When it comes to being a parent there's a lot of stuff that we think about, are they eating enough fruit and vegetables? How long should they spend on the iPad? WHY DO THEY HAVE THAT IN THEIR MOUTH?! - oh yeah, there's a lot of questions when you're a parent, but what about your home and how child-friendly that is. By this we don't mean baby-gates and cupboard locks, we mean your floor.
A lot of people disregard flooring and the impact that kids can have on it, but when you really think about it our floors take a bit of a battering over their lifetime, whether it's from us, the kids or any pets. So what are the most family-friendly floors available at the moment? Well it depends on what you're looking for in a floor, do you need durability? Are you concerned about toxic materials? Or perhaps both. The purpose of this post is to tell you about the options that are available on todays market.
Bamboo:
Yes you read that correctly, more commonly known as panda food, bamboo makes for a great flooring material! It's known as one of the most renewable resources because unlike wood flooring it's actually made of a grass (yep, bamboo is grass, not a tree) that only takes about 5 years to reach full maturity, which is a huge difference when compared to trees. Not only is bamboo environmentally friendly, it is also incredibly tough which is pretty important where children are concerned. We love them to death but they can't half cause some damage and when you're shelling out a lot of money for something like flooring it's crucial that you get your moneys worth! Bamboo flooring can be used in pretty much any room around your home but it is predominantly recommended in bedrooms, living areas or kitchens as oppose to the bathroom.
Engineered Wood:
Engineered wood flooring is a lot cheaper than solid wood so it's great if you're working towards a bit of a budget without compromising on quality. Due to the way that it is constructed engineered wood ensures maximum durability, this is because underneath the real wood top layer there are multiple layers of hardwood that have been bonded to provide more stability to the boards. Although it is important to stress that should any damage occur (come on, if there's kids around it's pretty likely!) this type of floor can be sanded and refinished multiple times to give them the same quality look that they had on the day they were installed. So if in the unfortunate case something does happen, you needn't worry about an expensive revamp, you can just fix it yourself (or if you'd prefer - get someone in who can).
Vinyl
Lets be honest, vinyl flooring isn't held to the highest accolades from most people, but this flooring shouldn't be overlooked, especially in a family home. The common misconception with vinyl is that it is cheap and flimsy, but this is far from the truth and it has come such a long way over the years. Now, it's true that vinyl certainly is a lot more wallet-friendly than other flooring options but that doesn't mean it is in any way of a lower standard. Due to the fact that vinyl is baked with a thin layer of foam or felt it has a softer surface than most floors, this is ideal for any home with small children who are just finding their feet. It's also really easy to clean and requires very little maintenance on a whole.
As you can see there are plenty of great flooring options when you have kids, and they are all a winner with me because they are practical, easy to clean and look good! Life is definitely too short to be cleaning carpets every day that's for sure!
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