12 Jun Best Types of Flooring for a Second Floor Home Addition
Footsteps in the middle of the night, noisy children, the beat of rock music coming from the upper walls and ceiling. What do they have in common? All are the result of wrong flooring installed in second-floor rooms. Whether you’re building a new addition or remodeling your home, choosing the right kind of flooring is important.
Below are examples of quiet, warm, and functional flooring choices to consider for your second floor.
Cork
For second story rooms, cork is a great eco-friendly option. This material retains heat naturally, making it pleasantly warm to the touch. This means you will be comfortable with bare toes if you use this in the bedroom. Aside from being springy, cork works well in absorbing noise.
One drawback from this flooring is that it can be easily deformed. However, since second story rooms usually have less foot traffic, the softness of the cork won’t be much of a problem for this part of the house.
Bamboo
Another eco-friendly option is bamboo. This green flooring surface is ideal for people who suffer from allergies. Woven strand bamboo is known for its durability; this material is harder than most hardwoods in the market right now.
Laminate
Laminate is an excellent choice for second story additions because it is not as noisy as its hardwood counterpart. To enjoy the most peace and quiet from your laminate flooring, install a padded underlay to absorb the noise inside your home.
Another advantage of laminate flooring is that it’s warm underfoot–an important feature for second story bedrooms. Top quality laminate options also come in various styles that recreate the appearance of hardwood. Plus, because it’s very easy to clean, laminate flooring is great for kids’ bedrooms.
Hardwood
Hardwood is the most popular choice for homeowners when it comes to flooring. However, one major drawback from this option is noise. Footsteps on your hardwood can be loud, and it can be annoying for people hanging out downstairs.
To address this issue, you can choose a softer type of wood like pine. It will do a much better job at reducing sounds on the second floor.
Carpet
Available in a wide range of textures and colors, carpets are warm on the feet and are known for being stylish. It effectively absorbs and deadens sound from upstairs rooms, making it another popular option for homeowners. When carpets are installed with a memory foam pad underneath, people downstairs will barely know that there are folks walking above them.
There are a few downsides to getting carpet flooring. First, because of how easily they gather dust, carpets may trigger allergic reactions. Second, newly-installed carpets have a strong odor that you might find off-putting. Third, carpets stain easily and can be difficult to clean depending on the type of stain.
Choosing the right type of flooring for your second floor home addition can be quite tricky. The process is far more complicated than just selecting the best-looking one or the cheaper one. Many factors should have a big influence on your decision, such as durability, reaction to moisture, costs of installment and maintenance, and many more. So before making a final choice, be sure to do your research on each flooring type and review their pros and cons.
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