When was the last time you thought about your floor? Even when you’re vacuuming, you tend not to notice it all that much. It’s just kind of there. But your floors take up a tremendous amount of space in your home and have a larger impact on how it looks and feels than you might realize.

Engineered wood flooring, for instance, offers an excellent balance between aesthetics and durability. It’s a cost-effective alternative to hardwood flooring, providing a similar appearance while being more resistant to moisture and temperature fluctuations.

The Lifespan Of Your Floor One of the biggest reasons to replace your floor is because it has reached the end of its life. Everything in your house has a lifespan, which is the amount of time it typically lasts before needing to be replaced. The materials used and the quality of the item factor into this, as does the effort that you put into looking after it.

Your flooring can last anywhere from a few years up to a century before it needs replacing, depending on what it’s made from and how well you look after it. Wood flooring, for example, lasts the longest, especially when you regularly take care of it and keep it varnished. Typically, they will need maintenance every seven to ten years, or if they get damaged somehow.

However, hardwood flooring is costly and for some people, it isn’t a viable option. If you like the look of wooden floorboards, but not the price, you can always consider laminate flooring. You can get all kinds of designs with laminate. Some rooms also benefit from tiled flooring, vinyl, or carpets.

You Fancy a Change You aren’t tied to only replacing your flooring when you absolutely have to. Sometimes, you might simply want to change the look and feel of your home. Perhaps you’ve recently bought a house and want to change it to your style, or maybe things are looking a bit stale, and you’re ready for a change.

In this case, a new floor could be just what the doctor ordered. For example, if your room is on the smaller side and doesn’t get a great deal of natural light, bright laminate flooring can make it seem more spacious. On the other hand, carpet or darker flooring makes a room feel cosier and warmer.

Also, if you’re redecorating the whole house, then the previous floor might not go as well with the rest of the new decorations. Colours may clash, or you may find that combining heavily patterned wallpaper with an equally heavily patterned flooring isn’t to your liking. In any case, there’s nothing stopping you from refreshing your floors as well.

Smaller Changes Replacing the flooring isn’t a small job. It can take a few days and make it difficult to use that room, and hiring someone to install your flooring can get costly. So, you might want to consider a way to change the look of your floor without completely replacing it just yet.

One great way to do this is to add a rug. Rugs add character to your room, providing something to focus on. They’re also easy to look after and are less of a commitment than a whole new carpet. You can move your rugs around whenever you want a change, for example.