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?
What material choices are there?
If I want wood, it’s because of the smell, the feel, the warmth, and the appearance after years of damage and repairs.
Wood look from ceramic, laminate, PVC, or linoleum is obvious.
The material properties don’t match those of wood, so it’s just a trend, as modern as green tiles in the 1980s.
Please specify the materials you are using.
If I want wood, it’s because of the smell, the feel, the warmth, and the appearance after years of damage and repairs.
Wood look from ceramic, laminate, PVC, or linoleum is obvious.
The material properties don’t match those of wood, so it’s just a trend, as modern as green tiles in the 1980s.
Please specify the materials you are using.
S
Sparfuchs7718 Sep 2020 14:40Nida35a schrieb:
if I want wood, Exactly. YOU... but I have different requirements for the material and therefore, unlike you, do not want any wood material, only the wood appearance. I stand by that.
Honestly, there’s no such thing as a natural look with tiles. Whether they are green or wood-look is really up to personal preference.
Wood, however, does have its drawbacks compared to other materials, and if you want to minimize those, it simply comes at a price that not everyone is willing or able to pay.
Personally, I would prefer to install hardwood flooring everywhere (including the kitchen, but not necessarily the bathrooms or utility room). But it would have to be solid wood, which, despite my love for it, I just can’t afford.
I then considered PVC-free luxury vinyl flooring, but I’m not entirely confident about how it will look after 15 years.
For tiles, I would choose a stone-look design, but my wife doesn’t agree, so we went with wood-look instead.
In the bedroom and children’s rooms, tiles feel too cold and uncomfortable to us, so I looked for something that seemed healthier and ended up with cork design flooring or linoleum. The natural cork pattern is too busy for me, and “classic” linoleum reminds me too much of schools and hospitals.
If new manufacturing methods allow us to combine the appearance of one type of flooring with the properties of another, that’s great!
As I mentioned, I have seen luxury vinyl flooring where I couldn’t tell it wasn’t real wood just by looking. I only started to doubt it when I did the nail test. I know the same can be true visually with tiles (unless you lie down on the floor, of course, where you feel the hardness and coldness more quickly).
I don’t understand why people think you shouldn’t choose new looks for tiles. Are you also against natural stone-look tiles?
Wood, however, does have its drawbacks compared to other materials, and if you want to minimize those, it simply comes at a price that not everyone is willing or able to pay.
Personally, I would prefer to install hardwood flooring everywhere (including the kitchen, but not necessarily the bathrooms or utility room). But it would have to be solid wood, which, despite my love for it, I just can’t afford.
I then considered PVC-free luxury vinyl flooring, but I’m not entirely confident about how it will look after 15 years.
For tiles, I would choose a stone-look design, but my wife doesn’t agree, so we went with wood-look instead.
In the bedroom and children’s rooms, tiles feel too cold and uncomfortable to us, so I looked for something that seemed healthier and ended up with cork design flooring or linoleum. The natural cork pattern is too busy for me, and “classic” linoleum reminds me too much of schools and hospitals.
If new manufacturing methods allow us to combine the appearance of one type of flooring with the properties of another, that’s great!
As I mentioned, I have seen luxury vinyl flooring where I couldn’t tell it wasn’t real wood just by looking. I only started to doubt it when I did the nail test. I know the same can be true visually with tiles (unless you lie down on the floor, of course, where you feel the hardness and coldness more quickly).
I don’t understand why people think you shouldn’t choose new looks for tiles. Are you also against natural stone-look tiles?
T
ThomasH72118 Sep 2020 16:21Since I am just starting to get involved with house construction, and haven’t found much about Sichtestrich in this thread or through the search function, I wanted to ask about it. Is there anyone here with experience using it? Or could someone outline the main advantages and disadvantages compared to the floor coverings frequently mentioned here?
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