Flooring plays a significant role in home design, acting as the backdrop to interior schemes while also having a practical impact on how well each room performs. With that in mind, choosing the right type of flooring should be a top priority in your renovation.
From cost to ease of installation, there are lots of considerations you need to make – but material is perhaps the most important. While one material (like carpet) might work perfectly in a cosy living room setup, it can be a recipe for disaster for bathroom flooring, where mould can grow.
To help you choose the right flooring for your home, we’ve rounded up 14 popular options below, comparing costs and styles, as well as offering helpful hints about which rooms they work best in.
Article continues below1. Stone flooring
A popular solution for centuries, stone flooring is extremely hard-wearing and looks great in both traditional and contemporary homes.
“There’s an incredible range of choice; from pure white floors with uniform colouration to densely fossil-packed dark stones with plenty of tonal variations,” says Jason Cherrington, director at Lapicida.
Cost: £30/m²
Best suited for:
- Kitchens: The main options for kitchen flooring ideas include limestone, sandstone, marble, slate and granite
- Bathrooms: Natural stone adds a real touch of luxury to the bathroom, with the less porous varieties, such as slate, being particularly suitable. Limestone and travertine will need to be cleaned and sealed before and after laying and grouting
- Hallways: Durability is the main priority for a busy hallway, so stone is a top choice
2. Porcelain tiles
Porcelain tiles are hardwearing, low-maintenance, and come in a range of different styles. Their regular shape makes it easy to achieve thin grout lines and, arguably, makes them easier to lay. That said, they are harder to cut than ceramic tiles.
A good partner with underfloor heating, porcelain tiles are easy to clean, and are available in an array of colours and finishes. They are also naturally moisture-resistant, meaning they work well in bathrooms and kitchens, according to Harriet Goodacre, style and interiors consultant at Topps Tiles.
Cost: £20/m²
Best suited for:
- Kitchens: Porcelain tiles are stain-resistant and easy to clean, making them an ideal choice for the kitchen
- Bathrooms: Thanks to its moisture-resistance, porcelain is perfect for bathrooms
- Hallways: Porcelain is easy to keep clean from muddy shoes and pet paw prints
Harriet is here to help homeowners choose the right tiles for their needs, lifestyle and interior tastes. With over a decade of experience in interiors, she shares practical, trend-led advice to help people create beautiful, durable spaces that reflect their own personal style.
3. Engineered wood flooring
Engineered wood flooring offers a more water- and movement-resistant substitute to solid wood, while still delivering that classic natural feel.
"Engineered wood flooring is a great alternative to solid wood if you plan to install underfloor heating, and is more resistant to fluctuations in temperature and moisture," advises Homebuilding & Renovating's former Deputy Editor Michelle Guy.
Cost: from £25–30/m²
Best suited for:
- Kitchens: Opting for engineered flooring over solid timber is safer in terms of movement, but be aware that an engineered floor will still suffer from scratches and stains, and may well require sanding and re-finishing
- Living rooms: Engineered wood floors have the benefit of being easy to keep clean while imparting a visual warmth to the living space
- Bathrooms: Engineered timber has a greater level of stability than solid timber, but it still may not be the most practical choice in family bathrooms. Any water spills should be mopped up immediately and you should ideally avoid leaving wet bath mats or towels on the floor too
Michelle was Homebuilding & Renovating magazine's Deputy Editor. With an editorial career spanning more than 18 years, Michelle spent time working on educational magazines and websites until her career took an exciting turn into the world of homes and interiors.
4. Ceramic tiles
Ceramic tiles are available in a wide range of styles and colours, and can be designed to emulate stone while being lighter in weight and more affordable.
This material is resistant to spills and pet claws, and works well with underfloor heating, making them a popular choice for living rooms and open-plan spaces, according to Louisa Swannell, head of marketing and design at Walls and Floors.
When weighing up the benefits of porcelain vs ceramic tiles, ceramic tiles are cheaper but do a very similar job – although they are not as hardwearing and can crack and chip. They are not usually coloured all the way through, so any damage is quite obvious.
Cost: from £10/m²
Best suited for:
- Kitchens and living rooms: Ceramic tiles are an affordable choice for large areas, such as kitchens and living rooms
- Bathrooms: Bathroom flooring needs to withstand high levels of moisture and temperature fluctuation, as well as be non-slip and stain resistant. Ceramic floor tiles can deliver on all of these fronts
- Utility rooms and hallways: Choosing ceramic tiles in these rooms should reduce the likelihood of stains
Louisa is head of creative design at Walls and Floors. Founded in 1987, Walls and Floors is an award-winning tile specialist with an unbeatable range of tiles and wood panelling, available to purchase online.
5. Solid wood flooring
Solid wood flooring is a common original feature in period homes, especially on first floors where stone alternatives would not have been feasible. Good hardwoods are durable and easy to clean if properly maintained. While wood floors can chip and scratch, many think this adds to its beauty and charm.
However, according to Neel Bradham, CEO at global flooring brand, Parador, it's not a good idea to install wood flooring in a bathroom, as it can warp or swell when exposed to moisture. It also doesn't work well with underfloor heating.
Cost: Prices vary but can be up to an average price of £70m2.
Best suited for:
- Kitchens: In high-traffic areas, solid wood can be sanded and refinished to suit
- Hallways: To ensure greater longevity for hallway flooring, many choose to protect solid wood flooring with a runner
- Living rooms: Wood provides a cosy and warm environment that's perfect for living rooms
Neel Bradham is the CEO of Parador, a leading global flooring company since 1977. The brand redefines standards for the foundation of a beautiful room, changing perceptions about engineered wood, laminate, and vinyl floorings.
6. Linoleum and vinyl
Forget the yellowed, flimsy coverings of the past, these two materials now offer far more than just a cheap and cheerful flooring, being extremely durable, water-resistant, easy to maintain and cost-effective to buy.
Vinyl in particular can also mimic wood and stone. Although often grouped together, they are very different from a material perspective – linoleum is a natural product made from linseed oil mixed with plant material such as cork, and vinyl is a synthetic petroleum-based material.
Cost: from £20/m²
Best suited for:
- Kitchens: Linoleum and vinyl are cost-effective, low-maintenance options for the kitchen
- Bathrooms: The water-resistant nature of vinyl makes it perfect for bathrooms
7. Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT)
As the name suggests, LVT flooring is a high-end version of vinyl that comes in planks or tiles instead of a single roll. Convincing wood-effect versions are available, giving the look of wood places where real timber would not be suitable.
LVT is currently a popular option, and is available in a range of colours and patterns, as well as finishes that mimic the appearance of other materials such as stone. LVT is soft and warm underfoot and works well over underfloor heating. On the downside, the installation tends to be best left to the professionals.
Cost: from £30–40/m²
Best suited for:
- Kitchens: LVT is a common choice for kitchens as it's highly durable
- Bathrooms: LVT can be a good, water-proof alternative to solid wood in bathrooms
- Bedrooms: In children’s rooms, it's often more practical to go for low-maintenance flooring like LVT
8. Synthetic carpet
Warm, comforting and quiet underfoot, it’s not surprising carpet’s popularity holds strong. The type of carpet you choose should be influenced by the amount of traffic the area is expected to receive.
According to Gregory Powley-Lynch, operations director at Elements London, some manmade carpets can be easier to clean and maintain in comparison to wool carpets.
Cost: From £20/m²
Best suited for:
- Living rooms: Carpet is an obvious choice for living rooms, though those with pets might want to consider its practicality
- Bedrooms: Carpet is popular in bedroom flooring ideas, being warm and soft underfoot
9. Polished concrete flooring
Polished concrete is perfect for those seeking a smooth contemporary design with an industrial vibe. Concrete is often given a bad press for being eco-unfriendly, but it’s greener than you might think, being that it often uses recycled aggregates in its manufacture and is incredibly hard-wearing.
It is a popular choice in open-plan living areas but, on the downside, it is not easily repaired and needs to be poured and polished by a professional in order to get the best finish.
According to Chris Lawson, Managing Director of CK Architectural, this type of flooring comes in a variety of patterns and colours, such as marble and quartz textures.
Cost: from £90/m²
Best suited for:
- Any room: Perfect over underfloor heating, with brilliant thermal properties, polished concrete is a highly versatile flooring type
Chris Lawson is the founder and managing director of CK Architectural, an architectural design company operating nationwide. Chris and his team frequently help homeowners to convert or extend their lofts.
10. Natural carpet
Carpets are not just made from synthetic fibres or wool – jute, sisal, seagrass and coir all make sustainable, allergy-friendly and hardwearing floor coverings.
While these natural materials are not as soft as carpet underfoot, they do have a more contemporary look that appeals to many. Sisal has a silky feel underfoot whilst jute tends to be the softest. They are hardwearing and suitable for areas of high traffic.
As with more traditional carpets, they require specialist fitting and experts advise that they are allowed to acclimatise in the home for 24 hours before fitting. These plant fibres are relatively easy to wipe clean and can be vacuumed – there are also protective sprays which coat the fibres allowing you time to blot off spillages before they soak in.
Cost: £20–£60/m²+
Best suited for:
- Hallways and stairs: Natural fibre flooring, such as coir and seagrass, are suitable for hallways and stairs
- Living rooms: Jute, coir, sisal and seagrass are all good living room flooring ideas, being environmentally friendly and ideal for those suffering from allergies from chemical and dyes
11. Cork flooring
Cork flooring is a sustainable and renewable option made from the bark of the cork oak tree. It is comfortable to walk on and offers good soundproofing, but does need sealing to keep it clean and dry.
“Cork is 100% natural and renewable, and across a 200-year lifespan, a typical cork oak tree is harvested 15 times without damage, as it simply regenerates after each extraction,” explains founder of Recork, James Scully. "A harvested cork oak retains three to five times more CO2 than an unharvested tree, so the cork oaks of the Montado forest play a vital role in the fight against global warming.
"Cork is very easy to look after. In a home, wipe up spills promptly with a damp cloth or mop. Vacuum or dust mop the floor as needed to remove loose dirt and regularly bonded dirt with a spray mop or a mechanical mop.
"It is important to periodically re-coat your floor when it starts to show signs of wear and tear. Due to corks elasticity and compressibility, it is extremely long wearing and allows your floor to adapt to pressure and quickly recover its initial shape – and so survives the test of time!"
Cost: From £13/m²
Best suited for:
- Living rooms: "Not only is it functional, but it introduces an organic element to a living room scheme and is a truly sustainable material," says James Scully.
12. Bamboo wood flooring
Depending on the source, bamboo can be an eco flooring option. It's notoriously fast growing, which makes it fairly cheap to produce and a good alternative to hardwood.
Its colour is achieved by heating as opposed to staining, and the longer it is heated, the darker it gets. In terms of durability, it can be just as tough as oak – if not stronger.
Bamboo flooring works well in most areas of the home, provided they are not humid or wet, as this can cause it to shrink. Many bamboo options are also compatible with underfloor heating, but you'll need to double-check this with the manufacturer.
Cost: From £20/m²
Best suited for:
- Everywhere but wet rooms: High levels of humidity will cause the bamboo to warp
13. Laminate flooring
Laminate flooring is made from a synthetic material, with a decorative photographic image of wood or stone on top. The material is covered with a melamine wear layer, giving laminate flooring its famed toughness.
It is easy to install as it usually has click system installation, without any need for glue or nails. This type of flooring can last anywhere from 10 to 25 years, provided it is given the correct care.
Cost: from as little as £6/m² for a basic option, up to £25/m² or more for a higher quality product.
Best suited for:
- Bathrooms: Can be installed on a DIY basis
- Kitchens and living rooms: Laminate is easy to repair with colour matching kits
14. Rubber floors
Rubber is derived from rubber trees, and is a renewable resource with a 20-year lifespan that can look great in contemporary homes. It also insulates, absorbs noise and is highly water-resistant.
"Though it may not be the obvious choice, rubber is a fantastic solution if you’re looking to introduce a splash of colour," says homes journalist Rebecca Foster. "As a renewable resource, it scores high for sustainability. Plus, it’s waterproof, comfortable underfoot and is slightly more forgiving than hard surfaces, like stone and porcelain, in case you drop anything."
Cost: £30–60/m²
Best suited for:
- Bathrooms: Comfortable underfoot and available in non-slip finishes, it's an ideal choice for bathrooms
- Kitchens and utility rooms: Rubber is stain-resistant which is great for kitchens and utilities
- Children's bedrooms: Rubber is easy to clean and low-maintenance – the perfect combo for a child's bedroom
What is the most durable type of flooring?
Natural materials, such as stone, are usually the most durable type of flooring, according to Matt Phillips, head of UK Operations, Rotpunkt.
“A weathered or reclaimed stone provides an exciting contrast with today’s high-textured and metallic effects. Providing that you follow expert advice about cleaning natural stone and avoid harsh chemicals, it can last for many years," he says.
Which type of flooring does not scratch?
“Any floor tile can scratch or chip if the right force is applied,” says Lee Mitchell from Original Style. “Unglazed units are less likely to scratch than glazed but they aren’t available in such a wide range of designs. On the whole, pets are unlikely to scratch any tile – but a piece of trapped gravel in a shoe could.”
Which is the easiest type of flooring to maintain?
According to Rebecca Foster, manmade surfaces, such as porcelain, are usually the easiest type of flooring to maintain. Take stone for example – this will need to be re-sealed every several years to keep it looking fresh.
"Oil and wax treatments can be used to protect wood flooring, however, you’ll need to re-apply them every six months or so. Engineered woof with a lacquered finish provides a hardier layer of protection atop the timber’s surface but is more prone to scratching – particularly in an area like the kitchen, which receives heavy footfall."
When deciding on the different flooring options, it is best to start with a firm budget. This will help you narrow down what is available in your price bracket and eliminate those you may get tempted by and over-extend your finances. Don't forget to consider installation fees as well. Some flooring types can be laid on a DIY basis, but many will need professional help.
For more flooring advice and inspiration, have a browse through these cheap kitchen flooring options or hallway flooring ideas.
