You moved into a new apartment, but found only bare walls and floors. Now you are wondering what to do first: put the floor, write a detailed plan or design project. Of course, to begin with, it is better to paint the walls or stick wallpaper, and then proceed to finish the floor. After all, the floor is an important part of every house, apartment or office space. Now there are many alternatives to conventional laminate or linoleum.

Which flooring to choose depends on the installation method, durability and aesthetic appearance. The floor is the first thing that sets the style of the room and creates special comfort and coziness.

Types of floor coverings:

• laminate (which can imitate parquet);
• linoleum (as the cheapest option);
• stone floor;
• self-leveling floor (one of the most modern options);
• massive boards for the floor;
• artistic parquet.

Properties and characteristics of floor covering:

Laminate

Laminate floor covering resembles parquet in appearance, but is made from a completely different material. This is an artificial coating, which consists of a plate on which a protective film layer and a polymer layer are applied. The polymer layer is responsible for the nature of the pattern, and the protective film can imitate marble or wood. The advantages of this floor covering include strength, hardness, incombustibility, and fairly easy cleaning with modern detergents. If you have children or pets, you should choose laminate flooring.

Linoleum

Linoleum is often used to cover the floor in private homes and is suitable for any room in the apartment. It consists of three layers: a durable top, fiberglass, which prevents deformation and a decorative layer with different prints or images. The protective layer guarantees a smooth surface and sound isolation. The advantages of linoleum are water resistance, easy cleaning, ease of installation, low cost and durability. It can serve you for about 50 years. But there are also significant disadvantages: high sensitivity to temperature changes, is not very environmentally friendly and has low quality of the covering.

A stone floor

A stone floor is essential for those people who decide to design a house in a retro style. It will combine good also  with high-tech style. This flooring is characterized by a high thermal conductivity of the material, so in the hot climate  it will be an ideal option. It can be made from both artificial stone and natural samples. It is suitable material  for the kitchen, hallway and bathroom, because this material is durable and easy to clean. This flooring is the most expensive, because not everyone can afford to install marble or granite slabs. Moreover, the floors are quite cold, so it is necessary to carry out a floor heating system for such a floor covering.

Self-leveling the floor

Self-leveling floor can be done even without leveling the surface, because it can hide all minor defects. It is made of polymeric artificial materials, which have a variety of colors and patterns. The floor looks multi-colored and original, so it is suitable for any designer option of apartment decor. It is quite durable, able to withstand high temperatures and exposure to chemicals, moisture resistant. The disadvantages include a big amount of work on its installation.

Massive floor boards

Massive floor boards are made of grooved materials - natural wood. Often used to decorate classic interiors. Also suitable for apartments in retro, colonial or baroque style. The fireplace will look more cozy in the rooms with similar floor covering. The emphasis of such covering  is that it is made from natural and environment friendly materials. The floor is textured and pleasant to the touch. It is characterized by durability, because a special drying of wood is used in the manufacture. In stores, you can find such boards covered with oil or varnish, or without any covering at all.

Artistically designed  parquet

Artistically designed parquet is very pleasant to the touch and has the splendor of a variety of prints and colors. For a long time, this type of floor covering was used in many palaces. There are several types of parquet: mosaic, panel and artificial. It combines well with the self-leveling floor in various modifications and with massive boards. There are types of such floor covering with rectilinear geometry, which is made from artificial materials by mechanical means; with a curvilinear geometric print, which is made from solid blocks of artificial parquet and assembled into a single pattern directly on the floor itself; and floors with geometric patterns with mechanical or laser cutting technology. The advantages include durability, reliability and environmental friendliness. But there are also negative points. This type of covering is expensive and dries quickly.

Independently which kind of floor covering you choose the most important is that it satisfies your esthetic desires and provides you expected comfort. And it's totally normal if during some years you try different kinds of coverings and discover by yourself their strong and weak points.