides
Each one goes deep: construction, specs, installation, where it fails, and what to actually ask for.
If you only remember one thing per room
There's no single best floor for a house. There's a best floor for each room, and most homes we quote end up with two or three types.
| Room | What we'd put in it |
|---|---|
| Living / dining | Hardwood if the budget allows and the subfloor suits it. Otherwise LVP or a good AC4 laminate — both look the part and neither will embarrass you. |
| Kitchen | LVP or porcelain. The dishwasher will leak one day. Plan for it now, not after. |
| Bathroom | Tile, with a DCOF of 0.42 or higher. LVP is a legitimate second choice. Nothing else belongs here. |
| Basement | LVP over a slab, every time. Carpet tile if you want it warm. Never solid hardwood. |
| Bedrooms | The one place soft carpet is genuinely the right answer — low traffic means you get the comfort without paying for it in matting. |
| Stairs | Dense nylon carpet on a firm pad, or matching hardwood treads. Never a soft plush — it flattens on the nosings within two winters. |
| Entry / mudroom | Porcelain, PEI 4. Ontario road salt and slush destroy everything softer. |
| Office / commercial | Glue-down LVP, carpet tile, or PEI 5 porcelain, depending on the traffic and the look you're after. |
Where the money actually goes
People compare floors by the price per square foot of the material. That's rarely where the difference lands.
Or just ask us
Tell us the rooms, the traffic and what's under the floor now. We'll tell you honestly what belongs where — including when the cheaper option is the right one — and quote supply-and-install across Ontario.
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