While high-quality flooring is beneficial for any lake home, picking a new material can be an overwhelming experience. Let's go over all the things to consider when choosing a floor for your lake house to help you find the right materials.
Do Lake Houses Need Special Flooring
Lake houses don't need highly specialized flooring, but you will want a durable floor with water-resistant properties for your lake house. While lake houses can handle most flooring materials, you'll need one that can withstand waterside conditions year-round.
Why Choosing the Right Flooring Is Important
As the name suggests, lake houses are typically pretty close to water. They must withstand potential water damage, changing moisture levels and wear from dirt and debris. If your lake house is in a particularly humid area, you'll have to consider that, too. Getting good, high-quality flooring ensures your lake house flooring can last many years. Durable flooring will also look nice for a long time, making your vacation spot much more welcoming.
Along with durability, the right flooring should have the look you want. Consider patterns, textures and colors carefully when choosing the right floor for your lake house. Consider different color schemes and styles to pick the flooring that best complements your style. The right flooring style can make or break your enjoyment of a space, and you want your lake house to be somewhere you love staying in.
Considerations for Choosing Floors for Your Lake House
Let's look at some of the things you should consider when choosing your next lake house floor.
Maintenance
The cleanability of a floor can have a big impact on the flooring you pick. Some floors require more maintenance to keep them looking nice for years. Others might have specific care requirements you'll have to incorporate into your budget. While several flooring types only need a regular sweep and mop, others will require more upkeep.
For example, wood floors need refinishing every decade or so. This helps restore the wood and removes scratches and dings it might have accumulated over the years.
Tile needs regrouting whenever the grout becomes too old and worn. Without new grout, the old grout will collect dirt and even mold. It will also become less and less waterproof as the grout starts to wear away. Regrouting is an added but necessary expense.
Cleaning and maintenance will affect the time, money and work you have to put into your lake house's floor, so evaluate them carefully to ensure you can properly care for the material.
Humidity
Lake houses often have to deal with higher humidity than a regular home. If your property is right on the lakefront, the humidity will be a more serious problem. Some materials like hardwood and carpet are more susceptible to humidity damage, so you might want to avoid putting them in certain parts of your lake home. Other areas, like basements, will also experience more humidity. You'll want to ensure the flooring you select can take the higher moisture.
Exposure to Water
While humidity is one moisture factor, you'll also have to consider your floor's water exposure. It's easy to track water and mud through the house, especially if you live right on the waterfront. Decks, entryways, mudrooms and other entrance areas of your home will need durable, waterproof flooring.
Weather
As temperatures drop, some floors can become cold and uncomfortable. Tile and stone can both feel extremely cold on your feet if they're in the basement or other areas near exits and windows. You can avoid this effect by picking heated flooring in your lake house. Heated flooring maintains a comfortable temperature, no matter the outside conditions. This helps you stay warm whether you've got tile or stone floors.
Look
You'll want your floors to work with your existing design scheme or your new remodeled one. Flooring is an eye-catching piece that can make or break a room's look. Different materials will have their own textures, aesthetics and looks, which can significantly influence a space's feel. Pick flooring that complements the room to ensure everything fits well together.
How to Choose the Right Floor for a Lake House
When remodeling, you don't have to pick just one floor type in fact you should adjust your flooring to each room. Like a regular home, lake houses need different materials depending on a room's use. Let's break down each room and what floors work best for their needs.
Kitchen
Kitchens see lots of use, which means wear and tear and moisture. You'll want to avoid carpeted kitchens carpet soaks up water and stains easily. You'd end up replacing your carpet often as it absorbs everything you drop in the kitchen.
Instead, opt for a durable material for your kitchen floor. Porcelain and ceramic tile can work well in kitchens. Some can be slippery when wet, but there are many textured and slip resistant tile options. Consider luxury vinyl tile options for your kitchen if you want low maintenance or are on a budget. They're highly durable, 100% waterproof and easy to clean and will stand up to the moisture exposure of kitchens.
Bathroom
Bathrooms see lots of humidity and constant water spills. You should pick waterproof flooring to ensure your floors withstand the heavy moisture content of bathrooms. The best bathroom flooring options are porcelain or ceramic tile or luxury vinyl. These are all extremely durable flooring materials with excellent water resistance. They come in various colors and patterns, making them ideal for bathroom customization.
Living Room
Living rooms are spaces for relaxation and comfort. They don't see much water, although they do get a good amount of traffic, especially in a lake house. Since comfort and style are usually a priority for living rooms, carpet, hardwood or luxury vinyl are your best options. While tile and natural stone are attractive, they're hard and can be cold to walk or lay down on you could even consider a heated tile floor for gathering spaces like living rooms.
Carpet offers a plush, insulating floor perfect for relaxing on. Hardwood and luxury vinyl have sleek, timeless appearances. Dressed up with area rugs, they provide the ideal mix of comfort and style.
Bedroom
Like living rooms, bedrooms are spaces for lounging. Hardwood, luxury vinyl or carpet work best in these rooms. They provide the comfort needed for a bedroom and are easy to clean. Since you don't need to worry as much about water exposure, there's no need to use tile or natural stone in bedrooms.
Best Durable Lake House Floor Options
Overall, the best lake house flooring is the material that works well for your preferences and budget. Hardwood, luxury vinyl, tile and natural stone are great for durability and are better for heavy-traffic areas. Carpet is soft and comfortable but highly susceptible to water damage, so you'll probably want to avoid it if your lake home sees lots of humidity and water.
Like carpet, hardwood is at-risk of water damage. Hardwood can warp when exposed to water, so avoid choosing it for basements and bathrooms. Tile and luxury vinyl will give you the best overall durability and water resistance.
Pick a quality, attractive flooring that you love, and you'll enjoy your lake house floors for years to come. As long as you watch out for water damage and regularly maintain your floors, many flooring options will last you a long time.
Choose Area Flooring & Tile, Inc. for Your Lake House Remodel
Remodels are a significant investment you don't want to get subpar flooring for your lake home. Enjoy high-quality, durable flooring and quality installations when you remodel with Area Flooring & Tile, Inc. We carry a wide selection of flooring options to ensure you get the right material for your home. We'll work with you to find strong, attractive flooring you'll be proud to show off. Whether you're looking to redo your floors or jump into a full remodel, we've got the professional experience to bring your vision to life.
Contact us online to schedule your appointment today!
