Entryway
Preference should be given to tile flooring at all main entrances due to ease of cleaning and durability from outside debris and soil. If dollars are more of a factor, install sealed vinyl flooring due to the self-same ease of cleaning and durability from outside debris and soil. Coloration of the flooring should also be a consideration. Avoid light coloration.
Kitchen
Give consideration to a sealed vinyl flooring due to ease of cleaning and durability, and resiliency surrounding wet conditions. Ceramic tile is a popular choice due to its ability to resist spills. Certain sealed hardwood flooring may also be an attractive consideration. Avoid laminate flooring due to the presence of liquid spills and soft and overly hard flooring surfaces due to potential damage to flooring from pans and food ware with soft flooring, or in the case of tile/stone flooring, the kitchen utensils themselves!
Bathroom
Consider a sealed vinyl flooring due to ease of cleaning and durability, and resiliency surrounding wet conditions. Ceramic tile is another appealing option due to its spill resistance, though avoid smooth ceramic tile due to the possibility of slipping. Certain sealed hardwood flooring may also be an attractive consideration. Avoid laminate flooring due to the presence of excess moisture.
Living Room
Hardwood, vinyl, laminate, carpet, or even tile/stone flooring are compelling options for the living room space. Depending on the look and ambience wanted, this will determine the floor type ultimately chosen. For those with a generous pocket book, marble and terrazzo floors make an expensive, elegant statement that, if properly cared for, will last longer than any other flooring material.
Rec Room
Do you want cozy and intimate? Consider a warm, natural carpet. Do you have a lot of teenagers eating and making frequent spills? Consider tasteful tile flooring.
Home Office
From a warmth and acoustical standpoint, carpet is the flooring of choice in the home office. Are you actively moving back and forth on your office chairs? A durable vinyl or laminate flooring product, may be more conducive.
Bedrooms
These spaces have traditionally tended to be either carpeted or hard floored, in terms of carpet, vinyl, laminate, or hardwood. From a warmth and acoustical standpoint, the nod goes to carpeting. From an aesthetic and functionality standpoint, a strong case can be made for vinyl, laminate, or hardwood. Traditional arguments against bedroom carpets due to concerns about high concentrations of dust mites living in the carpets can be superseded by new generation carpeting with environmentally friendly properties inherent within the carpet that retard mite populations and activity.
Basement
From a coziness and acoustical perspective, carpeting would seem a logical choice for basement areas. Traditional arguments against carpet installation in basement areas have centered on mold and mildew and respiratory issues, due to negative basement flooding experiences. With technological advances in carpet backing that are inert to water damage and mold contamination, such arguments need no longer be a deterrent to basement carpet installation. Vinyl flooring is also recommended as a low maintenance and durable flooring product for basement areas, though it lacks the aesthetic warmth and acoustic benefits of carpet flooring.
Last but not least, sealed concrete flooring (within a range of sealant colors and patterns) is a long term and robust solution for basement areas. Initial odors with the sealant aside, this type of flooring application will provide some of the longest lasting flooring product in the industry.