Brief summary of what you should know

Trends come and go, changing with our tastes and moods. Lately, we have been thinking about floors, particularly, flooring types.

Rosie on the House Certified Partner, Von Payne, East Valley Flooring, tells us what trends he has seen over the past year.

• Color. For the past several years, gray tones have predominated in the market. This trend is beginning to shift to beige tones. Yup, we seem to be moving to a previously popular color scheme. So, if you just put down a floor whose colors are in the gray range, take heart, those colors may be popular again.
• Patterns. The most trending patterns are products that mimic wood planks. With variations in wood, vinyl, and ceramic, these surfaces offer stunning finishes. Some ceramic tile choices still resemble a stone product as well.
• Carpeting is being replaced with hard surfaces. Still a great product, carpeting isn’t going to vanish, so don’t tear it out if it is in good condition. When the time comes to make a change, Von says folks are looking for a surface that might take a little more abuse and wear better.
• Products that seem to be losing ground are fringe types such as cork, bamboo, and stained concrete.

Several products afford a hard surface. There are basically three materials that rise to the popularity surface.

• Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) is a manufactured product popular with DIYers. The planks can be easily installed without the need for specialty tools. A caution here, though. The quality of various products can differ widely. Some products are quite inexpensive and look good. Von tells us the key to selecting a quality product is the plank’s thickness. A 4.5-millimeter thickness is quite inexpensive and readily available. The problem with the thinner product is the interlocking connection, similar to a tongue-and-groove system. Thinner planks tend to not hold together as well if there are irregularities in the floor’s surface. They also tend to break when being installed. That means you may have to buy more pieces. A minimum thickness of 6 millimeters is recommended. Be sure the product has a UNILIN locking system. This patented system is popular with several brands.
• Ceramic tile has been around for a long time and is not going anywhere. This is the most durable choice and the hardest surface. If you want to install it yourself, having some experience and viewing instructional videos is a good idea. The difficulty associated with installation often deters less devoted DIYers.
• Engineered Wood Plank is another manufactured flooring type. Each plank is composed of several layers of materials and sometimes looks like plywood with a thin veneer of real wood on the surface. Because it is made with a wood surface, you will get all the wonderful variations in color that real wood offers. Engineered wood plank, as with luxury vinyl, is installed with an interlocking connection or tongue-and-groove system and is popular with the DIY group. This product can be rather pricey.

Replacing flooring can make a dramatic change to any space, trendy or not. Before you buy, do a little research. The Rosie on the House DIY database is a great place to start.

Join Rosie on the House every Saturday from 8 a.m.-11 a.m. on KTAR News 92.3 FM. If you’d like to send us questions or comments, email [email protected]. Follow us on X and “Like” us on Facebook. For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert since 1988, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program. Call 888-767-4348 with questions and comments.