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Hardwood floors can be installed in most areas of the home, including living rooms, bedrooms, and hallways. However, with the exception of high-quality bamboo and engineered wood, hardwood floors are not recommended for areas with high moisture levels, such as bathrooms and basements, unless specifically designed for such environments. It's essential to consider the specific conditions of each room before choosing hardwood flooring.

Tile—specifically smaller, mosaic-style tiles—is the best type of flooring for building a walk-in shower base. Shower pans come with a threshold and sidewalls to contain the water, but tile can be set into the shower base. This creates a walk-in shower floor that gently slopes toward the drain to keep water from getting out and into the rest of the bathroom.

Whether you install flooring before or after kitchen cabinets depends primarily on the type of flooring you are using. For materials like hardwood, tile, and sheet flooring, the best practice is to install the flooring first. This ensures the cabinets are installed at the correct height and on a stable surface. However, you should not install cabinets on top of floating floors, such as laminate or luxury vinyl plank (LVP). These types of flooring need room to expand and contract with temperature and humidity changes. Placing heavy cabinets on top can restrict this movement, potentially causing the floor to buckle and making the cabinets unstable. For floating floors, install the cabinets first and then lay the flooring up to them. Other reasons to consider installing cabinets before the flooring include saving money on materials (since you won't need flooring under the cabinets) and avoiding potential damage to your new floor during cabinet installation. Additionally, installing cabinets directly on the subfloor might prevent voiding your flooring's warranty.

The life expectancy of your laminate flooring is 10 to 30 years, depending on how well you maintain it. Unlike hardwood flooring, you cannot refinish laminate to prolong its lifespan. So while laminate is more budget-friendly, it does not last as long as hardwood. You can increase the lifespan of your floor by maintaining a regular cleaning schedule, using the right cleaning products, and wiping up spills promptly.