ᐅ Engineered flooring as an alternative to hardwood - buying guide and manufacturers
Created on: 3 Nov 2021 07:26
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jaenno1
Good morning everyone,
There has already been a lot of discussion about different types of design flooring. We saw the Modular One from Parador at friends’ houses and were very impressed. However, there are very mixed opinions about this flooring, so I wanted to check if there are also more “premium” floors from other manufacturers? What are your experiences, and which brands would you recommend?
Since many criticize the use of “plastic,” here are our reasons for choosing this type of flooring: We currently live in an apartment with prefinished parquet. The apartment is 5 years old and we are very careful to avoid dents and scratches. Still, the floor is quite delicate and soft, so we want to find an alternative because of our very young children. Tiles are not an option due to the lack of “warmth underfoot.” Maybe when the kids are older, we can switch back to parquet, at least in the living room. I actually found that idea quite appealing.
We imagine a slightly lightened oak tone, but not a whitewashed color.
I would appreciate your opinions, tips, criticism, and suggestions.
Best regards
jaenno1
There has already been a lot of discussion about different types of design flooring. We saw the Modular One from Parador at friends’ houses and were very impressed. However, there are very mixed opinions about this flooring, so I wanted to check if there are also more “premium” floors from other manufacturers? What are your experiences, and which brands would you recommend?
Since many criticize the use of “plastic,” here are our reasons for choosing this type of flooring: We currently live in an apartment with prefinished parquet. The apartment is 5 years old and we are very careful to avoid dents and scratches. Still, the floor is quite delicate and soft, so we want to find an alternative because of our very young children. Tiles are not an option due to the lack of “warmth underfoot.” Maybe when the kids are older, we can switch back to parquet, at least in the living room. I actually found that idea quite appealing.
We imagine a slightly lightened oak tone, but not a whitewashed color.
I would appreciate your opinions, tips, criticism, and suggestions.
Best regards
jaenno1
B
Benutzer2003 Nov 2021 08:17jaenno1 schrieb:
Still, the floor is so sensitive and soft,The issue isn't with the plot of land. It's due to the type of hardwood. For example, choose oak and you won’t have this problem. It has held up well with three small children and a Bernese Mountain Dog.
Luxury vinyl flooring is not an option due to its high cost and poor value for money. It should actually be cheaper than laminate because of its simpler construction, but it is more expensive and, in some ways, more sensitive (pressure marks, deformation). My recommendation would be commercial-grade laminate flooring installed as a floating floor, and once the children are old enough to be responsible for any damage they cause, replace it with nice hardwood flooring.
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hampshire3 Nov 2021 08:34jaenno1 schrieb:
The apartment is 5 years old, and we really try to avoid any damage as much as possible.
However, the floor is so sensitive and soft that, because of our very young children, we want to consider an alternative. Tiles are not an option due to the lack of "foot warmth." Floors get damaged. Even engineered wood floors. Sometimes it’s a scratch, sometimes a dent or something else. Besides the fundamental differences between types of flooring, there are also different levels of quality. The parquet in the rental apartment may not have been from a “mid-range” quality — I would double-check how representative your impression really is.
I find it a bit odd to aim for a “disposable” solution lasting only a few years because of potential damage. If you prefer wood anyway, choose a higher quality and, as already suggested, consider the possibility of sanding it down at a later time.
Regarding materials: Bamboo is even more durable than oak.
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RotorMotor3 Nov 2021 08:37I simply see many advantages of luxury vinyl flooring: minimal scratches and dents (with the appropriate wear rating), no issues with water, no grease stains, 10 times better thermal conductivity than hardwood flooring with underfloor heating, and it’s comfortable for walking, sitting, and playing on.
Environmental concerns can be addressed with plant-based oils and Blue Angel certification.
Environmental concerns can be addressed with plant-based oils and Blue Angel certification.
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Myrna_Loy3 Nov 2021 08:38RotorMotor schrieb:
It's good that you don’t have to sand a vinyl floor! 🙂Coffee not working yet? 😉 She wrote earlier about tearing out the vinyl floor in the living room and replacing it with something more high-quality once the kids are no longer like wrecking balls on two legs. That’s what I was referring to. Apart from that, someone should show me a synthetic floor from the last 50 years that didn’t look bad after 10 years.
RotorMotor schrieb:
But yes, we also don’t want anything that off-gasses, so we chose a design floor with the Blue Angel certification. Exactly, I would definitely pay attention to that! I wouldn’t support anything else.
Myrna_Loy schrieb:
Sanding a parquet floor requires less effort than removing a plastic floor and installing a new one. I would therefore choose a parquet with a slightly thicker wear layer for the living room. Haha, basically a sensible thought. But it doesn’t help with deeper dents, so I would definitely prefer the design floor option!
Tolentino schrieb:
Design flooring is not an option due to the high costs and poor price-performance ratio. Could you elaborate on that? I don’t necessarily see it that way, rather more the advantages mentioned by @RotorMotor.
hampshire schrieb:
The parquet in the rental apartment might not have been from a "mid-range" quality — I would double-check how representative your impression really is. I have to disagree there. Wear layers are increasingly thinner for cost reasons, and unfortunately, it was a very high-priced parquet.
RotorMotor schrieb:
I simply see many advantages of design flooring: fewer scratches and dents (with appropriate usage class), no issues with water, no grease stains, thermal conductivity that’s 10 times better than parquet for underfloor heating, comfortable to walk, sit, and play on.
Environmental concerns can be addressed with plant oils and Blue Angel certification. Finally, a supporter 😉. Do you have recommendations regarding manufacturers and types? Parador Modular One gets both good and bad reviews.
Thanks in advance for your partly very differing opinions 🙂. Despite the concerns here, I would rather prefer a glued-down or floating vinyl or design floor. I don’t like vinyl as much because it lacks warmth underfoot. I am quite sensitive about that, even though I’m male 🙂.
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