Floors can make a statement and add character to any space. Though most prefer to adorn floors with rugs, there some places that let the floors shine and add a stylistic flare to a space. Here are some of most beautiful and unique floors in the world to inspire you to get bold with your floors:

Gaudi Tile:

Versailles’ Wood design:

St George’s Hall:

Mosaic in Volubilis:

Don’t let your floors stay dirty or lose their luster. With these tips your floors will always look their best.

1. Vacuum floors frequently so debris doesn’t set. If you have tile or hardwood, you should also be mopping to clean up sticky spots.
2. Clean spots quickly, especially with carpet. The quicker you can get the spot up, the less chance of it staining or setting. If cleaning spots from marble or granite flooring, make sure your products are stone approved.
3. For carpet floors, professionally clean them 12 months to remove dirt that has been embedded in the carpet.
4. Wood floors can also be buffed and restained/ sealed when they begin to look dull.

Are you contemplating a home renovation or pursuing a new build? These tips will help you select the best flooring for your needs and help protect it for a long-term investment:

1. If you go with hardwood flooring, make sure the boards are installed perpendicular to your joist to ensure strength and hinder warping.
2. If your area is more damp, i.e. a basement, consider engineered hardwood. Engineered hardwood is real wood on the top with multiple pieces of plywood or fiberboard underneath.
3. Apply protective coating to your hardwood floors, not just stain. Stain merely changes the color, so add a protective coating or polyurethane to ensure a long life for your hardwood.
4. For areas with lots of spills, tiles are easy to clean and have a variety of looks and price options. Tile can also go beyond the kitchen and the bathroom, so don’t limit yourself if this fits your family needs better.
5. If you have pets, carpet can be harder to clean, but they also make the room feel cozier, especially in colder rooms and environments.

Although wood flooring is dried, cut and processed, it still responds to moisture by expanding and contracting, which if your home is older, this change may be more noticeable.

During the winter, the weather is drier and the hardwood contracts. In the summer, especially in humid locations, the wood expands. This is all normal for your floors. However, if you wish to reduce this fluctuation, humidity controls can be installed. Optimal humidity levels are 40-60%, therefore, no gaps will appear if you maintain a humidity level within this range.

In the summer, the wood will expand creating a bend in the wood where the edges are higher than the center. Once this cupping occurs, it takes a while for the floor to flatten out again. In extreme cases, the wood can crack. However, both situations can be avoided with a humidifier and occur in areas of extreme humidity hovering 90%.

Wood flooring is still extremely durable, beautiful and easy to maintain. Be aware of the seasonality and your local climate to determine if you need to take additional measure to protect your flooring.

Are you hosting the holiday festivities, but nervous your floors may take a hit? Have fun this holiday season without worrying about spills or dirt being tracked in. Here are some ideas to help protect your floors during the holidays:

1. Festive rugs: Go to Home Goods or the Dollar Store and purchase a cheap festive rug for the front door so your guests can wipe their feet. You can also find larger rugs for the interior rooms.
2. Cover the floor with plastic: This is less aesthetically pleasing, but you can protect your floors from all potentially harmful situations whether it is scratches, spills or dirt.
3. Shoe rack: Request your guests take off their shoes with a shoe rack and a polite sign. Most guests will understand! You could encourage fun holiday socks or slippers to make it fun.
4. Clean/Condition: If your floors still took a beating, clean and condition them to restore them to their previous beauty. Luckily, wood and tile floors are quite durable and carpet can be cleaned if stained.

Floor tile designs can add a unique, personal tough to your home, especially in small spaces or entryways. They can make a small area for interesting or become a focal feature. Use these ideas to play with different tile shapes, colors and patterns:

1. Create a pattern in your shower or your entire bathroom.
2. Use a variety of colors to create a mosaic.
3. Add contrast with two different types of tile to create a pattern or add a focal point.
4. Make a strong first impression with an entryway design or personalization, such as a family crest, letter or symbol.  
5. Create a vintage aesthetic with classic black and white tiles, great for bathrooms or kitchens!
6. Mix materials for a seamless division or to add a new dimension. Wood can enhance tile flooring, formulating patterns and appearing as a statement grout. 

Tile floors, especially in Texas, are a great way to spruce up your home and create a comfortable, clean living environment for you and your family. But, tile needs some maintainance and upkeep to keep it looking new and clean.

Some tiles may be stain or dirt resistant, but especially in high-traffic areas of your home, surfaces wear down and can look dull. The best way to clean tile is with a non-corrosive, mild detergent and clean water. A rag or chamois-type mop is much better than a sponge mop because sponge mops can push dirty water around without actually picking it up off the tile.

If your water looks dirty, swap it for clean water because dirty water equals a cloudy floor. For other residue (like soap), a non-abrasive all-purpose cleaner will do the trick. For an all-natural version you can try using lemon juice, but only on ceramic tiles—never on marble.

For families with children, it is no surprise that a lot of importance is placed on the types of flooring in your home. High levels of traffic and increased chances of spills and other accidents wreak havoc on your floors. Here are some general tips for flooring options for your kid-friendly home:

–       Carpet: If you have to have carpet, be sure to deep clean it often, and some carpet is better for wear and tear than others, but try not to have wall to wall carpet in your home.

–       Renewable materials: Materials like vinyl, wood, cork, or linoleum are great options because they are easily cleaned and maintained in your home.  If you like the feel of carpet, lay down area rugs throughout your home, but be sure to clean them regularly and there are protectant sprays you can place on your rugs for protection.

–       Stone and concrete: Stone and concrete is another great option for flooring but is very slippery when wet and requires occasional maintenance, but easily cleaned.