Unlike other elements in decorating, such as wallpaper or paint colours, a floor’s primary function is practical. Whatever surface or covering you choose, it must be able to withstand the rigours of daily use.

Obviously some areas of the house will take more traffic than others, hallways and corridors being prime examples, while certain rooms, such as kitchens ( Impala Kitchens ) , need floors which can be washed frequently yet will be free from any risk of tripping or slipping.

So the first consideration when choosing flooring must be practical. This will determine whether you choose a soft or hard surface, and if that can be cleaned easily. From there you should consider the overall look you are after. The same rules regarding patterns and colours apply as elsewhere in the house ( contemporary kitchens ) , namely that light colours, small patterns and plain surfaces make an area seem larger, while dark colours and busy patterns have the opposite effect.

Flooring materials can be sorted into two general teams:soft and hard. The first sort contains carpets, rugs and natural floor coverings,like coir and sisal, and the hard sort contains marble, stone, bricks and tiles. In addition there is vinyl, wood and cork.

Good quality carpets can be hard-wearing and they also act as good insulation, both in terms of heat and sound. However, they are more difficult to clean than a hard floor which can be mopped down, and are not waterproof, so are not good choices for a kitchen ( Impala Kitchens ) or bathroom.

Materials change from simply wool and wool-synthetic mixtures to entirely synthetic. How hard-wearing they are is decided by fabric,density of weave and length of pile. Very dense, short pile carpets in an 80 per cent wool/20 per cent synthetic mix are very tough, as are cord carpets, which are made from goat, calf and cow hair woven into a mix of materials. All carpets need an underfelt or underlay, only if they are foam-backed.