Hello everyone,
In October, I will start renovating and expanding my childhood home, which means I will have my own apartment of about 100 sqm (1,076 sq ft). The kitchen and living room are part of the "expansion area," together about 40 sqm (430 sq ft) in a rectangular space, and can be separated by a sliding door when needed. Now my question is: I want the entire space to have the same flooring (NOT like shown in the pictures!): durable, "warm" (comfortable to walk on barefoot), and easy to clean; do you have any suggestions, recommendations, or experiences?
Thank you in advance
Lukas 🙂
In October, I will start renovating and expanding my childhood home, which means I will have my own apartment of about 100 sqm (1,076 sq ft). The kitchen and living room are part of the "expansion area," together about 40 sqm (430 sq ft) in a rectangular space, and can be separated by a sliding door when needed. Now my question is: I want the entire space to have the same flooring (NOT like shown in the pictures!): durable, "warm" (comfortable to walk on barefoot), and easy to clean; do you have any suggestions, recommendations, or experiences?
Thank you in advance
Lukas 🙂
S
Schicolina19 Aug 2012 22:17Hello,
Tiles are definitely the best option when you have the underfloor heating on – they offer perfect heat conduction and therefore the best efficiency from the heating system – plus they are easy to maintain. However, during the other months, tiles can feel very cold underfoot. Some friends of mine are fine with that, but it’s not for me. Wood-look tiles are very stylish but tend to be quite expensive in comparison. Depending on what you like, you could easily be looking at three-digit prices. If you choose rectified tiles, you can achieve very narrow grout lines – this is not possible without them yet. Using larger formats means you will have fewer grout lines overall...
Laminate could be tricky with underfloor heating. Like parquet, it needs to be fully glued down to the subfloor to actually transfer heat from the underfloor heating. There is also a risk that the heat can cause cracks over time. I believe there aren’t any laminates with manufacturer warranties for use on underfloor heating. If something goes wrong, replacing everything can get quite expensive. For parquet, there are types that should work with underfloor heating. The material also needs to be sensitive enough to tolerate this. If a heavy pan drops on tiles, they will break too, but parquet can sometimes be “repaired” with an iron.
Cork is very comfortable – however, it is also a good insulating material, which can reduce the performance of underfloor heating. Installing cork is not cheap, and it must be sealed to make it more durable. Unfortunately, I don’t know how long the sealing lasts or if and when it needs to be renewed. The look is something you have to like.
Nowadays, there are very nice synthetic floors available in almost any desired style (including wood floors) and, especially, in very good quality – which, of course, reflects in the price.
It really depends on what you like, what your budget is, and maybe also on the installation method (doing it yourself?). Have a look at a specialty shop...
Best regards, Schicolina
Tiles are definitely the best option when you have the underfloor heating on – they offer perfect heat conduction and therefore the best efficiency from the heating system – plus they are easy to maintain. However, during the other months, tiles can feel very cold underfoot. Some friends of mine are fine with that, but it’s not for me. Wood-look tiles are very stylish but tend to be quite expensive in comparison. Depending on what you like, you could easily be looking at three-digit prices. If you choose rectified tiles, you can achieve very narrow grout lines – this is not possible without them yet. Using larger formats means you will have fewer grout lines overall...
Laminate could be tricky with underfloor heating. Like parquet, it needs to be fully glued down to the subfloor to actually transfer heat from the underfloor heating. There is also a risk that the heat can cause cracks over time. I believe there aren’t any laminates with manufacturer warranties for use on underfloor heating. If something goes wrong, replacing everything can get quite expensive. For parquet, there are types that should work with underfloor heating. The material also needs to be sensitive enough to tolerate this. If a heavy pan drops on tiles, they will break too, but parquet can sometimes be “repaired” with an iron.
Cork is very comfortable – however, it is also a good insulating material, which can reduce the performance of underfloor heating. Installing cork is not cheap, and it must be sealed to make it more durable. Unfortunately, I don’t know how long the sealing lasts or if and when it needs to be renewed. The look is something you have to like.
Nowadays, there are very nice synthetic floors available in almost any desired style (including wood floors) and, especially, in very good quality – which, of course, reflects in the price.
It really depends on what you like, what your budget is, and maybe also on the installation method (doing it yourself?). Have a look at a specialty shop...
Best regards, Schicolina
C
CrazyKlemptner20 Aug 2012 15:50I recommend a rustic oak hardwood floor. Very pleasing to the eye!! 🙂
S
schmemplkelmi25 Aug 2012 07:53Hello,
First of all, thank you for the many responses and tips. After a week of vacation, I’m now ready to get started and take a closer look at the different options in person... Tiles, vinyl plank flooring... that sounds really interesting and was new to me until now. Making decisions isn’t easy either, since the kitchen will be installed on top, which makes replacing the floor quite difficult 🙂 Fortunately, I still have some time to weigh the pros and cons. Anyway, thanks again!
Best regards
First of all, thank you for the many responses and tips. After a week of vacation, I’m now ready to get started and take a closer look at the different options in person... Tiles, vinyl plank flooring... that sounds really interesting and was new to me until now. Making decisions isn’t easy either, since the kitchen will be installed on top, which makes replacing the floor quite difficult 🙂 Fortunately, I still have some time to weigh the pros and cons. Anyway, thanks again!
Best regards
Have you made your decision yet?
I just wanted to add that wood-look tiles, in my opinion, would be a very good solution for your situation. They look convincingly like real wood, can easily be combined with underfloor heating, are durable, water-resistant, and feel very pleasant. Just do a quick search :-).
I just wanted to add that wood-look tiles, in my opinion, would be a very good solution for your situation. They look convincingly like real wood, can easily be combined with underfloor heating, are durable, water-resistant, and feel very pleasant. Just do a quick search :-).
Similar topics