When it comes to flooring, most people rarely think beyond the aesthetics. Let’s face it. We all want flooring that looks great. But if you have an extended family with children, pets and you love to entertain your friends, then you’d want to select a flooring that can withstand the wear and tear. Thankfully, with a wide range of flooring materials available, you can easily club aesthetics with durability. Here are some of the most durable flooring materials that you can choose from. Some of these, you may already be aware of. Others will make you ponder.

Concrete

Concrete is the last thing that people expect to use inside a home. But the fact is that it is the most durable flooring material that you can use around your home. This is why concrete floors are a staple in restaurants. What about the aesthetics though? Concrete is now available in a range of attractive finishes that are stained, stamped and etched. So, while you cannot expect the moon, you can certainly find a design for your home. However, if you do not have radiant heating installed, concrete floor will be cold to the touch. Also, sound tends to echo in concrete floored rooms.

Natural Stone

Natural stones weather the most extreme hostile conditions under the earth’s surface before it makes its way into your homes. So, it happens to be one of the best and most durable materials that you can use for your flooring. It offers unmatched elegance in design and is extremely easy to maintain. However, stones like marble can wear faster than others. So look for harder varieties like granite and travertine.

Bamboo

For a type of grass that has an uncanny ability to sprout in your backyard, Bamboo looks surprisingly good when turned into flooring. To top it off, it has the ecofriendly label and a budget friendly price tag. Along with some types of hardwood, Bamboo is one of the most durable flooring materials that offers excellent resistance to scratches, stains and dents. However, the rising popularity of Bamboo flooring has flooded the market with sub-standard products of poor quality. Look for bamboo flooring that has at least 7-8 coats of aluminum oxide finish.

Hardwood

Last but not the least, we have the classic hardwood which is one of the most durable flooring materials to be used. There are a variety of wood species which are used to make flooring. Some are more durable than others. For example, Brazilian hardwood. Irrespective of the type of wood you choose for your flooring, ensure that you get the right finish. And most importantly, ensure that you take good care of the flooring. If you have installed hardwood flooring in high traffic areas, then use area rugs. Avoid direct exposure to sunlight else, the color may fade with time. In addition to these, Laminate is an extremely durable flooring material that can also be used in high traffic areas. It has a dense core and a top layer made of resin which makes it almost indestructible.