The common floor coverings are vinyl flooring, ceramic tile, hardwood and carpet.


Vinyl flooring is also known as "resilient flooring" and is the least expensive covering and the easiest to install. It's most likely used in kitchens and bathrooms.

Ceramic tile is hard, durable and available in a wide variety of sizes, patterns and colors. There are some different categories of ceramic tile like glazed ceramic tile, which has a colored glaze, quarry tile, which is unglazed, porous, softer and thicker than glazed but has to be protected with sealer once in a while. Porcelain mosaic tile is extremely dense and naturally water-resistant and has the same color throughout its thickness.

Hardwood floors are durable and easy to clean. A hardwood floor could last forever if it's treated periodically with a strong urethane finish. Plywood-backed flooring and floating plank floors cost less than solid hardwood and can be used for do-it-yourself installation. Scratches can be filled and a badly damaged small area can possibly be fixed with new planks.

Carpet is most common in bedrooms, family rooms and hallways. The two basic types of carpeting are loop-pile, which uses uncut loops of yarn to make a textured look, and cut-pile, which has trimmed fibers that gives a more uniform appearance. The two pile types are sometimes combined in one carpet. Carpet has better appearance and comfort instead of durability, but maintenance consists of reducing wear by keeping it as clean as possible.

C.  Maintaining and Repairing Vinyl Flooring
         Today's high-quality vinyl floor coverings don't need any regular care besides sweeping and mopping. For repairing, it depends on the type of floor and the type of damage. It's better to replace the damaged tiles. With sheet vinyl, you can use the surface or patch in new material. For small cuts and scratches you can use liquid seam sealer, a clear compound that's available anywhere vinyl flooring is sold. That will permanently fuse cuts and scratches so they're almost invisible. Clean the area with lacquer thinner and soft cloth. When it's dry, squeeze a thin bead of sealer into the scratch. For tears or burns, cut out the damaged area and glue in a patch cut from matching flooring. If it's badly worn or damage is widespread, all you can do is replace it.

D.  Maintaining & Repairing Carpeting
         The most important thing you can do to make a carpet last long is to keep it clean, vacuuming often and getting rid of stains as soon as they happen. You should be aware of any cleaning method that exposes carpet to too much moisture or leaves a soap residue; it often proves to be a magnet for dirt in the future. Burns and stains are the most common problems. If the burns are shallow enough, you can use small scissors to clip them away. For deeper burns, patch them by cutting away and replacing the damaged area. Remove damage or stain by using a "cookie-cutter" tool, available at carpeting stores. Press the cutter down over the area and twist it to cut it away. Use the cutter again to cut out a replacement patch from scrap carpeting. Insert double-face carpet tape under the cutout, positioning tape so it overlaps patch seams. Press the patch into place and make sure the pattern matches the existing carpet. Apply seam adhesive to the edges of the patch to seal the seam and prevent unraveling.

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