Redeemed Contracting · Home Remodeling
The Best Flooring for Homes in Northeast Ohio
LVP, hardwood, tile, carpet, and basement flooring — how they actually hold up in our climate.
If you're a homeowner in Akron, Canton, Green, Uniontown, Hartville, North Canton, Jackson Township, or anywhere else in Northeast Ohio — you already know our weather doesn't mess around. We get humid summers, brutally cold winters, spring thaws that push moisture up through slabs, and everything in between. That's exactly why choosing the right flooring here isn't as simple as picking whatever looks good at the big box store.
At Redeemed Contracting, we do kitchens, bathrooms, basements, additions, and full interior renovations. Flooring comes up in almost every single project. I've seen cheap flooring fail two years after install. I've seen homeowners make the same mistakes over and over. And I've seen what holds up long-term in a real Ohio home. This guide is everything I'd tell a friend or neighbor sitting at my kitchen table.
Why Ohio Is Different
How Ohio Weather Affects Your Flooring Choice
This is the part most flooring articles skip — but it matters more than anything else.
Northeast Ohio sits in a region with serious humidity swings. In summer, indoor humidity can climb well above 60%. In winter, forced-air heating dries your home out dramatically. That constant expansion and contraction is hard on flooring — especially natural wood products. Then there's the basement moisture problem, which is its own battle entirely.
The key takeaway
Not every flooring that works great in Arizona or Georgia is going to hold up the same way in an Akron or Canton home. Moisture resistance and dimensional stability aren't just buzzwords here — they're requirements.
Flooring Type #1
Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) — The Current King
If I had to pick one flooring type that works well in almost every room of a Northeast Ohio home, it's luxury vinyl plank. Modern LVP is thick, rigid, waterproof, and designed to handle real life. We're not talking about the flimsy peel-and-stick vinyl from 20 years ago.
Why LVP works well in Northeast Ohio
- ✓100% waterproof core means moisture won't destroy it
- ✓Dimensional stability holds up through our humidity swings
- ✓Works on concrete slabs in basements without moisture barriers in most cases
- ✓Extremely durable against pets, kids, and heavy foot traffic
- ✓Wide price range — $2/sq ft to $7/sq ft depending on quality
The most important thing about LVP: look at the wear layer
Don't just look at thickness. Look at the wear layer. A 6mm plank with a 12-mil wear layer is better than an 8mm plank with a 6-mil wear layer. The wear layer is what protects against scratching and scuffing. For a family with dogs and kids, I'd want at least a 12-mil wear layer, ideally 20-mil if the budget allows.
Builder-grade vs. quality LVP: There's a significant difference between builder-grade LVP (often 4mm with a thin wear layer) and a mid-to-upper-tier product. The cheaper stuff feels hollow underfoot, the edges chip easier, and the finish fades faster. It's worth spending a little more to get a product that actually lasts.
Flooring Type #2
Hardwood Flooring — Beautiful, But High-Maintenance Here
Solid hardwood is stunning, there's no question. But I want to be honest about what it means to have solid hardwood in a Northeast Ohio home.
Solid hardwood is not waterproof. It expands and contracts with moisture changes. In our climate, without careful humidity control, solid hardwood can gap in winter and cup in summer. It cannot go on a concrete slab or below-grade — which rules out most basements.
That said, solid hardwood in a main living area or bedroom, installed over a wood subfloor with proper acclimation and humidity control, can last 50–100 years. It can be refinished multiple times. And it adds real, tangible resale value to a home.
If you want hardwood, be prepared to:
- ·Control indoor humidity (ideally 35–55% year-round)
- ·Protect it from pet accidents and standing water
- ·Budget for occasional refinishing down the road
Flooring Type #3
Engineered Hardwood — The Better Choice for Most Ohio Homes
Engineered hardwood is real wood — just constructed differently. It has a real hardwood veneer on top bonded to multiple layers of plywood or HDF underneath. That cross-ply construction makes it far more dimensionally stable than solid hardwood.
Engineered hardwood can:
- ✓Go directly over concrete (with appropriate moisture testing)
- ✓Handle moderate humidity swings much better than solid
- ✓Be refinished 1–3 times depending on veneer thickness
- ✓Look identical to solid hardwood
For most Northeast Ohio homeowners who want a wood look without the headaches, engineered hardwood is a much smarter choice than solid. It's the middle ground between the warmth of hardwood and the stability you need in Ohio.
Flooring Type #4
Tile — The Right Tool for the Right Room
Tile is hard to beat in bathrooms and kitchens. It's waterproof, extremely durable, and timeless. In a bathroom remodel, we almost always recommend tile for the floor — especially in wet areas.
Where tile shines
- ✓Bathrooms — no competition
- ✓Kitchen floors
- ✓Mudrooms and entryways
- ✓Laundry rooms
Where tile struggles
- ·Large open living areas (cold, hard underfoot)
- ·High-moisture basements with cracking slabs
Heated tile — worth every penny in January
We get asked about radiant floor heating constantly, especially on bathroom remodels. Standing on warm tile on a January morning in North Canton or Hartville is a completely different experience. Electric radiant systems are not terribly expensive to add during a bathroom remodel — if the floor is already coming up, it's the right time to do it.
A note on installation: Tile is one of the most installation-sensitive floorings there is. Bad tile work shows up fast — cracked grout, lippage, tiles that pop loose. Proper substrate prep is everything with tile. This is not a weekend DIY project for most people.
Flooring Type #5
Carpet — Still Has Its Place
Carpet isn't going anywhere, and for certain rooms, it's still the right call. Bedrooms are the big one. There's something about a soft, warm surface underfoot in a bedroom that's hard to replace. Carpet also adds sound insulation, which matters in multi-story homes.
Where carpet makes sense
- ✓Bedrooms
- ✓Finished basement rec rooms (with moisture mitigation)
- ✓Home offices
Where carpet doesn't
- ·Kitchens
- ·Bathrooms
- ·Homes with pets prone to accidents
Like everything else, you get what you pay for. Builder-grade carpet compresses quickly and looks worn within a few years. A mid-grade carpet with a quality pad underneath will hold up dramatically better. The pad matters as much as the carpet itself — don't let anyone cheap out on the pad.
Room by Room
Room-by-Room Flooring Recommendations
Best Flooring for Basements in Northeast Ohio
Basements deserve their own section because they're a unique challenge in this region. Northeast Ohio homes — especially older ones in Akron, Canton, and surrounding areas — often deal with moisture intrusion, high humidity, and concrete slabs that can wick water up from below.
First rule of basement flooring: address moisture before you do anything
We see this mistake constantly. A homeowner installs beautiful flooring in a basement, doesn't address the moisture situation, and within 18 months the floor is warped, moldy, or lifting. Our basement finishing services always start with an honest assessment of the moisture situation before we ever talk about finishes.
Best Flooring for Kitchens
Kitchens need something that can handle spills, dropped items, heavy foot traffic, and daily abuse. For our kitchen remodeling projects, we most often see homeowners choose LVP or tile — both are excellent depending on the look they're going for. Avoid solid hardwood in kitchens; any homeowner who cooks regularly will eventually have a moisture problem.
Best Flooring for Bathrooms
Tile wins in bathrooms, full stop. It's waterproof, cleans easily, and holds up to steam and humidity better than any other material. LVP is a solid second option if tile isn't in the budget — just make sure there's no standing water around the toilet or tub base. Do not use solid hardwood, engineered hardwood in high-splash areas, or carpet.
Best Flooring for Homes with Dogs and Kids
The honest answer: LVP is the most forgiving. You can mop it, it won't stain, scratches are minimal with a quality wear layer, and if a section does get damaged, you can often replace individual planks.
Side by Side
Flooring Comparisons
LVP vs. Hardwood
Bottom line: For most Northeast Ohio homes, LVP wins on practicality. For a main floor living area where you want the real thing and are willing to maintain it, hardwood is still unmatched.
Tile vs. LVP
Tile is harder, colder, and more brittle — but also more permanent and arguably more timeless. LVP is warmer, softer underfoot, and more forgiving of subfloor imperfections. In bathrooms, tile wins. In living spaces and basements, LVP usually wins. In kitchens, it's a genuine coin flip based on lifestyle and preference.
Carpet vs. Hard Surface
Carpet is warmer, softer, quieter, and cheaper per square foot than most hard surfaces. Hard surface is easier to clean, more durable, and better for allergy sufferers. In bedrooms, carpet is still a totally valid choice. In main living areas with pets and kids, hard surface almost always wins long-term.
Engineered Hardwood vs. Solid Hardwood
For the vast majority of Northeast Ohio homes, engineered hardwood is the smarter choice. You get the look and feel of real wood with better dimensional stability, the ability to go over concrete (with moisture testing), and no significant sacrifice in visual quality. Solid hardwood makes sense if you're doing a period-authentic renovation or want maximum refinishing longevity over decades.
The Part Nobody Talks About
Why Subfloor Preparation Matters More Than You Think
The floor you see is only as good as what's underneath it. We've torn out flooring on remodel projects to find completely inadequate subfloors — soft spots, squeaks, improper fastening, moisture damage, high/low spots that were never addressed. Flooring installed over a bad subfloor will squeak, flex, crack, or fail prematurely regardless of how expensive the product is.
Proper subfloor prep means:
- ✓All soft/damaged areas repaired or replaced
- ✓Surface flattened to within manufacturer's spec (usually 3/16" over 10 feet)
- ✓Squeaks eliminated before flooring goes down
- ✓Moisture testing on concrete slabs before any flooring installation
A conversation worth having upfront
I'd rather tell a homeowner we need to spend an extra $300 fixing the subfloor than watch their new flooring fail in two years. That conversation is a lot easier than the alternative.
Installation Matters
Installation Quality: It Matters As Much As the Product
You can buy a $7/sq ft luxury vinyl plank and have it look terrible in two years if it's installed wrong. You can also have a $3/sq ft product that holds up beautifully because it was installed correctly.
Common installation mistakes we see:
- ·Not leaving proper expansion gaps around perimeter walls (causes buckling)
- ·Skipping acclimation period for wood products
- ·Installing over moisture without testing or vapor barriers
- ·Improper adhesive or fastening in areas that require it
- ·Random-length patterns that look 'DIY' instead of professionally staggered
Hire someone who does this for a living. We're not saying that to drum up business — we're saying it because we see the results of bad installs on a regular basis.
Thinking About Resale
Flooring Resale Value in Northeast Ohio
If resale value is part of your equation, here's the hierarchy from most to least impactful:
Resale impact — highest to lowest
If you're renovating to sell in Green, Uniontown, or North Canton, removing old carpet and installing LVP or engineered hardwood in main living areas is often one of the best ROI moves you can make.
Common Pitfalls
Common Flooring Mistakes Homeowners Make
Buying cheap because 'it's just flooring.'
Flooring is one of the highest-touch surfaces in your home. You'll notice cheap flooring every single day.
Not addressing moisture first.
Especially in basements. Especially in Northeast Ohio.
Mixing too many flooring types.
Using four different floors across a small home looks choppy and makes spaces feel smaller. Consistency creates flow.
Skimping on underlayment or pad.
The cushion under your floor affects sound, feel, and longevity. Don't let it be an afterthought.
Choosing trendy over timeless.
The gray barn-wood LVP that was everywhere in 2018 already looks dated. Classic tones and natural-looking products hold up better over time.
DIYing something you shouldn't.
Floating LVP in a bedroom? Totally DIY-able. Large-format tile in a bathroom? Heated floor installation? Stair treads? Get a pro.
Straight Talk
What Would I Personally Choose?
People ask this all the time, so here's an honest answer.
Engineered hardwood in the main living areas and LVP in the basement. Tile in the bathrooms — heated tile in the master bath, which is worth every penny. Carpet only in bedrooms. That combination hits the sweet spot of practicality, durability, and comfort for an Ohio home with real use.
Budget-conscious starting fresh?
LVP throughout the main floor and basement, tile in the bathrooms, and carpet only in bedrooms. That setup is honest, durable, easy to maintain, and won't let you down — regardless of where you live in Northeast Ohio.
Whether you're doing a full kitchen remodel, a bathroom renovation, or finishing your basement, flooring is part of a bigger picture — and we want it done right the first time.
Ready to Talk Flooring? Let's Connect.
Every home is different. Every homeowner has different priorities, budgets, and lifestyles. At Redeemed Contracting, we don't just sell you flooring — we help you think through the whole project. If you're in Akron, Canton, Green, Uniontown, North Canton, Hartville, Jackson Township, Lake Township, or anywhere in Northeast Ohio, we'd love to talk through your project. No pressure, no runaround — just a straight conversation from a contractor who's been doing this for years.
Schedule Your Free Phone ConsultationCommon Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Flooring in Northeast Ohio
What is the best flooring for Ohio homes?
For most Northeast Ohio homes, luxury vinyl plank (LVP) offers the best combination of durability, moisture resistance, and value. Engineered hardwood is the top choice for homeowners who want a real wood look and feel. Tile is the gold standard for bathrooms and kitchens.
Is LVP better than hardwood in Northeast Ohio?
LVP is more practical for most Ohio homes — it's waterproof, more dimensionally stable in our climate, and works in basements. Solid hardwood adds more resale value and has a warmth and feel that LVP can't fully replicate. The right answer depends on the room, your lifestyle, and your budget.
What flooring is best for basements in Northeast Ohio?
LVP is the safest choice for Northeast Ohio basements because it's 100% waterproof and handles moisture vapor from concrete slabs. Always address any moisture issues before installing any flooring in a basement.
What flooring lasts the longest?
Properly maintained solid hardwood can last 50–100 years and be refinished multiple times. Tile is also extremely long-lasting. Quality LVP typically lasts 15–25 years depending on wear layer thickness and traffic levels.
What flooring adds the most resale value?
Hardwood flooring consistently adds the most resale value, followed by engineered hardwood and quality tile. For Northeast Ohio homeowners renovating before a sale, upgrading main floor carpet to wood or LVP is often a worthwhile investment.
What flooring is best for dogs and kids?
LVP with a 20-mil wear layer is the most practical choice for households with pets and children. It's waterproof, scratch-resistant, and easy to clean. Tile is more durable but harder on joints for long periods of standing or play.
Is heated tile worth it in Northeast Ohio?
Yes — especially for bathrooms. If a bathroom is already being remodeled and the floor is being replaced, adding an electric radiant heating mat is relatively low cost and provides significant comfort benefit. Most homeowners who get it say they'd never go back.