What Flooring Is Right for You?

Deciding what your feet will land on every day can be complicated. Each flooring type has good and bad points.

* Carpeting advantages: Comfortable to walk on, warm in winter, two to three times less expensive than hard-surface flooring and available in a variety of colors and styles. Disadvantages: Needs replacement every five to seven years and can aggravate allergies.

* Wood advantages: Warmer than other hard surfaces and aesthetically appealing. Disadvantages: Can be damaged by water and requires some maintenance.

* Natural stone advantages: Long-lasting and versatile, conforming to traditional and unusual decor. Disadvantages: Regular maintenance, difficult to change and generally the most expensive flooring to install.

* Tile advantages: Wide variety of styles available, affordable, resistant to water damage and maintenance-free. Disadvantages: Cold and hard on the feet and can crack, requiring replacement tiles.

* Vinyl and Pergo advantages: Inexpensive, versatile, practical, water-resistant, easy to clean and more comfortable to stand on than natural stone or tile. Disadvantages: Perceived as inexpensive flooring. Vinyl can rip and lift off the floor; Pergo doesn’t have lifting problems.