Types of flooring for a child friendly home

Children require safety, and add mess. Any flooring you consider for a new home or renovation needs to take these two factors into account if you have children or will be sharing your home with them. Even grandparents or those without children would be wise to consider this in new floor design, as selling your home in the future may be much easier if it is child friendly.

Child friendly flooring

It can be tricky to take both of the factors, safety and resiliency and easy cleaning, into account when finding the most suitable flooring for a child friendly home. Tiles are easy to clean, but parents may worry that a fall onto a hard tiled floor could be more serious than one onto carpet. The ideal floor needs to cover both bases. Linoleum has been popular for decades, and the combination of safety, ease of replacement, and ease of cleaning may be a key to its success!

For safety, consider fall and trip hazards of floors. A very hard surface or one with raised ridges or loose parts is unsafe, and consider splinters, sharp corners and gaps for trapping or pinching small digits. The ideal flooring fits snugly against the walls, is not too hard, has no gaps or loose components and is easily washable.

Types of child friendly flooring

There are several types of flooring which are ideal for use with children:

• Polished wooden floors (well maintained with no trip or splinter hazards) are resilient, washable and offer some 'give' in the event of a fall
• Carpets are reassuringly soft and safer for falls, but often avoided for the mess factor. Choosing stain - resistant carpet can solve this
• Cork and rubber flooring are also excellent choices for children, as they are slip - resistant and resilient
• Consider decking out one room entirely for small children. Use colourful rubber interlocking mats available relatively cheaply from child stores to create a safe, interesting floor space where children can just play
• Avoid installing flooring such as some vinyl floors and new carpets which contain poly vinyl chloride or other volatile substances. These can 'outgas' and create headaches, allergies and other illnesses, particularly for sensitive children. Glues and cleaners may also contain these
• If your home has tiled, concrete, or other hard floors, use large rugs and mats to make the surface safer and more inviting for children. Ensure they are non slip
• Linoleum floors can be an excellent option for children, but, although they are quite durable, some care should be taken to avoid scratches and damage
• Ensure that whatever you choose it is hypoallergenic - check this with the retailer

Linoleum, cork, rubber, stain proof carpet and wood offer some of the best flooring solutions for children, but most floors can be adapted for safety and hygiene.

Suitable floors for children

Child friendly flooring is simpler to choose than you may have imagined. Simply think about comfort and safety for your children and ease of cleaning for you. Avoid flooring, adhesives and cleaners which emit toxic 'outgassing', and consider creating a total child friendly space in one room, with floors to match.