How to Choose

Flooring is a Smart Home Investment

While most home renovations can be regarded as investments, this is particularly true when it comes to your flooring. Naturally, you want it to look beautiful and enhance your room’s décor, but you also need it to be able to fit into your lifestyle – remaining beautiful and easy to care for through the rigors of daily life that can include kids, pets, spills, moisture, cleaning products and more. That’s why when it comes to selecting a floor, taking your lifestyle into consideration is as important as choosing a decorative style and color.

At Congoleum, we pride ourselves in being able to offer you flooring options in an array of styles and colors to fit any décor. And just as important, to offer these to you in high-performing, quality flooring products that suit your lifestyle and needs. Needs such as if you have small children where safety is crucial and mess is commonplace, or teenagers prone to spills, a loveable pet that tracks in dirt or a fashionista who loves high heels. To help you in your flooring product selection, we’ve created a list of questions – some to ask your retailer and some to ask yourself - to help you find your perfect floor that you’ll love for years to come.

What to Ask Yourself

Selecting a floor for your home should be a fun and exciting venture! Take your time and do a little research to explore some design ideas and room looks online or in magazines to get a feel for what you might like.

Then help refine your search by answering the following questions:

  • Why am I replacing the floor? Is it worn or out of style? Am I replacing it to sell my home? Is this part of a larger room or whole home renovation?
  • What is my budget? Am I planning on hiring a professional to install my floor or do it myself?
  • What kind of room am I updating? Is it a high-moisture room like a bathroom or laundry room, and/or one also subject to spills and continual cleaning like a kitchen?
  • What kind of lifestyle do I lead? Do I have kids? Pets? Do I need an extremely durable floor or is the activity level in my household fairly calm with only adults living in the home?
  • What is the light source like in the room? Is there a lot of natural light or is the room dark, illuminated mostly with artificial light?
  • What do I want my flooring to coordinate with? My cabinets, countertops, window treatments, fabrics, paint color, etc.?
  • What is the existing style of the room? Contemporary? Traditional? What is the design style of the rest of my home?
  • Does my home have an open floor plan or does it include a series of individual rooms? Will the floor need to “flow” from one room to the next or work as a standalone?
  • How large is the room? Are there fixed/large elements such as a kitchen island or cabinetry in the room?
  • What colors am I drawn to?
  • Do I want my flooring to be a decorative focal point of the room or a quiet backdrop?

Things to Ask Your Congoleum Retailer

Be frank and upfront with your retail professional about any questions or concerns you may have such as potential hidden costs, installation options and processes, lead times, environmental safety concerns, etc. Remember, we’re here to help!

Here are some questions to ask:

  • Can I take a sample home with me or purchase one online?
  • My space is (above, below) ground - how might this affect my installation?
  • Can I use Underflor or a floating installation, in this case, to save on installation costs and subfloor prep?
  • Is there a charge for in-home measuring? If so, will this be deducted from the cost of the flooring when I purchase?
  • Does the cost include installation? Does it include underlayment if I need this?
  • Who is responsible for removing and disposing of old flooring if necessary?
  • Who is responsible for moving/removing furniture and other items from the room prior to floor installation? Who is responsible for replacing these items?
  • How long before I can replace my furniture/use my room after flooring installation?
  • What are the benefits of one Congoleum product choice over another?
  • Do you offer in-house design advice for free/or at a cost?
  • How long will it take to complete my installation? How quickly after purchase will it be installed?
  • What kind of warranties or guarantees are available for the various flooring products?
  • Is there a guarantee on the installation work?
  • Are there any extra charges that I might not expect?
  • Will there be an extra carton or two of tile/extra flooring included in the measurement so that repairs can be made in the future?