Many homeowners do not give the flooring in their home the attention it deserves. If you think about it, the floor is the one part of the house that you are in constant contact with, everywhere you go – apart from when you’re sleeping of course!

Things to consider when updating your flooring during a home renovation project include:

Where to start

Assess the obvious problems first. Here are some common flooring defects and signs of defects to look for when inspecting a house:

• Squeaky floorboards
• Uneven flooring
• Cupping or warping
• Damaged floors near exterior doors
• Bowing at the centre
• Sloping
• Loose tiles or lino

Improving the flooring across your home

When it comes to home improvements, flooring upgrades are one of the most lucrative things you can do to add value and there’s a whole world of options to choose from!

Image courtesy of Money Matters, the Sainsbury’s Bank blog.

Living room

The living room is one of the most frequently used areas of your home as well as the focal point for many day-to-day activities. That makes creating a cosy, comfortable atmosphere hugely important. Consider deep cleaning carpets, sand-down original floorboards, or install engineered wood laminate.

Bedroom

Finding the best bedroom flooring material requires you to evaluate your options based on a variety of criteria. Some of these may be obvious – such as the feel of the floor, or how it looks. It’s also good to consider the issues of maintenance and lifecycle.

Kitchen

Flooring is a key element in any kitchen, so which type should you choose? Consider your options – you wouldn’t want to opt for a floor that’s easily damaged by water, or stains easily, so it’s advisable to go with durable options that’ll keep up with daily use and be easy to clean.

Bathroom

Think about replacing lino or carpets with tiles; these now come in all types of colours, even wood effect. You could also opt for underfloor heating.

Image courtesy of Money Matters, the Sainsbury’s Bank blog.

Attic conversions

Hire a professional builder to assess whether the roof construction is strong enough to accommodate an additional floor – supporting beams may need to be added. If there is enough headroom to stand, the roof might need to be raised or the attic floor lowered.

This blog post was written by Money Matters, the Sainsbury’s Bank blog. For more handy tips, take a look at this guide to improving your home from Sainsbury’s Bank.