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?
T
T_im_Norden14 Sep 2020 15:50We also considered this at length.
We don’t like tiles for living areas because they can chip and the look lasts too long (appearance).
Parquet, laminate, and luxury vinyl flooring all basically consist of a core material with a thin wear layer on top.
We have partially installed luxury vinyl flooring in our current house. The feel underfoot is comfortable, but the floor is too sensitive for us (a single fingernail scratch already leaves a white mark). Installing the glued-down type requires a very flat subfloor; otherwise, every unevenness shows. It is more expensive.
Parquet is too costly for us, especially if you want an underlayer that differs from vinyl or laminate.
Laminate feels colder underfoot and is somewhat noisier, but it has a better underlayer than luxury vinyl and is significantly harder and more scratch-resistant. Our floor has been in the house for 20 years and still looks good.
We have therefore chosen the more affordable laminate, and if we don’t like it in five years, we can replace it without having invested a large amount.
We don’t like tiles for living areas because they can chip and the look lasts too long (appearance).
Parquet, laminate, and luxury vinyl flooring all basically consist of a core material with a thin wear layer on top.
We have partially installed luxury vinyl flooring in our current house. The feel underfoot is comfortable, but the floor is too sensitive for us (a single fingernail scratch already leaves a white mark). Installing the glued-down type requires a very flat subfloor; otherwise, every unevenness shows. It is more expensive.
Parquet is too costly for us, especially if you want an underlayer that differs from vinyl or laminate.
Laminate feels colder underfoot and is somewhat noisier, but it has a better underlayer than luxury vinyl and is significantly harder and more scratch-resistant. Our floor has been in the house for 20 years and still looks good.
We have therefore chosen the more affordable laminate, and if we don’t like it in five years, we can replace it without having invested a large amount.
Wow, what a heated debate between vinyl and hardwood flooring.
I don’t have strong feelings about whether we will be happy with the vinyl; that remains to be seen. It’s just a floor covering after all, and if we don’t like it, it can be replaced after a few years.
But I really can’t agree with those who say hardwood flooring is low maintenance. I’ve had hardwood floors here for 10 years. They already looked terrible from the previous tenant when I moved in, and you can’t keep them nicely maintained (without significant expense) anymore. If you get water damage in certain spots, it’s simply ruined there. For the previous tenant, it was their aquarium, but even if you don’t close the window quickly enough during a heavy rainstorm, it can cause serious problems.
So, in this rental property, the hardwood was the reason we ruled out that type of flooring entirely.
I don’t have strong feelings about whether we will be happy with the vinyl; that remains to be seen. It’s just a floor covering after all, and if we don’t like it, it can be replaced after a few years.
But I really can’t agree with those who say hardwood flooring is low maintenance. I’ve had hardwood floors here for 10 years. They already looked terrible from the previous tenant when I moved in, and you can’t keep them nicely maintained (without significant expense) anymore. If you get water damage in certain spots, it’s simply ruined there. For the previous tenant, it was their aquarium, but even if you don’t close the window quickly enough during a heavy rainstorm, it can cause serious problems.
So, in this rental property, the hardwood was the reason we ruled out that type of flooring entirely.
N
nordanney14 Sep 2020 17:41Tolentino schrieb:
High-quality parquet flooring (with a thick wear layer or even solid wood) is definitely more expensive than 50 EUR/m² (about $55 per sq ft), but it’s really good and will probably last your entire life, with or without maintenance. What defines "high-quality parquet"? Who actually sands their parquet twice in a lifetime—probably no one. And oak is oak. The price differences come a) from the brand name (like with Apple) or b) from special finishes (well-aged, smoked, and treated with 5,000-year-old Inca oil) or dimensions.
Otherwise, you can get really good parquet for 25-35 EUR/m² (about $27-$38 per sq ft).
kati1337 schrieb:
Wow, what a mudslinging match between vinyl and parquet. Just a "battle" between plastic and wood.
kati1337 schrieb:
If water damage occurs, those spots are simply ruined. The previous tenant’s aquarium caused issues, but even if you don’t close a window quickly enough during heavy rain, things can go wrong. However, a tipped-over bucket or an open window usually isn’t a problem, as long as the parquet is glued down and not soaked for hours.
I haven't read all the posts. In our new house, we installed tiles everywhere because durability is the most important factor for me. Downstairs, we chose wood-look tiles that closely resemble real hardwood. I want flooring that doesn’t scratch easily and won’t get damaged by water.
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