What Is the Best Flooring for Homes in Fargo-Moorhead?
A Homeowner's Guide to Choosing Flooring That Can Handle North Dakota Weather, Pets, and Everyday Life
When it comes to choosing new flooring for your home, there's a lot more to consider than just appearance. Living in the Fargo-Moorhead area means dealing with everything from snowy winters and muddy spring days to humid summers, pets, kids, and everyday wear and tear.
At The Fargo Flooring Store, one of the most common questions we hear is, "What's the best type of flooring for my home?"
The answer depends on your lifestyle, budget, and where the flooring will be installed. Luxury vinyl plank (LVP), laminate, carpet, and hardwood all have their advantages, but understanding the differences can help you make the right investment in your home.
Let's break down some of the most popular flooring options and how they perform in homes throughout Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, and the surrounding communities.
1. Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP): A Versatile Option for Busy Households
Luxury vinyl plank has become one of the most popular flooring choices for homeowners, and for good reason. It offers the appearance of natural wood with excellent durability and moisture resistance.
For homes in the Fargo-Moorhead area, LVP can be an especially attractive option because of the changing seasons.
Why homeowners love LVP:
- Many products feature waterproof planks that are well-suited for everyday spills and wet shoes.
- Durable wear layers help protect against scratches and everyday traffic.
- Available in a wide variety of wood-look colors, textures, and styles.
- Generally easy to clean and maintain.
- Works well in kitchens, living rooms, hallways, and many basement applications.
Things to consider:
While many LVP products are marketed as waterproof, that doesn't mean your entire floor installation is waterproof. Moisture beneath the flooring, standing water, and improper subfloor preparation can still create problems.
LVP also varies significantly in quality. The thickness, construction, wear layer, and installation method can all affect how well a product performs over time.
Best for: Busy households, pet owners, kitchens, entryways, and homeowners looking for durable, low-maintenance flooring.
2. Laminate Flooring: Durability and Realistic Wood-Look Designs
If you haven't looked at laminate flooring in the last several years, you might be surprised by how much it has improved.
Today's laminate products offer realistic wood visuals, textured surfaces, impressive scratch resistance, and increasingly sophisticated water-resistant technologies.
For many homeowners, laminate is worth considering alongside luxury vinyl plank.
Why homeowners love laminate:
- Excellent scratch and wear resistance in many product lines.
- Realistic wood-grain textures and natural-looking finishes.
- A wide range of styles and price points.
- Many modern products offer enhanced protection against everyday spills.
- A great option for high-traffic living areas.
Things to consider:
Not all laminate flooring offers the same level of water protection. Some products are designed to resist surface spills for specified periods, while others have more advanced moisture-protection systems.
For Fargo-Moorhead homeowners dealing with snow, slush, and wet boots, selecting the right laminate product and following its installation requirements are especially important.
At The Fargo Flooring Store, we carry laminate options from manufacturers such as Mohawk RevWood and Mannington, giving customers several choices when comparing durability, appearance, and moisture resistance.
Best for: Living rooms, bedrooms, hallways, and busy households looking for a beautiful wood-look floor with strong scratch resistance.
3. Carpet: Comfort and Warmth for North Dakota Winters
Hard-surface flooring gets a lot of attention, but carpet remains an excellent choice for many areas of the home.
Anyone who has experienced a North Dakota winter knows how nice it can be to step onto something warm and comfortable first thing in the morning.
Carpet also offers benefits that hard-surface products simply can't match.
Why homeowners love carpet:
- Soft and comfortable underfoot.
- Helps make bedrooms and family rooms feel warm and inviting.
- Absorbs sound and reduces noise between rooms.
- Available in a wide variety of textures, colors, and price points.
- Modern stain-resistant options can work well for families with children and pets.
Things to consider:
Carpet generally requires more regular cleaning than hard-surface flooring and may not be ideal for areas frequently exposed to water, mud, or heavy moisture.
Choosing the right carpet fiber, construction, and padding can make a significant difference in how the flooring feels and performs over time.
Best for: Bedrooms, family rooms, stairs, and spaces where comfort and warmth are top priorities.
4. Hardwood Flooring: Timeless Beauty and Long-Term Appeal
Hardwood flooring has been a favorite among homeowners for generations. Its natural appearance, unique grain patterns, and timeless character can add warmth and elegance to nearly any home.
For homeowners who appreciate natural materials, hardwood remains a beautiful option.
Why homeowners love hardwood:
- Authentic natural wood appearance.
- Timeless style that works with many interior designs.
- Some hardwood floors can be refinished to extend their useful life.
- Can be an attractive feature for future homebuyers.
- Available in numerous species, stains, plank widths, and finishes.
Things to consider:
North Dakota's climate can present challenges for hardwood flooring. Indoor humidity levels often fluctuate significantly between winter and summer, causing natural wood to expand and contract.
Maintaining appropriate indoor humidity is important, particularly during the dry winter months.
Hardwood is also more susceptible to moisture damage than many vinyl flooring products, making it less suitable for certain entryways, bathrooms, and moisture-prone basements.
Best for: Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and homeowners who prioritize natural beauty and are comfortable with the maintenance requirements.
5. What Flooring Works Best for Each Room?
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners can make is assuming they need the same type of flooring throughout their entire house. In reality, different rooms have different needs.
Entryways and Mudrooms: Moisture-resistant luxury vinyl plank (LVP) or appropriately rated laminate flooring are great options for areas that regularly deal with wet shoes, snow, and dirt.
Kitchens: Luxury vinyl plank and water-resistant laminate are popular choices because of their durability, easy maintenance, and protection against everyday spills.
Living Rooms: Laminate, LVP, hardwood, and carpet can all work well. The best choice depends on your lifestyle, design preferences, and how much traffic the room receives.
Bedrooms: Carpet remains a favorite for its warmth and comfort, while laminate, hardwood, and LVP are excellent alternatives for homeowners who prefer hard-surface flooring.
Basements: Luxury vinyl plank and certain carpet systems can be good options, provided they are approved for installation over concrete and the subfloor meets moisture requirements.
Stairs: Carpet is a popular choice for comfort, traction, and noise reduction. Hard-surface flooring can also work well when installed using appropriate stair materials and methods.
Home Offices: Laminate, LVP, carpet, and hardwood are all worth considering depending on your preferred appearance, comfort, and maintenance needs.
Ultimately, the best flooring for each room depends on how the space is used, the condition of the subfloor, and your household's everyday needs.
6. Don't Forget About Installation and Subfloor Preparation
Choosing the right flooring material is only part of the equation.
Even a high-quality flooring product can experience problems if it isn't installed correctly.
Depending on your project, proper installation may involve:
- Removing existing flooring.
- Evaluating the condition of the subfloor.
- Addressing uneven surfaces.
- Checking concrete moisture conditions.
- Selecting the correct underlayment.
- Allowing for proper expansion and movement.
- Following manufacturer installation guidelines.
This is especially important in older Fargo-Moorhead homes, where existing floors and subfloors may require additional preparation.
At The Fargo Flooring Store, we believe understanding the condition of your space before installation is one of the most important parts of getting a great finished result.
So, What Is the Best Flooring for Your Fargo-Moorhead Home?
There isn't one flooring product that's perfect for every home.
If moisture resistance and easy maintenance are your priorities, luxury vinyl plank may be an excellent choice.
If you're looking for impressive scratch resistance and realistic wood visuals, modern laminate flooring deserves a serious look.
If comfort, warmth, and softness matter most, carpet is still hard to beat.
And if you love the timeless beauty of natural materials, hardwood flooring may be the right investment.
The most important thing is choosing flooring that fits your lifestyle, your home's conditions, and your budget.
Let The Fargo Flooring Store Help You Find the Right Fit
At The Fargo Flooring Store, we help homeowners throughout Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, and the surrounding communities find flooring that looks great and performs well for years to come.
Whether you're replacing carpet in a bedroom, updating your kitchen, finishing a basement, or installing new flooring throughout your entire home, our team can help you compare products and understand your options.
Stop by our showroom to explore flooring samples, ask questions, and get started on your next project.
We also offer free estimates and financing options to help make your flooring project more manageable.
The Fargo Flooring Store — Helping Fargo-Moorhead homeowners find flooring that fits their homes and their lives.









