Flooring is an essential element in your home - choose it wisely.Whether you're renovating and replacing existing flonoring, or you're building a ew home, the flooring material you choose is parallel to the foun­dation that supports your whole house.

In selecting a floor covering for any given room, you should consider dura­bility, ease of maintenance, special prop­erties and advantages and, equally important, your budget.

WOOD

Engineered hardwood is avail­able in many styles at prices to suit every budget. Hardwood strips are also available to suit any decor style. To create your pre­ferred design pattern, you can select it from a range of widths, but note that nar­rower strips are more stable when sub­jected to humidity variations. Generally, wood floors are installed in bedrooms, family/living room, office, dining room and hallways. Most recently, because of the durability and ease of maintenance, wood is also found in kitchen/family room combinations. A key resale advantage - wood never goes Out of style. Laminated wood is one of the most budget-friendly options and offer dura­bility and ease of installation. Available in a variety of finishes and colours, it is easy to maintain and needs neither wax­ing nor stripping. Average Cost: Wood, $2 -$7 per square foot; Laminate, $1 - $3 per square foot 2011 OUTLOOK -distressed finishes, wider planks, and more from exotic woods.

CERAMIC

Widespread use of ceramic tiles is due in part to durability and ease of maintenance, as well as providing the flex­ibility to create unique patterns by using a variety of compatible tiles in one design. generate moisture, such as kitchens, bath­rooms and entrance halls, tiles are also used creatively at the base of the fire­place hearth. As with any flooring, select tiles relevant to their daily use (abuse). Tiles earmarked for the entrance hall are likely to be roughed up, and as such must be more resistant than those used in the bathroom. Matte enamel finishes are less slippery and better-suited to kitchens and bathrooms. Conversely, they are not ideal for the entrance hall of their low resistance to scratching. Average Cost: from $2 to $10 per square foot 2011 OUTLOOK—for a few dollars more try porcelain or travertine tiles.

VINYL

An alternative application to ceramic, vinyl is especially cost efficient and easy to install and maintain. Tiles or sheeting is recommended for kitchens, bathrooms and entrance halls. Affordable, vinyl is available in an impressive vari­ety of colours and motifs that often reproduce other forms of floor coverings in very credible ways. Average Cost $0.65 to $4.50 per square foot per tile, or $8 to $50 per square yard. 2011 OUTLOOK—vinyl that looks like stone, hardwood and ceramic tiles.

CARPETING

The cost of this floor­ing application varies dramatically depending upon fibre content, quality and design. Because of the elegance and the inherent comfort factor in carpeting, it is normally found in the living room, family room, bedrooms, and stairways. Its durability and ease of maintenance is directly related to the quality of car­peting you invest in. An immensely attrac­tive flooring option, the choice of colours, cut and design is almost unlimited. Average Cost: between $17 and $85 per square metre. 2011 OUTLOOK—shag still a popular choice.

GRANITE + MARBLE + SLATE + STONE

Unquestionably the noblest of all floor coverings, these materials should be chosen not simply for the sophisticated design opportunities it affords but, more importantly, for its physical properties. Granite, for the most part, is incred­ibly resistant and its maintenance requirements borders on the simplistic. On the other hand, it does look austere. Marble is porous and scratches eas­ily. Contrary to the porous quality of black slate, dark marble is less porous. Marble should not be installed in dining rooms and other areas where spills are likely to occur. Slate, like marble, is also porous and will be damaged by water if not sealed Black slate is the most porous of all slates. and the most fragile. Lighter coloured tiles stand up to constant use much bettel Stone, recommended to be installed by professionals, this will subsequentfr increase the cost. Average Cost between $4 to $35 per square foot 2011 OUTLOOK— as long its durable

We can help turn your ideas into reality and make your home more comfortable and valuable. With more carpet choices, from high-performance berbers to rich friezes to plush textures, finding the best solution to your needs is easy. As well,consider the transition between new and old floors and adjoining rooms. Accent tile can create visual interest on a large expanse of fieldstone, or make a border to define or highlight an area. High-traffic laminates can flow effortlessly to porcelain tiles. The choice of floor coverings is yours — but if you want it done right the first time, select the one from listings