If you’re looking for flooring inspiration for your next home renovation or new build, scrolling through social media boards and manufacturers’ sites are good places to start. However, there are other important flooring considerations beyond aesthetics.

To help you find the right floor that balances beauty and substance, consider these questions from the experts at Beautifully Responsible.

Are the claims standing on sure footing?

Whether it’s sustainable flooring or flooring that promotes good indoor air quality, it’s difficult to know for sure which flooring really meets the criteria they claim. Third-party certifications can provide the dose of truth you need. They are independently verified, meaning the flooring manufacturer needs to prove it’s meeting the strict guidelines of the certifications to use the badge. For instance, third-party certifications — such as FloorScore (for indoor air quality) and ASSURE Certified (for multiple attributes in rigid core flooring) — are quick ways to make sure the flooring you’re considering can back up its claims.

While these floors look stunning in photos, how will they look after a few bouts of tug-of-war with your dog?
Life is full of unexpected moments, whether it’s your new puppy having an accident or spilling coffee in your rush to leave home. Make sure you understand how much effort is required to maintain your flooring choice. Look for durable, scratch-resistant and water-resistant options. Your floors need to withstand your everyday life.

Flooring is also a financial and time investment. While it can be easy to get carried away with the variety of beautiful flooring options out there, it’s important to match your floors with your family’s stage of life.

How can I find good looking floors I can feel good about?
You deserve to feel good about every aspect of your floors — whether it’s stopping your guests in their tracks in amazement when they enter a room or the environmental impacts made by a company working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, finding flooring that matches your home’s aesthetics and what’s important to you requires a little research.

1. Check the sustainability section on the manufacturer’s website. Most suppliers of Beautifully Responsible resilient flooring go to great lengths to engage sustainability in their business models. Many also publish detailed sustainability reports.
2. Look for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which detail product ingredients, carbon footprint and overall environmental impacts.

What about economics?
Aside from durability, scratch resistance, moisture resistance, third-party certifications and manufacturer commitments to sustainability, affordability is a major factor when choosing a floor. Resilient products have an enormous bandwidth of affordable products that address first homes to dream homes. Also, look for innovations created by resilient flooring manufacturers to make installation more efficient and less costly than many other flooring categories.

Where can I find a floor that meets all these criteria?
Resilient flooring, including varieties from Beautifully Responsible member brands, offers hundreds of options with style and substance.

Resilient flooring offers many scratch-resistant and water-resistant options, making them both pet-friendly and a breeze to clean up with neutral cleansers. You can also find industry-wide EPDs for various types of resilient flooring and many manufacturers regularly publish sustainability reports, sharing their progress toward environmental goals. Walk on peace of mind knowing you’re protected from many common mishaps, all while creating a stunning, sustainable home environment.

Find your floor and answers to more common questions by visiting beautifullyresponsible.com.

Sponsored by Beautifully Responsible