ᐅ Which types of flooring are recommended for single-family homes? What does the building expert community suggest?
Created on: 14 Sep 2020 07:43
E
exto1791
Hello everyone,
We are slowly starting to consider the flooring for our planned single-family house and are still completely undecided.
We have an open-plan living-dining area with a kitchen. We believe that a seamless floor transition looks nicer than separating the kitchen from the living/dining area. For this reason, we want to have a uniform floor covering throughout.
Now the question: vinyl or tiles? We have already read about the pros and cons, but maybe we can get some first-hand tips or tricks here that might put some of the disadvantages into a more positive perspective?
1. Question: Is vinyl really safe to use in the kitchen? Is vinyl fully waterproof? How does vinyl flooring react if, for example, a knife slips from my hand and falls on the floor? Will I get immediate dents or marks? Are there vinyl floors that are significantly more resistant?
2. Question: How does vinyl respond to sunlight? Since we will have several large glass fronts in our living-dining area, vinyl "technically" seems to be excluded... Does vinyl actually deform? Is it true that vinyl, like parquet, fades significantly in sunlight?
3. Question: Is vinyl really only suitable for 10-20 years? What happens afterward? Do I have to replace the vinyl, or can it be refurbished or maintained?
--> We are considering tiling the entire area because then we would be "done," have a robust floor that works perfectly with underfloor heating, is simple, and very resistant to sun/fading/stains/impacts. We think generally that you can’t go wrong with tiles.
However, I see the problem that the tiles will likely stay in place for a lifetime, and I may not want or be able to replace them later due to the high effort involved. Also, any chip or damage to a tile will be visible for life since I can’t quickly repair it (true, vinyl also can’t be easily repaired, but I could replace the floor after 15-20 years). Another downside is cost. Tiles are generally more expensive, and I wouldn’t be able to install them myself (I don’t feel confident with tiles but feel okay with vinyl), so we are wondering what is best for us.
What flooring have you installed in your living/dining areas? What good or bad experiences have you had?
Now about the upper rooms:
1 bedroom and 2 kids’ rooms: vinyl/parquet/cork/laminate?
We are familiar with the pros and cons here as well. Parquet is "technically" out of the question because it is very expensive (is there good parquet for around 30€ (about $33)?). Opinions on vinyl are divided... We also have clear concerns (especially in the kids’ rooms) regarding plastic flooring... Are they really completely safe and non-toxic nowadays? If I pay attention to this, can I safely choose vinyl for the kids’ rooms? The kids’ rooms should be "good and affordable" above all. Cork might be an option? Laminate is somehow excluded because it is very noisy and offers no advantages over cork or vinyl.
Is parquet sensible for the bedroom? Here there is no fading, parquet is durable, and sunlight is limited. Very durable and might make the bedroom more visually appealing. What do you think?
We are open to any suggestions.
Where did you buy your flooring? From a hardware store? A specialist dealer? Are there recommendations, including manufacturers or models?
We are slowly starting to consider the flooring for our planned single-family house and are still completely undecided.
We have an open-plan living-dining area with a kitchen. We believe that a seamless floor transition looks nicer than separating the kitchen from the living/dining area. For this reason, we want to have a uniform floor covering throughout.
Now the question: vinyl or tiles? We have already read about the pros and cons, but maybe we can get some first-hand tips or tricks here that might put some of the disadvantages into a more positive perspective?
1. Question: Is vinyl really safe to use in the kitchen? Is vinyl fully waterproof? How does vinyl flooring react if, for example, a knife slips from my hand and falls on the floor? Will I get immediate dents or marks? Are there vinyl floors that are significantly more resistant?
2. Question: How does vinyl respond to sunlight? Since we will have several large glass fronts in our living-dining area, vinyl "technically" seems to be excluded... Does vinyl actually deform? Is it true that vinyl, like parquet, fades significantly in sunlight?
3. Question: Is vinyl really only suitable for 10-20 years? What happens afterward? Do I have to replace the vinyl, or can it be refurbished or maintained?
--> We are considering tiling the entire area because then we would be "done," have a robust floor that works perfectly with underfloor heating, is simple, and very resistant to sun/fading/stains/impacts. We think generally that you can’t go wrong with tiles.
However, I see the problem that the tiles will likely stay in place for a lifetime, and I may not want or be able to replace them later due to the high effort involved. Also, any chip or damage to a tile will be visible for life since I can’t quickly repair it (true, vinyl also can’t be easily repaired, but I could replace the floor after 15-20 years). Another downside is cost. Tiles are generally more expensive, and I wouldn’t be able to install them myself (I don’t feel confident with tiles but feel okay with vinyl), so we are wondering what is best for us.
What flooring have you installed in your living/dining areas? What good or bad experiences have you had?
Now about the upper rooms:
1 bedroom and 2 kids’ rooms: vinyl/parquet/cork/laminate?
We are familiar with the pros and cons here as well. Parquet is "technically" out of the question because it is very expensive (is there good parquet for around 30€ (about $33)?). Opinions on vinyl are divided... We also have clear concerns (especially in the kids’ rooms) regarding plastic flooring... Are they really completely safe and non-toxic nowadays? If I pay attention to this, can I safely choose vinyl for the kids’ rooms? The kids’ rooms should be "good and affordable" above all. Cork might be an option? Laminate is somehow excluded because it is very noisy and offers no advantages over cork or vinyl.
Is parquet sensible for the bedroom? Here there is no fading, parquet is durable, and sunlight is limited. Very durable and might make the bedroom more visually appealing. What do you think?
We are open to any suggestions.
Where did you buy your flooring? From a hardware store? A specialist dealer? Are there recommendations, including manufacturers or models?
There are so many options. Take a look at polished screed or designer floors.
We chose hot asphalt throughout the entire house. Seamless and very low-maintenance.
However, you need to plan carefully for this. It is not much more expensive than screed plus tiles. But it has to fit the house and you should like the look.
I also always find hardwood flooring nice. Preferable to tiles.
We chose hot asphalt throughout the entire house. Seamless and very low-maintenance.
However, you need to plan carefully for this. It is not much more expensive than screed plus tiles. But it has to fit the house and you should like the look.
I also always find hardwood flooring nice. Preferable to tiles.
For us, it is basically already decided in advance that only the entrance area, utility room, and bathrooms will be tiled. Everywhere else will have parquet flooring!
However, regarding parquet, I have an additional question:
What about the "largest possible installation area" for floating floors?
For laminate, for example, I’ve heard the recommendation that seams should be inserted after about 7–10 meters (23–33 feet) of room length. For longer rooms (i.e., larger areas), a separation should be added.
Who can share practical experience, especially concerning parquet installation?
Would it be possible to install around 45–50 m² (480–540 sq ft) of parquet in an L-shaped room seamlessly and as a floating floor without any issues?
Thanks!
However, regarding parquet, I have an additional question:
What about the "largest possible installation area" for floating floors?
For laminate, for example, I’ve heard the recommendation that seams should be inserted after about 7–10 meters (23–33 feet) of room length. For longer rooms (i.e., larger areas), a separation should be added.
Who can share practical experience, especially concerning parquet installation?
Would it be possible to install around 45–50 m² (480–540 sq ft) of parquet in an L-shaped room seamlessly and as a floating floor without any issues?
Thanks!
rick2018 schrieb:
There are so many options. Take a look at polished screed or designer floors.
We chose hot asphalt throughout the entire house. Seamless and very low maintenance.
However, you need to plan carefully for this. It isn’t much more expensive than screed plus tiles. But it has to suit the house and you should like the look.
I also always find hardwood flooring nice. Preferable to tiles. Yes, I have read about that too. Unfortunately, it’s really not our style at all... The look just doesn’t suit us.
M
Martial.white14 Sep 2020 11:02I often wonder if the “vinyl is plastic and toxic” crowd is the same way about other topics. No synthetic leather on the steering wheel, only genuine leather. Only real wood kitchens. Fully stainless steel refrigerator interiors, and so on... Whether the adhesive or the film under the surface is safe is never discussed anywhere here either...
Martial.white schrieb:
I always wonder if the “vinyl is plastic and toxic” crowd is the same way about other topics. No faux leather on the steering wheel, please only genuine. Only real wood kitchens. Fully stainless steel refrigerator interiors, and so on... but no one talks about whether the adhesive or the film under the surface is safe...Unfortunately, it can’t always be avoided. But especially for flooring, there are so many better options that aren’t any more expensive. Plus, the floor covers a large area and you come into contact with it daily.This vinyl stuff is also quite delicate; in our basement, a piece actually broke off and the decorative surface started peeling. And it was expensive, too—real wood parquet costs only a few dollars more.
But we also fell for it; the industry obviously loves selling this recycled plastic, with high profit margins and a way to get rid of the old “chunk.” Like I said, we only installed it in three basement rooms, and I’m planning to tear it out soon...
Unbelievable...
Similar topics