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?
exto1791 schrieb:
These are also my concerns... Does underfloor heating really make a big difference? I only know it from home, where the tiles were really warm with underfloor heating, but I’m not sure if that is still the case in today’s well-insulated houses.In the bathroom, you can feel the underfloor heating. In the rest of the house, only when it is really cold outside.
You just need to remember that with a heat pump and the desired efficiency, the supply temperature is around 30°C (86°F). This means that, apart from warming by solar gain, the tiles will be at most 30°C (86°F). Your body temperature is about 37°C (99°F), with the sole of your foot maybe around 35°C (95°F). So, what happens when your relatively warm foot stands on a cooler surface?
The supply temperatures in older houses with gas or even oil heating were usually around 45-50°C (113-122°F), if not higher. That’s why these floors feel warm to the touch.
The supply temperatures in older houses with gas or even oil heating were usually around 45-50°C (113-122°F), if not higher. That’s why these floors feel warm to the touch.
exto1791 schrieb:
After consulting with the construction company, this is how it works: €50.00 per m² (approximately $55 per sq yd) is stated in the building and service specification. I go to the specialist retailer, check the prices there (all are displayed), pick a tile I like (for example €40) and then get a €10 credit per m² (approximately $11) applied. The installation costs are always included (for us even 60x60 cm (24x24 inches)).
Excerpt from the building and service specification: "All tiles are installed using the thin-bed method. Price class for tile delivery up to €50.00 per m² (approximately $55 per sq yd) including VAT. The scope of service includes the installation... (including 60x60 cm (24x24 inches)). I understand up to 60x60 cm (24x24 inches). "Wood-look" tiles in long formats are then not included, as far as I see. Also, the price refers to the specialist retailer’s price; special deals at home improvement stores are not accepted.
I definitely don’t want to discourage you from choosing tiles, please don’t misunderstand me. We have tiles throughout our entire ground floor and really like it. It’s just that many homeowners don’t understand the building specifications and then are shocked by the final invoice. Have you been to the tile wholesaler’s showroom your general contractor mentioned? Also ask about your preferred tile size and, if there is an additional charge, have it confirmed in writing.
Tolentino schrieb:
You just have to remember that with a heat pump and the desired efficiency, the supply temperature is around 30°C (86°F). This means that, apart from warming from solar gains, the tiles will be at most 30°C warm. Your body temperature is about 37°C (99°F), and the sole of your foot might be around 35°C (95°F). So what happens when your relatively warm foot stands on a cooler surface? That is correct. That’s why we have loosely laid a large Berber rug next to the sofa in the living room. You can also place a runner in the walkways. These can be easily shaken out from time to time, taken to the cleaner in more extreme cases, or replaced with a new rug if you want a visual change without having to replace the entire floor.
I wouldn’t see it as that critical. Our “everything except bathrooms” tiles, 60x60 cm (24x24 inches), light gray, roughly like those from matte1987, were priced at 20€/m² (about $20/m²) from the specialist dealer. For the bathrooms, we chose a collection with patterns for the floor, also 60x60 cm (24x24 inches), which cost around 40€/m² (about $40/m²).
We didn’t look at wood-effect tiles at all, so I’m not familiar with those. But for 50€/m² (about $50/m²), you should have a wide selection at the specialist dealer without paying extra.
We didn’t look at wood-effect tiles at all, so I’m not familiar with those. But for 50€/m² (about $50/m²), you should have a wide selection at the specialist dealer without paying extra.
A tile price of 50 EUR/m² (about 5.50 USD/ft²) in the construction specification is actually quite reasonable, in my opinion. I don’t remember exactly, but I had seen 20, at most 35 EUR/m² in various construction specifications.
My general contractor had quoted 35 EUR/m² but wanted an outrageous amount (around 10,000 EUR) for only 65 m² (about 700 ft²) of tiled area (wall and floor tiles, including the shower). I had that removed.
My general contractor had quoted 35 EUR/m² but wanted an outrageous amount (around 10,000 EUR) for only 65 m² (about 700 ft²) of tiled area (wall and floor tiles, including the shower). I had that removed.
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