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?
I actually wanted to say that, unfortunately, mine is initially quite non-transparent (or unreasonably expensive) when it comes to upgrades.
Fortunately, though, he let me go completely elsewhere for several things (painting & flooring, windows, stairs, I’m still checking doors). The credit given was quite fair in each case, or I get much more for the same price, or what I want for much less.
Fortunately, though, he let me go completely elsewhere for several things (painting & flooring, windows, stairs, I’m still checking doors). The credit given was quite fair in each case, or I get much more for the same price, or what I want for much less.
nordanney schrieb:
A wear layer of about 3.5 to 4mm (around 0.14 to 0.16 inches) is normal and completely sufficient. You’ll find that with standard engineered hardwood flooring manufacturers in the price range of €100+. If you want thicker, you might as well go for solid hardwood.The 2.5mm (0.1 inches) wear layer costs around €30-40. Once I move up to a 3.0mm (0.12 inches) wear layer or thicker, the parquet flooring jumps to about €50-60.
The question I have is: Is a 2.5mm (0.1 inches) wear layer totally enough for a child’s room or bedroom? Or are these thinner engineered hardwood floors not good?
Honestly, I don’t see myself sanding the floors upstairs every five years. Whether it’s solid hardwood or engineered hardwood—if I don’t sand them down, won’t they wear out at the same rate? The advantage of a thicker wear layer is just that the floor can be sanded more times, right?
opalau schrieb:
They are just as good. You just won’t be able to sand them as often. Think about how often you will realistically do that anyway... Probably not often, if at all.
That’s why I’m wondering if it really has to be solid hardwood parquet, or parquet with an extremely thick wear layer for €60.00 per square meter (about $65.00), or if I should just go for the cheaper parquet with a 2.5mm (0.1 inch) wear layer for €30.00 per square meter (about $32.50).
Then I pay more attention to it being an EU import and not coming from somewhere in Asia. I make sure the finish—whether lacquer or oil—is of high quality and that the wood content is relatively high.
Is there a preferred wood species that is considered “better” or “worse”? Or is it really just about the appearance here?
Tolentino schrieb:
Here as well, the thicker the wear layer, the longer it takes for moisture to reach the swelling substrate layer. Consequently, the substrate has less chance to push the wear layer up, which would cause unsightly moisture damage.
It might be possible to find good parquet flooring for 25-35 EUR, but I argue that this is not the norm. I mostly see parquet with a maximum wear layer thickness of 3mm (1/8 inch).
I currently have that, and it’s not good. It only takes something like a pair of scissors dropping on it to leave a dent that goes all the way through to the substrate. And I have Bembé oak parquet. I’ll quote myself here. It doesn’t just affect how often you can sand the floor.
We have just been looking at flooring options for our single-family home. Tiles will be used in the hallway, wet rooms, and kitchen.
For all other rooms, we are planning to install luxury vinyl flooring (PVC-free). We have two children and, honestly, we are not the type to maintain and care for hardwood floors. After viewing samples and judging by the feel, we like the Schloss oak design flooring from Meisterdesign.
For all other rooms, we are planning to install luxury vinyl flooring (PVC-free). We have two children and, honestly, we are not the type to maintain and care for hardwood floors. After viewing samples and judging by the feel, we like the Schloss oak design flooring from Meisterdesign.
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