1. Uniform flooring vs. unique flooring in each room

Do you want to have one flooring type in multiple rooms, a level of your home, or your entire home?  Or do you prefer to choose and install your flooring on a room by room basis?

• If you go room by room, it is easier to create a unique feeling and make a decorating statement in each room. Choosing flooring room by room also easier to pick the best flooring based on the lifestyle, comfort, subflooring and cleaning issues for each specific room.
• If you choose one flooring for multiple rooms, a level of your home, or your entire home, the floor will add to the sense of flow from room to room in your home. Unified flooring also helps you decorate your home with an integrated look. Unified flooring also tends to make a small house look bigger.

2. Lifestyle

What kind of lifestyle is lived in the room or rooms your are planning to re-floor. Does the room get a lot of foot traffic? Do the feet/shoes that walk on the floor tend to be soiled? Do pets occupy the space? Are meals or snacks eaten in the room? Each lifestyle activity will have implications for how comfortable, durable, and cleanable you want the flooring to be.

3. Comfort

Will people being walking in the room in socks or bare feet? Is this the kind of room where people tend to sit on the floor? Would the climate of your home and the location of the floor tend to make stone or tile surfaces cold?

4. Appearance/Design

The challenge relating to flooring and design is not to become overwhelmed to the many options you have. Whether you are looking at wood, tile, vinyl, or carpet, there is a huge range of colors and designs within each material. Remember that many homeowners redecorate their rooms more frequently than they replace their flooring. So, it is a good idea to choose a type of flooring that is versatile in its design.

5. Cleaning and maintenance

Flooring materials vary significantly in the manner and frequency that they need to be cleaned. Also, some materials are easily stained, while others are more resistant to staining.

6. Subflooring

It is important to understand that some types of flooring have very specific requirements for the types of subflooring that must be installed beneathe them. You may not be able to evaluate the subfloor in your room if it is covered with existing type of flooring, for instance carpet. Unless you are experienced with laying flooring, you may not be able to evaluate the suitability of the subfloor for the type of floor you are planning.

7. Flooring by Room

Many of the factors we have already discussed, like comfort, appearance, cleaning and maintenance, and lifestyle, all impact your considerations of flooring for each room. What kind of use will each room receive? Are there unique ways a room will be soiled, and how frequently will you be cleaning it? How do you want the room to appear? Let's go room by room, and highlight some specifics you'll want to consider:

• Kitchen: Kitchen floors need to be stain resistant and easy to clean. Wood floors are popular in kitchens, but they can be damaged if spilled water is not cleaned quickly. China and pots or pans might fall occasionally in a kitchen. Hard objects may cause an indentation in a wooden floor, or could crack tiles in a tile floor. 
• Bathroom: Bathroom floors are regularly exposed to water. Wooden floors may show signs of water damage quickly. Many homeowners choose tile or vinyl flooring for bathrooms, as this is most water resistant. Heated subfloors in bathrooms are becoming more popular.
• Hallways: Hallways have the greatest amount of traffic. Hallway materials need to be durable.
• Living Room: If you entertain in your living room, appearance has to take a high priority. If you and your family spend a lot of time in your living room, comfort should be a key factor in choosing flooring.

8. Special considerations

There are special considerations that may effect your decision:

• Allergies and Asthma: If you or somebody in your home has severe allergies or asthma, you want flooring that can be thoroughly cleaned, particularly of dust, spores, and pollen. Carpet may not be the best choice for you.
• Prone to falls: If you have very young children or if an adult in your home has difficulty with balance, you may not want to install tile, hardwood, or other very hard types of flooring.
• Flooding: Some homes are located on flood planes. You may opt for tile that is completely sealed, and you migh want to avoid expensive hardwood on the lower levels of your home.