6 Condo & Highrise Flooring Ideas

Most high-rise or condominium homes are constructed of solid concrete, glass, and steel. For years one condo flooring option has been parquet floors, glued down, and installed directly on the concrete. For most, the busy pattern can not only play with your mind due to the angled checkerboard look but also scratch easily and fade if exposed for long periods to direct sunlight. Another disadvantage with this flooring type is it may need to be sanded, re-sealed, or polished periodically to keep it looking fresh and new.

dark diagonal hardwood condo flooring
modern concrete gray flooring
carpet flooring

The floor may be the one thing you use most in your condo. Unless you can hover, your floor is in constant use when you are home. Given the large amount of use it gets, it is worth spending some time thinking about your flooring ideas, whether you are buying or selling, or just thinking of ways to improve your condo. There are six popular types of condo flooring options:

  1. Hardwood
  2. Carpet
  3. Laminate
  4. Tile
  5. Engineered wood
  6. Concrete

Hardwood

hardwood condo flooring

Though hardwood is one of the more expensive options, its most significant advantage is its durability, and it still is one of the most desirable. Replacing the flooring with hardwood is a great way to catch potential buyers’ eyes from a seller’s perspective. However, with the wide variety of color options, selecting a light color will make your space appear larger. Hardwood Flooring is also relatively easy to clean and maintain.

Costs: These can vary greatly depending on the types of hardwood selected, but on average, it could cost between $3 to $12 per square foot.

Pros: Hardwoods look very nice and have a great resale value. They are easy to clean and maintain and usually only require vacuuming.

Cons: The cost is the most considerable drawback. Like tile, hardwoods are also loud to walk on. Real hardwoods also need occasionally refinishing in high-traffic areas. Standing water can also ruin hardwoods.

Rooms We Recommend For Hardwood: Living Room, Bedrooms

Tile

tile condo flooring

Tile like Harwoods can be a pricey option, but this flooring type can be a good option in the bathroom and kitchen because it is not sensitive to moisture and water. Additionally, it is reasonably easy to clean up any spillage. We also recommend tile in high-traffic areas like the doorway or foyer. Still, tile does have a drawback: tile does not retain heat very well, so if you live in a colder climate, one option is to install heating elements underneath, which we highly recommend, especially within the bathroom.

Costs: There are many different types of tile. It can range in price from $1 to $20 a square foot.

Pros: Glazed ceramic tile is very durable and resistant to scratches. It is water-resistant. Tile comes in various sizes and materials, such as marble, porcelain, travertine, slate, and granite. Additionally, tile is fairly easy to clean, and stains are not much of a concern.

Cons: Tile can be very loud to walk on and echos. It can also be cold, and heating systems for tile are costly. Tile can crack and can be challenging to repair. The grout gets stained and needs to be cleaned.

Rooms We Recommend For Tile: Bathrooms, Kitchen

Carpet

carpet condo flooring

Carpet is one of the most popular types of floor covering available. Carpet is available in various colors, styles, and quality and is frequently installed in the living room and bedrooms. Carpet provides a cozy feel through the house, and generally even provides warmth. However, we do not recommend installing carpet in high-traffic areas like doorways, as it will become worn and dirty. Another area we recommend not to install a carpet is in the Kitchen or Bathroom since it will get dirty, absorb water and spills.

Costs: The cost of carpet varies greatly depending on the quality. However, standard carpeting and padding are between $2 and $5 per square foot.

Pros: Carpet not only feels soft, but it also gives a soft look to a room. It is quiet to walk on and prevents echoing throughout a home. The carpet is quick and straightforward to install and can go over uneven subfloors.

Cons: Although fiber technology advancements have enabled the carpet to be more stain-resistant, it still gets stained. Even when vacuumed frequently, it still may contain hidden dirt.

Rooms We Recommend For Carpet: Living Room, Foyer, and Bedrooms

Laminate

laminate condo flooring

Another option that many new condo owners prefer and option provided by 123 Remodeling is laminate flooring which is designed to look and function like hardwood but at a cheaper price. Laminate is a good option as an alternative to carpet but does not have the budget for hardwood floors. It does not have the durability of hardwood, but much longer than carpet. Laminates also come in a variety of colors and thicknesses and like hardwood selecting a light color scheme will provide the feeling of a larger room. We recommend not installing laminate in the kitchen, bathrooms, or areas where water spillage could occur since laminate should not get wet.

Costs: Laminate can vary in pricing, but is available between $0.50 to $3 a square foot.

Pros: Does not easily scratch. It also can look like real wood or tile, and it can even be difficult to tell if it is real or not. Like hardwoods, laminate is easy to clean. It is also great for pets because they can’t scratch or stain it.

Cons: Standing water will ruin laminate flooring. Laminate can not be refinished.

Rooms We Recommend For Laminate: Foyer, Living Room

Engineered Wood

engineered wood condo flooring

This flooring type is a derivative wood product manufactured by binding veneers of wood, together with adhesives, to form a composite plank. Engineered wood has an advantage over hardwood in that it can be manufactured in longer lengths and widths. Due to this layered system, engineered wood is more stable than solid wood and less likely to warp when faced with temperature changes and humidity. This flooring type can be installed in any of the rooms, even bathrooms, since its installation process locks each plank, thus eliminating gaps where moisture or water may seep.

Costs: On average, engineered wood flooring could cost between $1.50 to $5 per square foot.

Pros: Beautiful, warm, soft on the feet, fairly durable, long-lasting if properly sealed and maintained, can be refinished, many wood types and hues to choose from, can be painted or stained for more color options, helps tie kitchen to other rooms in an open floor plan.

Cons: Susceptible to water damage, darkens with age, expensive to very expensive, softer woods can dent easily, harder to keep clean than vinyl or laminate – water and spills need to be cleaned immediately. Dust everywhere with refinishing or new installation of unsealed wood.

Rooms We Recommend For Engineered Wood: Kitchen, Bathroom, Living Room, Foyer, or Bedrooms

Concrete Floors

concrete condo flooring

The ultimate multitasker, concrete floors are often both the finished floor and the structural floor too. It has become the new material of choice for designers and homeowners since it is smart, efficient, and cost-effective. Staining concrete floors offers numerous interior room options, including nearly limitless designs, colors, and even health benefits. Whether it’s acid-stained, painted, overlays, micro toppings, radiant floors, or a unique personal floor, concrete floors offer a range, unlike any other material. Concrete flooring, sometimes referred to as cement flooring no longer has to be gray and dull. Now coloring concrete, or applying textures, patterns, saw cuts, etc., can bring new life to this traditional substrate.

Costs: The cost of concrete floors is meager, about $2 to $6 per square foot to polish a plain gray slab, giving it a lustrous sheen.

Pros: Durability, Easy to maintain, Environmentally-friendly, Long-lasting, Versatile in that you can apply any other type of flooring to it in the future. Lots of design options.

Cons: The surface of the concrete floor is very hard. Also, this can make it uncomfortable to walk or stay for a longer time. Concrete floors do not retain heat very well. Susceptible to moisture if not sealed correctly.

Rooms We Recommend For Concrete Floors: Foyer, Hall, Kitchen


No matter what type of Condominium or Highrise Flooring, our specialists at 123 Remodeling Chicago can install your perfect floor for your needs. For a FREE flooring estimate regarding your Condominium or High-Rise Flooring, contact 123 Remodeling today.

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