For some people, traditional home flooring just doesn’t cut it. Maybe you just know too many people who have hardwood floors. Stone and tile are too cold, and you haven’t found a vinyl, laminate or linoleum floor pattern you like. If you want your home to stand out, you may wish to consider more offbeat types of floor. Two good choices for alternative flooring materials are concrete and leather.

Different Floor Types: Concrete Floors

Believe it or not, concrete floors can have a place in your home besides the basement. Concrete is now available in a variety of patterns and finishes that make it a viable (and much more attractively priced) alternative to stone floors. Its natural resistance to moisture makes it a great home flooring option in kitchens and bathrooms. If you maintain your concrete floors properly, it’s one of the most durable types of floor available, lasting for the life of your home.

Concrete floors are very hard and cold to the touch. If you live in a chilly climate, consider installing radiant heating underneath your concrete home flooring. Concrete loses some appeal due to the fact that it’s an excellent conductor of sound. To keep noise levels down, you may want to decorate your concrete floors with an area rug.

Professional installation is required for concrete floors. Concrete slabs are heavy and require cutting, so installing this home flooring option is not a do-it-yourself job. Fresh concrete can also be mixed and poured as an alternative to slabs. Again, hire a contractor for this. The installation team should seal the concrete floors after installing them.

Keep your concrete floors looking nice by sweeping, and cleaning this home flooring with a mop and mild soap.

Different Types of Floor: Leather Tiles

Consider using leather tiles for your floors as an alternative to carpet. Leather tiles are soft and warm, making them a luxurious choice for bedrooms, living rooms and reading rooms. These different floor types insulate sound very well, and come in a wide array of colors.

However, leather tiles are expensive, require lots of maintenance and do not respond well to moisture. They’re also not as durable as other types of home flooring, although they will still last a long time. To enhance the beauty and lifespan of these different floor types, install leather tiles in a dry area that gets a lot of exposure to sunlight.

Installation of leather tiles requires precision and mistakes can be costly, so it’s best to hire a professional company to install this home flooring option. Be sure to interview several companies, check references, and find out if they offer a guarantee on the leather tiles.

Leather floors must be vacuumed regularly and cleaned with a slightly damp (never soaking wet) mop. The floor must also be waxed every six to 12 months.