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You’ve found the perfect homebuilder in Savannah, GA, you’ve chosen your perfect floor plan, and now you have a series of big decisions to make - decisions that will have a huge effect on your life every day – decisions that will influence the lives of your children – decisions that will even determine how you spend your leisure time. Wow…that sounds more than a little overwhelming! What could possibly be this important? It’s something you probably haven’t given much thought to up to this point – your flooring! It’s true…your flooring can make a difference in your life in so many ways. Until fairly recently, the only question you would be asked about flooring would have been ‘What color do you want the carpets to be’? Beginning in the 1950’s, wall-to-wall carpeting was the obvious choice when people built new homes. Before that time, it was a luxury item – something out of reach for the typical homeowner. But in the 1950’s, innovations in the way carpeting was manufactured caused the price to drop, and suddenly the floor covering of the wealthy was available to almost everyone. In the last couple of decades or so, however, people began to look critically at their lifestyles and ask ‘Is wall-to-wall carpet really the right choice for our home? Would another surface work better for us’? For some families, carpeting remains an excellent choice. For others, hardwood, laminate or vinyl may be better. How do you decide? Let’s talk a little bit about your lifestyle, and how different flooring options fit into it. You Have Pets Little ‘accidents’ can be disastrous if you choose wall-to-wall carpeting! You may want to select hardwood, vinyl or laminate flooring, which is easy to clean, and accent it with area rugs. If you choose hardwood, go with a lighter shade to diminish the appearance of scratches that can appear from your pet’s nails. Be careful, though, to avoid super-slick surfaces that can cause your lively pet to slip and fall when he runs to greet you! You Have Very Young Children Wall-to-wall carpeting is great for babies who crawl and toddlers who tumble often. The softer, more giving surface provides warmth and comfort for little ones (and it feels great when you want to go barefoot!) Go with easy to clean, stain-resistant varieties like nylon, polypropylene and polyester. You Have Active Older Children In this situation, it’s all about the durability! If your children are hard on floors, consider laminate, noise-reducing vinyl or engineered hardwood with an aluminum oxide urethane finish. These materials are tough, long-wearing and easy to clean, leaving you more time to spend on the things you want to do! You Have Older Children Who Live on the Floor TV, video games and sleepovers…tweens and teens seem to spend most of their lives sitting or lying on the floor! Berber or cut-pile frieze carpets are durable, attractive options for comfy lounging. If your children spill often, consider engineered hardwood flooring, topped with a snuggly area rug. For increased durability and easy care, swap out the hardwood with laminate or vinyl. Your Home Is a Showplace It’s easy to keep your adults only, pet-free residence pristine and ready for entertaining. Your options are wide open – you can select any luxurious finishing touches you want! Plush, natural fiber carpeting in rich colors, solid hardwoods in elegant cherry, pecan or chestnut, or high quality laminates or vinyls in eye-catching colors or patterns can liven up your home! Whew…did you know there were so many things to consider before laying your flooring? Fortunately, decisions about what goes under your feet are easy to make at The Gallery at Ernest Signature Homes! We have a wide selection of flooring options to meet the needs of your family, all in one place, and a team of experts ready to help. To reserve a time to visit, or for more information about flooring choices at Ernest Signature Custom Homes, call us at 912-756-4135.