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- Best Flooring for Cold Climates
- Best Flooring Choices for Dry Climates
- Best Flooring for Humid Climates
At 50 Floor, we offer flooring services to various parts of the United States that represent different weather conditions and temperatures. Whether your house is on a plot of land at the hot, humid beach or the cold, breezy mountains, explore the best flooring type for each climate.
Best Flooring for Cold Climates
If you live in a climate that features freezing temperatures, snow and ice, you need flooring that’s comfortable for your feet and resistant to moisture from melted snow. You may also need to consider how well the material can accommodate a radiant heating system if you’d like to have that upgrade under your floors. The following types are the best for colder regions of the country.
1. Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl flooring is excellent for cold areas because it’s not vulnerable to expanding or contracting in extreme temperature changes. Compared to hardwood or tile, it warms up rather quickly, providing a comfortable place for your cold feet to walk. Luxury vinyl flooring feels the best against your feet because of its embossed surface.
If you want to invest in radiant heating under your floors, vinyl plank flooring is also more durable than engineered hardwood. You can also apply a layer or insulated cork or foam under the vinyl to increase its ability to keep warm.
2. Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is an excellent choice for flooring in cold climates, especially if you want a product that looks like natural wood. It also has similar insulation properties to vinyl flooring, so you can have a comfortable place for your feet to walk without being too cold. Applying an insulating layer of foam or cork underneath your floors will help them stay even warmer.
3. Carpeting
Installing carpet on your floors is one of the best options for your home in a cold climate. The warm fibers insulate against heat loss, keeping your feet warm and cozy. Carpeting works well in high-traffic areas like living rooms, bedrooms and family rooms. Choose a deep-pile carpet with thick fibers that act like a warm blanket around your feet as you walk on it.
4. Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Engineered hardwood is an acceptable flooring material for your home in a cold climate. If you choose to install a radiant heating system, this material can withstand the heat better than solid hardwood. Keep in mind that engineered hardwood has a humidity and temperature limit, so you should consult the manufacturer’s instructions to get the most out of your radiant heating and flooring components.
Solid hardwood can shrink in cold temperatures, but engineered hardwood maintains its shape. Engineered hardwood is a high-quality insulator, especially in new, well-insulated homes.
5. Tile Flooring
Even though tile floors tend to stay cold in winter temperatures, it works very well if you want to install radiant heating underneath. The same properties that make tiles cold in the winter can also help you keep your home warm with a heating system.
Besides its insulation qualities, tile is also easy to clean when you track mud into the house with your boots. It also doesn’t retain moisture like carpet does, so you can conveniently mop up the melted snow that makes its way into your living space.
Best Flooring Choices for Dry Climates
Dry air can damage certain flooring types, so you need to look for a material that can withstand warping and discoloration in the dry heat. Explore the qualities of these materials to discover the best flooring for a desert climate.
1. Hardwood Flooring
You can invest in a variety of durable hardwood flooring types for your home in a dry climate. Acclimate the wood to the environment before installation so that it won’t warp, cup or shrink. Try to monitor the room’s relative humidity so your hardwood doesn’t get too hot or dry. You should also close the curtains to prevent the strong sunlight from discoloring your panels on very sunny days.
2. Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Even though solid hardwood is a good flooring material for dry regions with the right climate control method, engineered hardwood flooring can withstand dryness in the air much better. Engineered hardwood flooring features several layers in each board to add more stability, preventing warping and cracking in extreme temperatures.
3. Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Luxury vinyl flooring is a durable material that can accommodate any climate, especially one with dry air. Like engineered hardwood, this material features multiple layers to enhance its insulation and durability. You can get the most out of this material for your flooring if you seal the seams between the panels, especially if your foundation is a concrete slab. Vinyl can fade in extreme sunlight, so you should close the curtains when the sunlight is strong.
4. Tile Flooring
Most tile materials have excellent natural insulation properties, so tile is a suitable material in any climate. Tiled floors are ideal for hot, dry climates because they can stay cold for a long time. To accommodate humidity changes in the air, especially with ceramic pieces, ensure the flooring professional installs expansion joints between each tile.
Best Flooring forHot & Humid Climates
If you live in a coastal climate, you need to consider how the heat and the humidity will affect your flooring. Explore the following materials to determine which one can withstand the high temperatures and moisture surrounding your home. The following flooring materials are the best for hot humid climates.
1. Tile Flooring
Tile is one of the best flooring choices for hot and humid climates. Since it’s hard and durable, it won’t expand and contract like other materials. The cold, polished materials feel comfortable against your bare feet as you walk along the floor. When installed properly, it absorbs very little moisture, so it won’t warp in your home’s climate. Porcelain tiles can withstand humidity levels much better than ceramic.
2. Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Luxury vinyl flooring can resist heat and humidity in the air because of its various layers. If you want an aesthetically pleasing plank material for your coastal rental property, you can design vinyl flooring to look like solid hardwood. It doesn’t absorb water as quickly as hardwood or laminate. You could put it in the house’s rooms with excess moisture, such as the bathroom, kitchen or laundry area.
3. Wood Flooring
Even though solid hardwood generally warps and shifts in excess humidity, certain wood species can withstand moisture better than others. American Beech, Hickory and Western Australian Mahogany are some of the best wood flooring for a humid climate because they are structurally stable and can resist the pressures of moisture. You can also invest in engineered hardwood that’s easy to maintain and durable, even after coming into contact with water.
Schedule an Appointment With 50 Floor
If you need help finding the right flooring for your specific climate, contact our professionals at 50 Floor. We bring floor samples to your home during our scheduled appointment so you can feel them for yourself and see how they accommodate your comfort needs. For more information about our products and services, you can call us at 1-800-50-FLOOR.