![]() Among solid hardwoods, domestic species like white oak, red oak, walnut, and maple are growing in popularity, says Brett Miller, a spokesperson for the National Wood Flooring Association. Sustainable flooring options include linoleum, bamboo, hempwood, cork, and even cement tiles made with carbon recovered from factory emissions. High-end vinyl planks can imitate tropical woods like koa, mango, and teak, or wide, hand-hewn hardwood boards. For example, today’s porcelain tile can closely mimic the look and texture of wood, though it’s far more durable. Laminate floors, which can mimic the look and properties of many materials, can work almost anywhere-as long as you like the look.Īdvances in flooring materials have broadened options at a range of prices. Solid hardwood and engineered wood floors add warmth and "give" to hangout and lounging areas, such as bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and dens. ![]() Porcelain tile suits rooms where things get busy, wet, and messy, like entries, mudrooms, playrooms, and baths. This gives us insight into what can happen to a section of flooring that gets more sunlight than the rest of a room over time.When choosing new flooring for your home, remember that each type-from hardwood to vinyl-has its place. ![]() We also evaluate the potential for fading by exposing part of a sample of flooring to UV rays for two weeks straight, then comparing the exposed portion with an unexposed portion. The more a product swells, deforms, softens, or delaminates, the lower its water-resistance score. ![]() Then, we take another sample of the same flooring and completely submerge it in a bucket of water, again letting it remain overnight. First, we spill water on a flooring sample’s surface and allow it to sit overnight. The higher the drop before damage becomes evident, the better a floor’s dent-resistance rating.Ī floor’s water resistance is key, and manufacturers are continually trying to improve their products’ impermeability. Our testers drop the weights from progressively higher points, examining the flooring for visible denting after each drop. To test a floor’s resistance to denting, we drop a heavy, blunt weight that has the same impact as a large can of tomatoes, plus objects that are smaller, lighter, and pointier that serve as proxies for kitchen utensils. We test wear resistance by subjecting a 6圆-inch sample of each flooring material to an abrasion machine fitted with a fine sandpaper disc, periodically assessing each sample for signs of visible wear. For more flooring options, check out our full flooring ratings, and give our flooring buying guide a read before you hit the stores. You can also learn more about how we test flooring and in what instances you should hire a professional. Scroll further to read the ratings and reviews of the best flooring in prefinished solid wood, engineered wood, laminate, vinyl, and porcelain tile, based on our lab tests of more than 50 products. Keep in mind that the darkest floors, in particular, could fade more noticeably given routine sun exposure. We test only one color of each product siblings in different colors should perform similarly to the tested product for resistance to foot traffic, scratches, stains, and dents. “Luckily, these are now available in many styles, including some that simulate hardwood.” “Choices like tile or vinyl would be better” for a kitchen, Ciufo says. In a kitchen, for instance, think twice about a hardwood floor that may stain, nick, scratch, or dent from falling food or utensils, or may even warp or crack from large water spills. You’ll get the best flooring for a given area if you pick a material based on the activities that will happen there, says Larry Ciufo, the test engineer who evaluates flooring for Consumer Reports.
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