Flooring That’s Child Friendly
Whether you have kids or a baby on the way, it’s important to consider what flooring is safer and more suitable for children.
In this short guide, we’ll discuss the best child-friendly flooring on the market, explaining why these are the best options and the average costs.
Note: Some flooring types are more suited to babies and toddlers, while others are more suited to older children. Please pay attention to the suitability of each.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is well-suited for older children (i.e., those of school age) but unsuitable for babies and toddlers.
Along with being durable, laminate floors are low maintenance. Further, they are affordable and relatively easy to install. The latter point is worth considering if you’d like to install a laminate floor DIY. Laminate floors are fairly environmentally friendly, too.
The average laminate flooring installation costs about £1,000. As for the downsides, laminate flooring is vulnerable to liquid-based damage, and refinishing it is impossible.
Vinyl Flooring – Flooring That’s Child Friendly
Next on the list is vinyl flooring. This flooring is relatively easy to clean and offers a softer underfoot than wood, making it a suitable option for babies, toddlers, and older children.
Other upsides of vinyl flooring include its resilience, affordability, and ease of installation. On the other hand, vinyl flooring is not eco-friendly, and it only sometimes adds value to a home. Beyond that, another downside worth noting is that this type of flooring can’t be refinished.
The average cost of hiring a professional for installing vinyl flooring is £300, making it among the most cost-efficient solutions for child-friendly flooring.
Carpets
Another great option is that of carpet. Carpets are comfortable and best suited to older children. Further, they have a quiet and soft underfoot, are easy to install, and provide versatility and the capacity to hide dirt.
Unfortunately, carpets require maintenance, show wear and tear and lack durability. The average cost of having carpet installed in a room is £400.
Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Note: Luxury vinyl flooring is a potential issue for certain homes because of the toxins they emit. As a result, luxury vinyl flooring should be avoided in small homes that aren’t well-ventilated.
While vinyl is popular, you’ll want to consider luxury vinyl flooring for even greater benefits. Luxury vinyl floors can offer the appearance of other types of flooring (e.g., tile, stone, and real timber), which is great if you want to emulate another type of flooring that isn’t as suitable for a house with children.
Some advantages of luxury vinyl flooring include its affordability, ease of installation, durability and maintenance. This flooring type is resistant to all kinds of damage, such as scratches and stains.
Luxury vinyl flooring costs about £300 between the cost of labour and supplies. Downsides worth noting are its inconsistent quality, difficulty of removal and its potential to do poorly in sunlight.
Hiring the Right Professional
When installing a new floor, unless you have the right skills and knowledge, you’ll need to hire a professional for the installation.
It is best to obtain a quote from 3+ professionals/companies before deciding. This way, you can weigh up your options based on their pricing, experience levels, how long you get on with them, and any online reviews or ratings you might find.
By weighing up your options based on criteria like those listed above, you can narrow down to a choice that will offer good value for money.
