From eco-friendly new-build to cosy Victorian terrace and beyond, your choice of flooring makes a statement about you and your home.

Great British Life: Basically, wood flooring comes in three types: laminate, engineered wood and solid wood. Pictures: Getty Images / in4malBasically, wood flooring comes in three types: laminate, engineered wood and solid wood. Pictures: Getty Images / in4mal (Image: Dariusz Jarzabek Fotografia)

How to choose your new floor? The options can be bewildering: simply, the choices are vinyl, carpet, tile or wood - but the variety within each product type are extensive.

Increasingly, home owners are moving towards wood flooring. It adds character to a room and comes in a huge range of styles to suit all tastes; it's also long-lasting and easy to maintain.

Basically, wood flooring comes in three types: laminate, engineered wood and solid wood.

- Laminate, the cheapest, is made with a photographic image of wood grain usually printed onto HDF board.

- Engineered wood flooring has a veneer of wood, typically 3-7mm thick, laid over layers of plywood or MDF.

- Solid wood is just what it says on the tin and is the most expensive of the three types.

The final choice is a matter of budget and taste - but, according to up and coming Leeds-based supplier Lifestyle Flooring UK, engineered wood flooring has several advantages over the other two contenders.

"It looks and feels like a solid wood floor, but it's cheaper, more robust because of its construction, can be laid over under floor heating (unlike solid wood) and is easier to maintain," says Will Woolley, the company's internet marketing spokesman.

"Engineered wood floors are also more sustainable than real wood. They need fewer raw materials, resulting in less waste and fewer trees being cut down.

"At Lifestyle Flooring UK, our collection is made from materials taken from sustainable forests. They are also constructed using eco-friendly techniques."

With a 10,000 sq ft warehouse, the company, trading in Leeds for the last 18 months, also claims its prices for top brands are consistently cheaper than the competition due to bulk buying.

About three-quarters of orders come from home owners all over the UK, with engineered wood flooring - available in a huge range of wood finishes, lengths and widths - currently making up 10% of sales, a statistic that Will aims to grow.

"Engineered wood is available in a wide range of designs, patterns and colours," he says. "From an antique-look floor with vintage patterns or a modern, conventional pattern, there's something for every décor all available at a range of prices to suit every budget.

"Like all wood floors, engineered hardwood flooring requires care and maintenance. But it's extremely durable and won't wear out easily so long as it's well looked after and maintained properly."

For more information and advice, visit lifestyleflooringuk.co.uk.