What Is The Best Flooring For Hallways?

Hallways are your home's chance to make a first impression to friends, family, and even the postman. But how do you make sure your hallway makes the impact you desire? Flooring.

From muddy boots to pet paws, your hallway flooring takes on the wear and tear of daily life. So, selecting the best option for your family is essential. That’s where we come in. By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly whether solid wood, engineered wood, laminate, vinyl, or LVT is the right choice for your home.

Key Considerations When Choosing Hallway Flooring

No matter their size, all hallways have one thing in common - high foot traffic. And sadly, not all floorings are up to the task. So, choosing the right one requires thinking about:

Durability

Flooring is an investment you'll be living with for years (perhaps longer). Unlike artwork or lampshades, you need it to last, even under heavy footfall.

Maintenance

Kids and pets or not, your hallway floor will undoubtedly meet mud, water, and dirt at some point (countless times, probably). And since you likely don't want to worry about lasting damage or stains if a shoe print or spill makes its mark, you need flooring that's easy to clean.

Aesthetics 

As we mentioned, it's your home's first impression. You want to make it count.

Budget

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to break the bank to benefit from great flooring. There's an option for every budget — you just have to find it.

LVT for Hallways

Boasting water-resistance and unfathomable durability, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring is a modern answer to your hallway flooring conundrum. It looks just like real stone or wood, without the difficult maintenance and cleaning procedures, making it ideal for both fluffy family members and tiny tots.

There's a range of design options to choose from, ensuring you never have to compromise on beauty to gain functionality. From classic herringbone patterns to wood-like slats, there's an LTV option for all interior styles - and you get it all without the real wood price tag!

Vinyl Flooring for Hallways

Like LVT, vinyl flooring is water-resistant, easy to clean, and comes in many styles (wood, marble, patterned, tile, to name just a few), thanks to its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) construction. The difference? You won't get that extra helping of luxuriousness or as much durability as LVT affords.

But don't take that the wrong way; it's still a fantastic choice for tighter budgets, ensuring you get a hallway floor you're proud to show off.

Engineered Wood Flooring for Hallways

Crafted from high-quality, sustainable materials, engineered wood hallway flooring provides the same organic beauty of solid wood with an extra sprinkle of stability, thanks to its construction.

Where wood expands and contracts as temperatures and humidity levels rise and fall, engineered wood can handle seasonal fluctuations, ensuring your hallway stays looking (and performing) perfectly all year round.

The only (small) catch? To benefit from this long-lasting style, you need to maintain it properly. Although, you'll be pleased to know that isn't as tricky as you may think.

Solid Wood Flooring for Hallways

Solid wood is the pinnacle of traditional hallway flooring. It's elegant, resilient, and offers a natural warmth that only organic materials can provide. Whether you choose walnut, oak, or ash, it's safe to say its aesthetic will never go out of style. "Timeless" might as well be its middle name. 

But despite its tried-and-tested durability, it's much more prone to dents and scratches in high-traffic areas (like hallways) and requires more maintenance than other options. Not to mention, it's the priciest of the bunch.

Laminate Flooring for Hallways

If you're set on the solid wood look but can't stretch your budget, laminate flooring is the answer. It's durable, scratch-resistant, and comes in a wide range of finishes (parquet, dark, medium, light, and grey). The only thing you'll miss is the authentic look and feel of real wood.

Which Flooring Is Right for Your Hallway?

By now, you can consider yourself a fledgling hallway flooring expert, but if you're still struggling to make up your mind, our handy comparison table will give you a final helping hand