How To Choose The Best Flooring For Seniors

As we age, our priorities change. This applies to our homes as well! The flooring that worked perfectly when you were younger may not be the best fit for your current needs. Here at Express Flooring, we can help you navigate the many flooring options to find the perfect fit for your home. We have a wide selection of flooring materials, including carpet, tile, wood, laminate, vinyl, and stone.

Before you schedule a consultation with one of our representatives, here are some key considerations for senior-friendly flooring:

• Safety: Slip resistance and a cushioned surface become more important to minimize falls.
• Comfort: Consider how the flooring feels underfoot, especially if you spend a lot of time standing or walking.
• Maintenance: Look for easy-to-clean options that require minimal upkeep.

By familiarizing yourself with the different qualities of each flooring type, you'll be well-equipped to make an informed decision. Explore the advantages and disadvantages of various flooring options, keeping safety and senior living needs in mind. This will help you narrow down your choices and ensure you find the perfect flooring solution for your home.
   

Carpet Flooring

Carpet flooring stands out as one of the best flooring options for senior citizens. Many seniors prefer carpet becauseit:

• Offers a slip-resistant surface.
• Has plenty of plush fibers and cushion that can prevent injuries during a fall.
• Feels comfortable under their feet.

If safety is your top concern, then you want carpet flooring for your home. Some types of carpets are safer than others, though. A thick carpet, for instance, will cushion your fall better than a thin carpet designed to withstand heavy foot traffic. Don’t worry. Your Express Flooring representative will help you choose a carpet that’s right for you.
 

Disadvantages of Carpet

There are some downsides to carpets, though. Reasons to avoid carpet include the following:

• Burden of frequent vacuuming.
• Difficulty sliding canes and walkers across the surface.

Tile Flooring

Tile flooring has its pros and cons. You might like tile flooring in your home because it:

• Is easy to keep clean.
• Doesn’t require much maintenance.
• Offers a cool surface that’s delightful on hot days.
• Doesn’t prevent walkers and canes from moving freely.

Disadvantages of Tile

Unfortunately, tile flooring isn’t a very safe option for your home. Most tile gets very slippery when wet, which increases the chance that you could fall and hurt yourself. To make matters worse, tile has a hard surface that will not cushion your fall.
 

You can make tile flooring safer by adding rails to rooms where you have it installed. Express Flooring can also help make tile flooring safer by adding area rugs and runners to your home.
 

Wood Flooring

 
Wood flooring has a lot of features that should appeal to seniors. You can keep the floor clean with occasional sweeping or vacuuming; it’s durable enough to withstand a cane or walker, and it won’t prevent your cane or walker from moving across the floor easily.

Wood flooring also adds value to your home. If you decide to move to an assisted living facility, then you can sell your house for more money. 
 

Disadvantages of Wood 

Unfortunately, moisture can make hardwood a little slippery. It doesn’t get as slippery as tile, but it’s still unsafe. Hardwood flooring also offers minimal cushioning. It might help you feel stable on your feet, which is good, but it’s a hard surface that could injure you during a fall.

Again, Express Flooring can help you minimize the negative features of hardwood by adding area rugs and runners to your home.
 

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring looks surprisingly similar to hardwood floors. That’s because laminate flooring includes a thin slice of real wood under a protective layer. With laminate, you get unparalleled beauty at a fraction of the cost. Many seniors like laminate flooring for the same reasons that they prefer hardwood:

• It’s easy to keep clean.
• It doesn’t require much maintenance.
• It doesn’t hinder canes and walkers.

Disadvantages of Laminite Flooring

Unfortunately, the protective layer that gives laminate flooring many of its benefits can also make your floor unsafe. It doesn’t take much moisture to make laminate slippery. Also, the surface is fairly hard. It’s not quite as hard as wood, but you could still get injured during a fall.
 

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is one of the cheapest options for your home. If you want an attractive floor that doesn’t cost a lot of money, it’s one of your best options.
 

Other reasons to choose vinyl include:

• It’s durability.
• How easy it is to keep clean.
• It’s longevity.
• It’s resistance to moisture.

Disadvantages of Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl’s resistance to moisture protects your floor, but it could pose a hazard for you. Water and other liquids will sit on top of vinyl flooring. The vinyl will not absorb liquids. This quality means that you could slip and fall if you don’t pay careful attention. Some vinyl floors have padding underneath them, so they’re not as hard as wood, tile, and laminate. Still, vinyl isn’t something that you want to fall on since it only offers minimal padding.
   

Stone Flooring

Depending on the material used to make stone flooring, it can offer a good alternative to slippery tile flooring. Slate and travertine, for instance, have textured surfaces that can help you avoid slips. The materials aren’t slip-resistant by any means, but they’re less slippery than marble, ceramic, and porcelain.

Stone flooring is also easy to keep clean, so it appeals to many seniors who can’t scrub floors. Stone flooring’s low profile will also make it easy for you to move a cane or walker across the surface.
   

Disadvantages of Stone Floors

If you do happen to fall on stone, there is a good chance that you will get hurt. Most types of stone are extremely hard. Seniors who fall on the surfaces could break their bones or get cuts.

Some people also feel that stone’s hard surface makes it uncomfortable to walk on. That’s a personal preference that you will have to explore.
 

Contact Express Flooring for the Best Floors

Don’t make the mistake of choosing a new floor without help from a professional. Express Flooring will bring an unlimited number of flooring samples to your home. No matter how long it takes, we will find the right option for your home’s floors.