Paul Anater of Kitchen and Residential Design is a prolific writer who’s articles show up in many design circles. He has posted a series of flooring articles on one of our favorite design sites, Houzz.  

Have pets, kids and a tight budget? Easy-care resilient floors may be the choice for you. 

Shaw Sumter Tile vinyl flooring traditional vinyl flooring

So far in this flooring series, I’ve discussed a variety of ceramic tile, plank wood, engineered wood and laminate floors. Rounding out but by no means completing this series are linoleum and vinyl — also called resilient flooring, or sheet goods. Resilient flooring’s a better term because not all resilient floors come as sheets. What they have in common, however, is an ironlike durability and the promise of easy maintenance.

While no flooring material is perfect, resilient floors have been a popular choice since the middle of the 19th century, though that popularity waxes and wanes with the times. These days, resilient flooring is enjoying a resurgence. According to the great people at Floor Covering News, it’s currently the only flooring category enjoying a growing market share.

Resilient flooring products remain popular, though they may not carry the cachet they once did. For a lot of people, these floors’ easy-to-live-with nature makes them the logical choice for house full of kids and or pets. That they can cost significantly less money than the alternatives adds to their popularity.

If you’re in the market for a resilient floor, be sure to do your research, find a reputable retailer and ask lots of questions. How long one of these floors will last and wear plays a direct role in how much you’ll pay for it.

Follow the slide show for more resilient flooring options…

More flooring guides