Flooring Options Available for Kenyan Contractors

When deciding on which covering to use for your floor, you may find yourself spoilt for option. It is therefore necessary to spend a bit of your time to familiarize with the different types major flooring options available for. Your choice of floor covering will be guided by different factors depending on your taste and preference. However, the three most important guiding factors are: function, style and cost.  By looking at these your choice will be made much easier.

1.      Engineered Wood-Planks

Description: Engineered planks are made up of laminated wood, as in plywood. The top layer has a prefinished surface of hardwood which gives it the natural beauty of real wood floor covering. The product comes in wide planks which are joined through tongue-and-groove joints. The floor does not require nailing or gluing. The planks basically float over a foam-rubber underlayment.

Another advantage of this flooring product is that it is available in a wide range of color and wood species.

Price: Depending on the hardwood species and the manufacturer, the price ranges from $4 to $8 per square foot.

2.      Laminate Flooring

Both laminates and Engineered wood are made up of thin veneers laminated together to produce wide planks which snap together through tongue and groove joints. The main difference is that, unlike engineered wood-planks, the top surface of the laminate floor covering is made of plastic laminate, not hardwood.   Laminate flooring also comes in slightly shorter planks (about 47 inches long).
Pros:  Laminates are extremely resistant to scratches, stains, fading, damage and wear. They last longer than any real wood floor with minimum maintenance.
Price and quality vary again depending on the manufacturer. However premium laminate flooring goes for something between $4 and $6 per square foot.

3.      Carpet Flooring

The most versatile flooring material is a carpet. Installing wall-to-wall carpets was quite a limitation to the use of this versatile floor covering. However, the stain protected carpet squares, produced nowadays, can be installed just about anywhere without worrying over damage or staining. There are varied patterns, styles and textures available than before. And, you can match a mixture of carpets squires of different color, texture and patterns to come up with a truly unique floor.

“Berber” was a very popular choice, in the past few years, due to its affordability and durability. Currently a variety of deep piles, shag carpets, and their combination are becoming popular again.

Price: The price of a carpet, range from about $5 to as high as $26 per square piece.

Ceramic Tile Flooring

The tiles used in ceramic flooring are much larger. The tiles are also available in more choices. Coupled with the varied styles and an evolving design, ceramics can also be matched to give that designer look.

Price per square foot: Ranges between $6 to $10

Cork Planks

In recent years, cork flooring has exponentially grown in popularity. The main reason for this growth is attributed to cork’s attractive nature, durability and relative affordability. It also has good sound proofing quality and is soft underfoot.

Prefinished cork floor coverings come in both planks and tiles. As with any tiled covering, cork tiles must be glued to the subfloor. However, the new generation engineered-cork-planks simply snap to form a floating floor. The cork planks require some underlayment for their installation, but some are prefixed with a cork underlayment, simplifying their installation.

Cork does not easily show stains on its surface and accepts topcoat finishes. They also come in a variety of colors and styles. Each plank measures 12 X 36 inches on the sides.

Price usually depends on the number ordered: the higher the number the lower the cost. Basically the price ranges between $7.50 psf for an order above 200 square feet and as high as $11 psf for an order below 50 square feet.