If you spend a lot of time on your feet, then a flooring change might be in order. Have you considered soft flooring? It’s much more comfortable under foot and often costs a great deal less than traditional hardwood flooring. Given the variety of soft flooring materials to choose from, we’ve put together a guide to help you select the best floor for your needs and budget. The professionals at Ozburn-Hessey are here to help with all of your flooring needs.
How to Choose Carpet
Residential Carpeting: Popular for a Reason
The most common option in soft flooring is probably the first one that comes to your mind: residential carpeting. The flexibility of residential carpeting gives it sticking power. Need something particularly soft for your bedroom? Carpeting has you covered. Need something affordable and relatively comfortable for your home office? There is a carpet for that as well. Even low end carpets are softer than walking around on wood or concrete – and they start at only $4 per square foot.
Nevertheless, residential carpeting doesn’t handle moisture or spills that well. If you think either of these things will be a primary concern in your space, then carpeting might not be the right choice. However, residential carpeting can be a godsend during the spring and summer seasons in Nashville since it acts as a natural deterrent against allergens.
Vinyl Flooring: Your Budget’s Best Friend
Vinyl flooring is another affordable soft flooring option. It is one of the most resilient materials out there and handles dirt and water without sacrificing style. With vinyl flooring, maintenance is also a breeze since it doesn’t require much more than a regular sweep and occasional mopping. Luxury-styled vinyl planks are almost indistinguishable from the real thing, a bargain between $3-7 per square foot. If you’re looking for a soft flooring option that doesn’t require constant attention or put you over budget, there’s no better choice than vinyl flooring.
Cork Flooring: The No. 1 Green Option
If you’re concerned about the effects of your new flooring on the environment, cork flooring is the best option around. Harvested directly from the core of the cork tree, cork flooring leaves the tree healthy and significantly lowers the carbon footprint of the whole flooring process. As a floor, cork is similar in appearance to vinyl and can be styled to look like traditional hardwood flooring.
Unfortunately, cork flooring does have a tendency to dent and nick, and is often too soft for use in rooms that see heavy foot traffic or furniture movement. Nevertheless, it is one of the cheaper options, running about the same price as luxury vinyl planks.
If you’re looking for a flooring option that will be easy on your wallet and your feet, consider some of the soft flooring options above. With the diversity of soft flooring materials on offer, there is something to meet everyone’s needs and budget. And if you’re having trouble finding the right flooring on your own, the professionals at Ozburn-Hessey are happy to work with you until you do. Contact us today!
