Types of Flooring
Interior Design
Flooring Types
Hard
Soft
Flooring Flooring
Wood
Stone
Tile
Carpet
Rugs
Resilient
Wood - Most popular
• Strip Flooring
– Tongue and groove
– Nailed to sub floor
– Pre-finished or unfinished
• Random Plank
– Wider than strips
– Screwed to sub floor, covered with wood plugs
• Parquet
– Small pieces arranged in different designs
– Pre-finished squares for easy installation
Stone
• Marble
– Various colors depending on origin
– Verdigris (vər-də-grēs) : marbles that have a green
color
• Limestone: most common, usually white but
may have cloudy streaks
• Onyx: may have layers of colors or banding
Stone
• Terrazzo formed using marble or chipped
stones embedded in full concrete.
– artistic and very reliable
– best for outdoor spaces such as verandas or
patios.
– strong but 50% chance of breakage at quarry
Stone
• Travertine: porous limestone used on
floors or walls
– Comes from mineral springs
– Holes from escaping gas
– Holes filled with resin which may or may not
be same color
Ceramic Tile
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Bathrooms, kitchens, entryways
Made from baked clay
Durable, moisture resistant, easy to clean
Can crack if not installed on even surface
Other Tiles
• Ceramic Mosaic
– Individual tiles mounted together
to keep together and make
installation easier
– More often on walls
• Mexican
– Made from clay
– Shaped by hand
– Dried in sun
• Quarry
– Fired Earth/Clay
– Warm brown to beige
Resilient Floor Coverings
• Flooring with a semi-hard
surface that returns to its
original shape after stress
• Warmer and quieter to
walk on
• Not quite as durable
• Vinyl and plastic laminate
Vinyl
• Resists stains, affordable
• Sheet Vinyl
– 6, 9, 12 foot sheets
– Rotogravure (rō-tə-grə-vyu̇r)
• Top layer covered with clear coating
• Thin, tears easily
– Inlaid
• Colored chips make designs (heat,
pressure)
• Design all the way to backing
• Most durable of the vinyl
Vinyl
• Vinyl Tiles
– 12 in. X 12 in.
– Sticky backing
– Place together like a puzzle
Carpet
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Insulates against drafts
Decreases noise
More comforting feel
Quality
– Pile (nap): visible surface of carpet
– Density: how close the tufts are made together, more
important than depth
– Heat setting
– Twist
– Depth
Carpet Fibers
95% made of manufactured fibers
Nylon:
Polypropylene (olefin):
– most popular,
– durable,
– easy to
maintain,
– limited colors
– strong,
– nonabsorbent,
– resists stains and static,
– colorfast,
– cheap,
– crushes easily,
– limited colors,
– heat sensitive
Carpet Fibers Cont.
Polyester blend (PET)
• made from recycled plastics,
• resists stains and fading
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Acrylic:
feels and looks like wool,
low static level,
resists mildew,
subject to pilling
Carpet Fibers Cont.
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Wool:
soft
• moth sensitive
durable
• shrinkage
long lasting • allergies
expensive
• hard to clean
Carpeting Textures / Categories
• Cut Pile
– Formal looking plush, velvet,
smooth, may flatten
• Saxony
– Similar to cut but yarns have
been twisted more giving less
formal appearance
• Frieze
– Informal, curly texture, shows
minimal marks
Carpeting Textures / Categories
• Level Loop
– Loops are all same height, may have flecks of
darker color, durable
• Multi-level Loop
– Two or three loop heights, sculpted or
embossed effect, good in high traffic areas
• Cut and Loop Pile
– Sculptured effect from some looks cut and
some braided, very durable
Backing or Cushion
• Extends life of carpet
• Shock absorber
• Less than ½” thick
Laws
• Flammable Fabrics Act- Federal Govt.
protects consumers with regulations. Must
follow standards for fabrics, rugs, carpets,
mattresses
• Label must include:
– Fiber content and percentage
– Manufacturer
– Country of origin
– Care information