The Best Flooring Option for High Traffic Areas

Whether you want flooring material for your kitchen or hallway, durability is an essential factor. However, you don’t want to throw elegance in the bin in search of durability. For high-traffic areas, you should also consider easy-to-clean flooring.

Some rooms may experience the wrath of dragging or falling objects. If you are working from home, your working space may need tougher skin to withstand the regular back and forth chair dragging.

Some facilities like hospitals and hotels are in regular exposure to feet traffic. In all these circumstances, you need a flooring material that can withstand the traffic, and it is also easy to clean.

Balancing between durability, ease to clean, elegance, and cost is not an easy feat. First, we will look at the essential factors to consider for high-traffic flooring.

Features to Consider for High Traffic Areas Flooring

1. Durability

High traffic area flooring should withstand wear and tear. Whether it is fee traffic, dragging objects, or falling items, the material should not give in easily.

The impact could also come from the claws of your fluffy friend or playing children. Each of these conditions needs a durable flooring material.

2. Easy to Maintain

High traffic means exposure to dirt, wear, and tear. Therefore, it should be easy to maintain the floor. The floor should withstand regular cleaning. Some floors may warp or take time to dry; therefore, they might not make good high-traffic flooring options.

3. Cost

Flooring doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to tick all your boxes. The best flooring for high traffic areas should also put the cost into consideration.

The maintenance cost is also another factor to consider. Some flooring material might rip your pockets.

4. Elegance

You don’t have to compromise the aesthetic appeal of the floor. High traffic means more eyes on the floor. The sight of the floor should appeal to the eyes. Most high-traffic areas might be the first interaction of customers with your brand. Therefore, you want to create a good first impression.

5. Comfort

You should ensure the floor feels comfortable to the users. Some essential comfort factors to consider for high traffic areas are:

• Warmth: the floor should not be too cold to the feet.
• Anti-slip: when there is high traffic, the floor should be safe to walk on. The material should have a good grip to avoid slips and falls.

6. High Resistance

Resistance to water, heat, and abrasions should be at the top of your features for high-traffic floors. If you want to maintain the aesthetic appeal of wood, the best option might be engineered wood for high-traffic areas. You can also pick laminate floors that mimic hardwood to ensure you cater to water resistance.

List of the Best Flooring Materials for High Traffic Areas

1. Tile Flooring

Tile flooring is hard, water, and scratch-resistant. As a result, it is ideal for high-traffic areas. Apart from being durable, tile flooring is also easy to maintain. The best tile flooring for high traffic areas will still look even after being in use for 20 years. Tiles are also eco-friendly.

It’s worth noting that if something heavy drops on the tile, it can chip or crack. You should first check if heavy objects will be moved across the area. Despite this, tiles are still ideal for heavy-traffic areas. They are extremely versatile, and they come in various designs. They also do not have any issues with moisture.

2. Laminate Flooring

If you are looking for something durable, comfortable, and budget-friendly, you cannot go wrong with laminate flooring. However, if there will be water in the area, it is best to avoid this flooring. Nevertheless, laminate flooring is highly durable. It can stand against kids’ toys, pet paws, or high-foot traffic.

Laminate offers better comfort and installation ease compared to tiles. Many manufacturers are also designing attractive pieces, making them the best flooring for high traffic areas in the house. It has a bounciness, and it holds on to heat.

3. Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Another option to consider when looking at flooring ideas for high traffic areas is luxury vinyl flooring. It comprises protective layers keeping it safe from scratches, stains, and scuffs. LVF or luxury vinyl flooring comes in tiles and planks which are highly resilient and durable.

It comprises other benefits such as it is easy to clean and also waterproof. LVF is much more affordable compared to hardwood. It also gives you a wide range of styles.

4. Concrete Flooring

Are you looking for high-traffic commercial flooring options? Concrete flooring can be ideal. It is extremely durable, easy to maintain, and tough. Apart from the industrial finish concrete flooring, manufacturers have made stylish options for residential use. It is very tough and highly resistant to scratches and holds well if something heavy falls on it. However, it can be cold and hard as it doesn’t retain heat well. It also feels hard under feet.

5. Solid and Engineered Hardwood

If you are concerned about your home’s resale value, this is an ideal flooring material. It is attractive and comfortable qualities that make it ideal for most residential places. Though wood can scuff easily, it can be refinished to remove these marks. If you invest in solid hardwood, you can refinish it up to seven times.

Wood often fails to hold up well to moisture. It should not be installed in wet areas. But wood is stylish and smooth underfoot.

6. Natural Stone

Natural stone is resilient. They are also elegant, and they can last for many years. Limestone, granite, and sandstone bring natural beauty to any space. However, it is expensive depending on the type of stone that you choose.

As you can see, there are various materials you can consider when looking for the best flooring for high-traffic areas. Though each may have some disadvantages, they are durable enough to be installed on various high-traffic areas.