Furniture Selections
Gone are the days of aluminum and plastic serving as your only choices for bringing together the look, feel, and comfort of your patio.

Now there are many wood, metal and wicker pieces of furniture treated to withstand even the most harsh of weather. Plus, they are designed to make your outdoor living as visually appealing as possible.

Teak patio furniture is an eye-popping choice for home and patio decor. The weathered look of gray and silver teak patio furniture adds a subtle beauty that draws a gratifying smile when walking onto a patio.

Floor Covering
With the many choices of carpet, tile, stone and specialty floor covering that is available it is easy to carry the inside out. Make creative selections and your very own yarn becomes a wonderful vacation spot.

Home Away from Home
There are many means of making your yard and patio more than simply an extension of your home. Home and patio decor are a part of that package. Creative homeowners can develop it into a bit of a vacation getaway.

A hammock is another a fun way to enjoy your outdoor furnishings while snoozing or watching the beauty of the sky – and don’t forget the iced tea and a book.

Lighting
You can also create something of a tantalizing nighttime escape in the backyard of your home – patio decor simply adds to the illusion.

By stringing up patio lanterns, locating comfortable, resort-style furniture, and maybe even setting up a fire pit, you can almost pretend you are visiting a 5-star hotel instead of simply stepping into your own yard.

If that doesn’t spark your interest, create a small do-it-yourself project by purchasing a low voltage landscape lighting kit. Bring a little attention to your overall landscaping efforts when the sun goes down by illuminating it with a garden pathway.

Bonsai Trees
Perhaps you’d prefer to turn your patio and garden into a “retreat center” for yourself or family members. An attractive option might include a layout of bonsai trees for your backyard and patio decor.

Whether you go for Juniper or Maple bonsai, you can convert this portion of your property into a source of inspiration and beauty. Add a few indoor bonsai trees and your entire home can provide its guests a few moments of serenity.

Of course your choices for enhancing your home and patio decor are as limitless as your imagination. Do some experimenting (you can always return what you don’t want to keep) and find the combination that keeps you longing to visit again – in your own backyard.

First, do you want self-stick tiles or ones that requiring glue? The peel-and-stick type are easier and less messy to put down. However, they are also more prone to curling edges and loosening.

Next, what size of tile do you prefer? You can get planks that resemble hardwood flooring. Tiles are often found in one square foot sizes. There is also an 18-inch size. Each size can lend a different look to the room. Also, the 18-inch size will have fewer cracks for liquids to get under and to peel up later. The one-foot size or planks may be easier to handle when laying the tile, however.

What patterns do you like? You can find many different designs. Some are simulated to look like hardwood flooring. Others may look like various stone floors. Still more are solid color. These can lend themselves to interesting designs where you alternate tiles of different colors or maybe use a different color tile to edge the room or highlight a focal point. You can also find other designs such as floral.

What is your price range? While your first instinct may be to go with the cheapest tile, this probably isn’t your best option. Vinyl tile vary in thickness and durability. If you are putting the tile in a very light traffic area, you may be able to get by with cheaper tile. If you have pets and/or kids or lots of foot traffic, then you will want to get a floor that will hold up to the abuse.

Where are you planning to put the tile? Bathrooms and kitchens tend to be high-moisture areas. In this case, the tiles that require gluing may work better since the self-stick tiles may loosen over time. Tiles coming up can also be a concern in areas that are below-grade such as basements. In fact, vinyl tile may not be the best choice for such areas.

Do you want to match a pattern? Some tiles have obvious patterns like stripes. Others may have arrows indicating which side is up, but the pattern isn’t as obvious. Getting a pattern to line up can be tricky and may not look good if your room isn’t square and your striped tile emphasizes that fact.

By taking the above considerations into account, you should be able to select the best vinyl tile for your floor.

Will the area under consideration be subject to heavy traffic? Is a sound barrier required (as in a condo)? How easy will it be to clean? Will the area be subjected to moisture as in a kitchen or basement? Does anyone in the home have allergy or asthma issues (carpeting is not the best choice)? Does the floor need to be slip resistant? What is the warranty period, cost, and durability of the material? Is the new floor suitable for the type of subfloor?

Check out the type of glues and sealers used as they can off gas chemicals that can affect some one who is sensitive. There are now materials available that have less off gassing of these harmful chemicals. Ask questions! Research is paramount here!

The main categories of flooring available are:

1 – resilient flooring, which is sheet or tile flooring. Common types are cushion, vinyl, linoleum, rubber and cork.
This flooring product is fairly inexpensive, is easy to maintain, comfortable to stand on, and easy to install. Sheet flooring is installed using adhesives. Try to get adhesives that have the lowest amount of VOC’s as possible. The negatives about tile flooring are the tiles can curl, minor scratches, holes or tears are quite visible, needing to be replaced before it gets worse.

2 – carpeting is not a good choice for bathrooms, kitchens or basements (moisture areas). It is great for bedrooms because it is warm, soft on the feet and is good for absorbing sound. People with allergies should not have carpeting in their bedrooms because they spend eight hours of their day in this room. Carpets can trap dirt, dust mites, mold and bacteria. The harder the floor surface, the better for allergy sufferers. There are also carpets on the market today that off gas less harmful compounds, than in the past. A shorter pile (eg. Berber), is more durable and harbors less pollutants. Cost depends on the quality of carpet and underpad. It is important to get a very good quality underpad, as this will increase the longevity of the carpet.

3 – wood flooring comes in many widths, colors, thicknesses and grades. Some hardwoods are birch, maple, beech, and oak. Softer woods include pine, fir and hemlock. They come in strip flooring, plank, parquet, and laminates. Most new hardwood today is pre-finished and has UV-cured polyurethane layers to protect the finish. Pre-finished flooring prevents off gassing of chemicals into the atmosphere versus unfinished flooring that can have strong chemical smells lurking in the home for months, after they are stained and varnished. Laminates are usually cheaper than real wood, but wear very well. They are a good alternative to hardwood. Hardwood will increase the value of the home. It is easy to care for, looks beautiful and lasts a long time.

4 – ceramic tiles come in many sizes. They can be glazed or unglazed. Glazed tiles are more slippery when wet and are not recommended for bathrooms. Ceramics are very cold and hard and can be less comfortable to stand on for long periods. Ceramics wear very well and are easy to clean. White or very light colored ceramics are not practical, as they always look dirty. They can crack easily if a hard object is dropped on them and can be noisy for anyone living below. This type of floor is an excellent choice for people with allergies. Water based sealers and grout are better as they have fewer emissions. Ceramics tiles can last a very long time resulting in cost savings.

Most people have a mixture of the above flooring types in their homes. It is worth putting a little extra money into good quality flooring as this can help prevent problems down the road.

When deciding on the right kind of flooring for the home, the lifestyle of the homeowners should be considered. Plush carpets in light colors will not be appropriate for rooms which are inhabited by children and pets, especially if there will be little time for taking special care of the flooring. Rooms that won’t be used as much could have the lighter-colored carpets and tiles and wide-seamed tiles. It best to use carpet or tiles with dark colors and patterns for heavily used rooms.

The architectural features and the design of the rooms should also be taken into consideration. One should consider the following: Amount of humidity and water in the room, the possible presence of sunlight that can make certain colors in the area fade, and the presence of vents in the floors for heating and cooling. It is a must that the flooring chosen should work with the room’s architectural features and systems. There are extensive choices available for all kinds of room features, so homeowners should not feel compromised by the restrictions brought about by other space features.

After deciding on the type of flooring that will be most suitable for the home, a homeowner should contemplate on the type of look for it. Options for design are limitless, so there will be no restrictions when it comes to nailing down the preferred look. The most common looks that homeowners usually go for are either the warm and cozy look, or the cold, modern, and sterile style. Adventurous homeowners can get experimental and mix and match several design types to achieve a unique, distinctive impression.

Here are the different types of flooring that homeowners can choose from:

1. Hardwood
Hardwood floors are known for their strength and sturdiness. For those with more money to spare, they can opt to have engineered wood flooring, which is created by wood layers added with veneer. However, wooden floors are prone to scratching and gouges, and have the tendency to be discolored or cracked if exposed to a long period of maximum dryness or wetness. It is easy to maintain, though, it only requires dusting and vacuuming, and refinishing is required only every ten to fifteen years.

2. Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tile flooring adds value to homes because of its durability and wide decorative range. There are several varieties that can suit every need and budget. The bad side is that tile floors can feel cold for bare feet and it may be hard to clean light-colored tiles that have wide seams. But in general, it only requires sweeping and mopping on a regular basis to maintain this kind of flooring. Strength and style are the great qualities of ceramic tile floors and come in minimal costs for homeowners on a budget.

3. Laminates
They are produced to look like an exact copy of wood floors, and they come with a lower price tag. Laminates can be easily maintained, and are also known for their durability. House decorators and builders consider laminate floors as a great option aside from other floor types because of its price and versatility. Damp mopping is the only thing needed for maintenance, and replacement may be needed every ten years.

4. Vinyl
Floors made of vinyl material are affordable, durable and are resistant to wear and tear. There are a great variety availability when it comes to choosing vinyl flooring, and you only need to sweep and mop to maintain them.

5. Carpets
Carpeting floors is less expensive than other floor types. Carpets comes in many sizes, shapes, fibers and colors, and are hassle-free to install. To maintain carpeted floors, you need to vacuum on a regular basis, and the carpets need thorough shampooing and cleaning once a year. Average cost of carpets range from one to fifteen dollars per square foot.

There will no shortage of options when it comes to choosing the perfect floor for a room. Homeowners will have no trouble getting the type of flooring that will suit their dream house.