[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is a very unpleasant feeling when you wake up in the morning and place your bare feet on a cold floor surface. The experience is worse during the winter months when even heat blasting cannot make the floor warm.
Some flooring materials lose heat quickly while others are better able to retain heat. There are some flooring materials that function as an insulator making the space feel cozier and warmer. In this blog post, we’ve listed the most popular flooring options that can keep your space warm.
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Cork
Cork flooring is one of the most popular warm flooring options. It insulates the room better than many other flooring materials. It’s also eco-friendly, hypoallergenic and soft underfoot. The entire structure of this flooring material is filled with numerous tiny air pockets that act as cushions of insulation. They prevent cold air from getting in and hot air from getting out.
Cork is available in both tiles and sheets which are very easy to install and can be laid on almost all types of subfloors that may already exist.
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Carpet
Carpet is popularly known as an affordable material that traps heat and keeps away the cold. It’s very cozy, comfortable, and available in various colours, styles, patterns, textures, and thicknesses. Carpets with longer and thicker fibres are more suitable for the winter as they better insulate the room against heat loss. New carpeting technology provides advanced insulation. Carpet is also quick to install and can also be laid on uneven subfloors.
However, carpet requires thorough maintenance as it accumulates dust, dirt and dirt easily. If not cleaned regularly, it can affect the indoor air quality. It can host microbes and trigger the growth of allergens which makes it a poor choice for people with allergies.
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Vinyl
Like carpet, vinyl flooring is also another affordable warm flooring option. Available in both tile and sheet options, it feels comfortable underfoot and is resistant to discolouration, stains and water penetration. Although it doesn’t have any individual characteristic to retain heat, it can act as an insulator when paired with the right type of padded underlayment such as cork and foam.
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Hardwood
High-quality hardwood flooring can also add warmth to your space. It’s a better choice than standard tiles or natural stone for keeping your indoor warm and cozy. Available in a wide range of variety, types, textures and styles, hardwood is also comfortable underfoot. But it’s expensive and it requires proper maintenance since it’s prone to dents and scratches depending on the wood material.
Additional Floor Warming Tips
- Underlayment: Installing a flooring material over an underlayment made from insulating materials such as cork, rubber, and foam can help improve the warmth of the walking area. The underlayment also helps seal the heat inside the room protecting your indoors from the winter chill. Therefore, be it a concrete or a plywood subfloor that have naturally cold properties, underlayment is a perfect solution as it’d placed below the surface material and above the subfloor.
- Radiant Heating System: The main purpose of using a radiant heating system is to emit heat upwards into the top flooring material so that you feel warm under feet. The heat gradually spreads to the entire room and controls the temperature of the entire space efficiently. It’s basically an advanced type of underlayment that works best with conductive materials like tile.
The most common type of radiant heating system comes with coils of wire that can be heated electronically. The other type of radiant heating system comes with long thin water tubes that can be heated or cooled depending on the warmth you prefer.
- Area Rugs: This is a timeless solution to guard against cold flooring. They can also be placed strategically to enhance the visual appeal of the space.
If your room remains cold with its currently installed floor, it’s not just uncomfortable but it’s also costing you money. Choose a warm flooring option from this list instead and get your floors renovated. If you’re still indecisive, get professional help from a reputed flooring retailer in Brampton and the nearby cities of the GTA based on your location.
