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?
SamSamSam schrieb:
In my experience, most luxury vinyl floors are made from vinyl.
The term “luxury vinyl” doesn’t specify the exact material.
And even vinyl flooring isn’t all the same. Haro calls theirs Disano. Wineo calls theirs Pureline. Parador has Modular One, and so on. Basically, every major flooring manufacturer offers a luxury vinyl floor based on polyethylene (PE) or polyurethane (PU). Meister does too. But yes, “luxury vinyl” isn’t a protected term, so you really need to look more closely.
There are definitely differences within vinyl flooring, but all vinyl (PVC) is classified as hazardous waste!
S
SamSamSam14 Apr 2021 17:01rdwlnts schrieb:
Haro calls it Disano. Wineo Pureline has it, Parador Modular One too. Basically, every major flooring manufacturer offers a design floor made from polyethylene (PE) or polyurethane (PU). Meister does as well. But yes, "design floor" is not a protected term, so you need to look more closely.
There are clearly differences in vinyl too, but all vinyl (PVC) is classified as hazardous waste! I come from the mechanical engineering sector, so I don’t have the absolute deepest knowledge about polymers, but I was not aware that polyvinyl chloride should be classified as hazardous waste 🙄
SamSamSam schrieb:
I come from the mechanical engineering field, so I don’t have the absolute deepest knowledge about polymers, but I wasn’t aware that polyvinyl chloride would be classified as hazardous waste 🙄Also started in mechanical engineering but then moved into aerospace. Okay, calling it hazardous waste was a bit of an exaggeration, but vinyl should not be disposed of with regular household waste because it releases toxic gases when burned. It therefore needs to be taken to a recycling center.
I have read a lot (but not everything) and wondered about one thing:
Vinyl: plastic, controversial, not liked by everyone, prone to wear.
Parquet: natural, beautiful, requires maintenance, sensitive to water.
Tiles: durable, comfortable with underfloor heating, but have a “cool” appearance.
Have you ever considered wood-look tiles? For me, tiles combined with underfloor heating are the most durable and practical choice. I personally like the classic tile look mostly in bathrooms. However, there are really great wood-look tiles that also imitate the wood grain. This combines the advantages of parquet (warm appearance) with those of tiles (durability). The price is also not higher than good quality parquet.
Another advantage is that you can lay the same material throughout all rooms (bathroom, living area, kitchen, hallway) without changes in material, meaning no steps or transitions.
What do you think?
Vinyl: plastic, controversial, not liked by everyone, prone to wear.
Parquet: natural, beautiful, requires maintenance, sensitive to water.
Tiles: durable, comfortable with underfloor heating, but have a “cool” appearance.
Have you ever considered wood-look tiles? For me, tiles combined with underfloor heating are the most durable and practical choice. I personally like the classic tile look mostly in bathrooms. However, there are really great wood-look tiles that also imitate the wood grain. This combines the advantages of parquet (warm appearance) with those of tiles (durability). The price is also not higher than good quality parquet.
Another advantage is that you can lay the same material throughout all rooms (bathroom, living area, kitchen, hallway) without changes in material, meaning no steps or transitions.
What do you think?
A
AllThumbs18 Apr 2021 09:18We are planning to install tiles with a mostly wood-look finish throughout the entire ground floor. "Mostly" because we will probably use a size of 120 x 30 cm (47 x 12 inches) and the look will not be as wood-like as in your example photo.
However, this choice doesn’t get much approval among our generation. It seems to be somewhat out of fashion. That said, we are not completely decided yet, partly due to the "concerns" mentioned in this thread.
However, this choice doesn’t get much approval among our generation. It seems to be somewhat out of fashion. That said, we are not completely decided yet, partly due to the "concerns" mentioned in this thread.
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