If you’ve got kids, any renovations that you’re doing to your home need to consider them. As a parent, you’ve got to account for a whole lot more than just appearance or price—you also have to think about safety, durability, and general comfort.
So how do those considerations fit in with your choice of flooring? Like all aspects of interior design, flooring can drastically improve the kid-friendliness of your home, and choosing the best flooring for kids can make your life a lot easier. Here are some of the best flooring options for your kids.
Carpet is ideal for tumbles
Carpet is a classic choice for family homes, and it’s easy to see why. It’s soft to walk and crawl on, and affordable compared to other flooring options. If your kids take a tumble on carpet, there’ll be far fewer cuts and bruises than falling on tiles! But that’s not the only advantage—carpets are also durable, and if you choose a good quality carpet, you can enjoy a high standard of stain resistance. To get the best stain resistance for a carpet, you’ll need to select a quality fibre like nylon, and with a shorter pile (although this makes it less soft).
Vinyl flooring is the best option for spills
Stain resistance is a priority for all parents, especially those with toddlers. This means the best flooring for kids will be a highly stain-resistant material, and for this, you need look no further than vinyl. Not only is vinyl highly stain resistant, but it is also water resistant. That means you can mop it easily, and you don’t need to worry as much about spills and mess. Then there’s appearance: vinyl comes in a range of designs that almost perfectly emulate natural finishes such as timber, for a fraction of the price. It’s also relatively easy to install, so the DIY enthusiasts among you can save a lot of money on the cost of installation.
Laminate flooring is cheap and kid-proof
When it comes to appearance, laminate flooring probably gives you the best range of options, without compromising on kid-friendliness. Flooring technology has improved to the point where many laminate flooring options are barely distinguishable from hardwood products, but are much cheaper. To top it off, they are designed and constructed to offer greater resistance to stains, scratches, and the sort of wear and tear you might expect in a household full of kids.
Bamboo flooring: get the timber look without the maintenance
Bamboo is another great alternative to expensive hardwood flooring. As a natural product, bamboo is the best option for those who want timber flooring but need a more appropriate option for kids. Bamboo is tough but has a beautiful grain and a versatile light tone. However the true advantage of bamboo lies in its cost; it’s much cheaper than hardwood flooring, despite being a type of timber itself.
Carpet tiles are an easy-to-replace flooring option
A lot of people are unsure of whether carpet is really the best flooring option for kids, after all, we’ve all seen how prone kids are to spills and muddy footprints. We maintain that good quality carpet is a durable and kid-friendly option, but there’s another choice too: carpet tiles. Carpet tiles have a shorter pile, which makes them more resistant to stains, and easier to clean. But their true advantage is installation—carpet tiles are perfect for DIY aficionados, and you can replace them individually. If one looks a little worse for wear, simply replace it and your floor will look new again!
