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Tile is one of the most common flooring options here in Las Vegas. For one thing, it’s durable, cool, and easy-to-clean, making it a practical material for families and homeowners with pets. And, it comes in a range of different styles, including porcelain, cement, terracotta and ceramic, giving you more options in terms of aesthetics.
Tiles can vary in price depending on the building material, but in general, they are one of the more affordable flooring options.
Later on we’ll talk about why hardwood is not a great option for our Las Vegas climate. But the good news is, wood-look tile is a great desert-friendly alternative. It looks very similar to hardwood floors, but gives you all the advantages of tile!
Like wood-like tile, engineered hardwood is a better alternative for our climate than natural hardwood. Because it’s a mix of different materials, some natural and some synthetic, engineered wood is very strong and stable. It can also be installed over in-floor heating and cooling systems.
Don’t be afraid that polished concrete will make your home look too modern or austere. Nowadays, it’s entirely possible to achieve warm, inviting interior design that offers all the benefits of concrete! This material is ideal for our desert ecosystem as its high thermal mass makes it great for temperature regulation. Plus, it won’t warp with heat or cold, is eco-friendly, affordable, and easy-to-clean.
If you want luxurious flooring for your Las Vegas home, natural stone will help you achieve that next-level look. Some of the most popular natural stones for desert climates include granite and slate, as they are very heat-resistant and durable.
While natural stone is an obvious choice for desert climates like ours, make sure that you invest in proper installation and staining to keep your flooring in good shape for years to come.
Vinyl is a great budget-friendly flooring material that you’ll find in many homes across Las Vegas. It comes in a range of different styles, patterns, and cuts, making it customizable to any kind of interior design theme that appeals to you.
Vinyl isn’t as scratch- or damage-resistant as some of the other options on our list, but it does perform well with changing temperatures.
Note: laminate is another fine contender for budget-friendly flooring. But, because laminate tends to expand and contract with temperature fluctuations, it may not be the ideal flooring for many Las Vegas homes.
So which kinds of flooring should you avoid as a Las Vegas homeowner? Here are a few of the materials that don’t stand up well to the wear & tear of our desert climate:
Hardwood floors are gorgeous, but unfortunately, they just aren’t the best option for hot, arid climates. That’s because hardwoods are happiest when there is some moisture in the air, somewhere between 30 to 50% relative humidity. Without it, those natural plant fibers will shrink and crack, leaving you with gaps between your wood planks.
True, if you have your heart set on hardwood, you can treat it to be more resistant to our desert climate. But, if you’re looking for something low-maintenance, cool, and easy-to-clean, hardwood is simply not a great option.
You won’t see much carpeting in Las Vegas homes, and there are a few reasons for that. On the one hand, carpeting is warm underfoot, which can be unpleasant when you’re coming home after a day in the heat. Carpeting also tends to trap dust, which as we all know, is not ideal for a city like Last Vegas. So, unless you’re prepared to vacuum often and invest in a very good air filtration system, hard surface floorings are usually a better way to deal with that desert dust.
Because of these issues, we would say that if you are missing the comforts of soft fibers, you should decorate your home with rugs instead of carpeting. Woven cotton rugs or silk rugs are ideal for hot climates, and will give your Las Vegas home an inviting ambiance.
If you’re still unsure of which building material is right for your floors, Terra Mia can help. We have in-house designers who can help guide you toward flooring options that check all your boxes, from sustainability to energy efficiency to aesthetics. And, we’ve got the industry connections to get you a great price on the best flooring for your Las Vegas home!
