8 Top Flooring Choices That Will Upgrade Your Custom Home
Our custom home builders North Vancouver clients ask about flooring more than almost any other finish. Here are the eight choices we recommend most, and where each works best.
Why flooring is the highest impact finish decision
Flooring covers more square footage than any other finish surface in a home. It sets the colour palette, the warmth, and the maintenance burden for the next 20 to 30 years. Get it right and the rest of the design works around it. Get it wrong and every other finish has to compensate.
1. European white oak engineered hardwood
Wide plank European white oak in matte or natural finish is the default for high end Vancouver custom homes. Specify 7 inch or wider planks, 5 to 6 millimetre wear layer for refinishing potential, and a UV cured oil finish for low maintenance. Works in almost every room except bathrooms and laundry.
2. Rift sawn white oak
For a more refined look with consistent grain, rift sawn white oak costs about 25 percent more than standard plain sawn but reads much more architectural. Excellent for clients targeting a contemporary or transitional aesthetic.
3. Large format porcelain tile
Twenty four by forty eight or larger porcelain tile reads as continuous stone with thin grout lines. Specify rectified edges and Schluter trim at transitions. Best in entry foyers, bathrooms, mudrooms, and laundry rooms.
4. Natural stone
Honed limestone, travertine, and marble for entry halls, bathrooms, and feature areas. Higher cost and higher maintenance than porcelain, but the depth and patina natural stone develops over time is irreplaceable.
5. Polished or honed concrete
Concrete floors with radiant in floor heating create a contemporary aesthetic and a comfortable underfoot experience. Best in modernist designs and basements. Lower maintenance than expected; sealants are the key.
6. Luxury vinyl plank for income suites
Quality LVP at $4 to $7 per square foot installed delivers waterproof performance, tenant friendly durability, and a wood look acceptable for income suites and laneway homes. Not appropriate for the main residence in a high end custom build.
7. Cork flooring for select rooms
Cork is making a comeback in home offices, playrooms, and exercise rooms because of its warmth, sound dampening, and softness underfoot. Specify a high quality clear sealed product for longevity.
8. Carpet only where it belongs
Wall to wall carpet has retreated to bedrooms, theatre rooms, and basement family rooms in modern custom homes. Specify wool or wool blend for primary bedrooms, durable solution dyed nylon for high traffic spaces, and a quality high density underlay.