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?
P
pagoni202018 Feb 2021 20:16I have mentioned this before. You can find Meister parquet flooring online in second grade at a great price. I have nearly 200 square meters (2,150 square feet) installed, and it’s absolutely top quality. Waste is almost zero, or actually zero if you simply use the few boards that may appear slightly more reddish or similar under the kitchen or elsewhere. All this for under 30 per square meter (approximately 2.79 per square foot), including delivery.
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pagoni202018 Feb 2021 21:03rdwlnts schrieb:
Hmm, but then you put €10,000 on the virtual table and don’t really know what you’re getting or how bad it might actually be? So why doesn’t everyone just buy second choice then? You can also go there in person or have sample boards sent to you. It’s no different from buying first choice.
€10,000??? Are you building your town hall?
I paid €25 per square meter (about $27 per square yard) including shipping, plus original moldings and underlay from Meister at a good price.
Why doesn’t everyone do that?
My guess is people don’t want to be “second choice” buyers because they fear getting something inferior, among other reasons. Maybe not all models and colors are available either. For us, that was my question given the quantities we needed.
There’s nothing virtual about it, or no more so than at a flooring store. They order your goods somewhere and deliver them to the construction site.
I’m not trying to convince anyone against their will, but I would always do it that way.
The same is also available, for example, from Haro.
rdwlnts schrieb:
No worries, I’m not trying to convert anyone... but I’m always open to new things. I’m basically just asking the typical questions of someone who’s clearly a second-choice novice...
What are some common issues with second-choice boards?I can only agree with Pagoni and have also had very good experiences with second-choice products. Back then, admittedly, it was Meister laminate in apartments (twice). If I hadn’t known or had only paid about 30% of the original price at the time, I probably wouldn’t have noticed the “second choice” as such 🙂
For the new build I’m currently planning, I will also buy Meister B-grade engineered wood flooring, so I don’t want to try to convert you either, just so I don’t end up empty-handed 😉
Just take a look, for example, at the big discount retailer with four letters, using the search term “Meister B-Grade” or Haro, or similar...
But here’s a sample excerpt from the retailer’s description:
“Explanation SF Goods / B-Grade Goods:
This is original Meister engineered wood flooring, new and unused, as well as originally packaged. However, the goods are offered as B-grade with minor aesthetic flaws. This means they may include planks with surface imperfections, such as slight indentations, color variations, or knot holes.
After the auction ends, we are happy to provide helpful tips and advise you how to camouflage these ‘flaws’ during installation.
We also tell you, depending on the floor type, how many extra square meters you should order to account for waste. We want to emphasize that these ‘flaws’ do not appear on every plank.
There are certain guidelines and sample images that show how a floor should come from production. If only minimal deviations are visible, such as one too many knot holes or the wood grain differing from the catalog images, the planks are sorted into B-grade even though these are not actually defects. These ‘violations of sorting criteria’ are often only noticed by professionals on a second look.
These represent the majority of this stock. BUT: Technically, the planks are ALWAYS flawless. The click connection and technical processing are identical to regular A-grade goods. Also, the dimensional accuracy is the same!
The quality itself is really top. Since it is B-grade, Meister packages this flooring, like other reputable manufacturers, in neutral white packaging.”
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pagoni202018 Feb 2021 21:17rdwlnts schrieb:
Don’t worry, I’m not persuadable… but always open to new ideas. I’m basically just asking the typical questions that a complete second-grade novice might have...
What are some common issues with second-grade boards? You usually take about 5-7% extra quantity, and then you basically have first-grade quality. Technically, they are all first-grade and flawless. For second-grade boards, for example here, sometimes you get one with a noticeably darker tone or occasionally one with a slight reddish tint. Mostly, though, there are more or larger knots, but all of these are factory-planed and sanded smooth.
If you had asked me, I’d say that’s all normal.
If the installer hadn’t been such a lazy fool, you wouldn’t see any of that at all; some boards would be stored in the utility room, under the bed, or under a cabinet, or I simply wouldn’t have installed a few boards, as you always have covered or furnished areas anyway.
If in doubt, you can visit and take a look yourself, which I didn’t do. Everything went perfectly.
There are often lingering doubts because people only build once, but I don’t have that.
I can highly recommend it; the result is top quality!
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