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?
N
nordanney14 Sep 2020 08:37I’m considering hardwood flooring for the entire house (except in the bathrooms). It’s a natural material, durable, forgiving of dents and scratches, and always feels warm and inviting. Also suitable for the kitchen.
I love hardwood flooring
I love hardwood flooring
nordanney schrieb:
I’m proposing hardwood flooring for the entire house (except the bathrooms). A natural material, durable, forgiving of dents and scratches, and always feels warm and inviting. Even for the kitchen.
I love hardwood flooring In principle, I find hardwood flooring visually beautiful, but I see far too many drawbacks here.
Natural material – that’s true, of course! It’s a good idea for the living and dining areas, but I wouldn’t choose hardwood for the kitchen. I really have concerns about water resistance there. Also, “fading from sunlight” is a major issue with hardwood... forgiving dents and scratches (well, I couldn’t say that about the hardwood in our rental apartment. It’s starting to look pretty worn and damaged). It does feel great, that’s true.
Furthermore, hardwood requires a lot of maintenance and is expensive... I think only genuine wood or hardwood enthusiasts would really benefit from it. In that case, I completely understand!
Parquet flooring is significantly more durable and forgiving than vinyl. It requires virtually no maintenance. Water only causes problems if it sits on the surface for a long time and needs to be wiped away.
So, there is hardly anything more durable than oak parquet; only tiles come to mind!
So, there is hardly anything more durable than oak parquet; only tiles come to mind!
For the living room, staircase, upper floor hallway, as well as the bedrooms and children's rooms, we chose click vinyl flooring from Parador. However, our house is not new. We did not replace the existing tiles in the hallway, kitchen, and utility room.
In our previous living room, we had strip parquet flooring. The floor was already 25 years old and had not been maintained by the landlord. As a result, it unfortunately looked worn. We definitely did not want to deal with something like that again.
I would definitely recommend choosing a durable floor. With children, spills and accidents are inevitable, and I don’t want to constantly be the party pooper or constantly tell the kids what they can’t do. Of course, we have rules, but if someone walks from the terrace into the living room with shoes on and maybe a few stones stuck to them, it’s not the end of the world.
In our previous living room, we had strip parquet flooring. The floor was already 25 years old and had not been maintained by the landlord. As a result, it unfortunately looked worn. We definitely did not want to deal with something like that again.
I would definitely recommend choosing a durable floor. With children, spills and accidents are inevitable, and I don’t want to constantly be the party pooper or constantly tell the kids what they can’t do. Of course, we have rules, but if someone walks from the terrace into the living room with shoes on and maybe a few stones stuck to them, it’s not the end of the world.
M
Martial.white14 Sep 2020 09:08We are at the same stage as the original poster. We are planning to have tiles throughout the entire ground floor because we don’t want to offer slippers to every visitor and then constantly have to clean up after our two boys who come in barefoot from the garden.
Upstairs, in the children’s rooms, we will use vinyl flooring. Even though someone here said it’s a sin, sin, etc., if it ever bothers us, the vinyl will be removed. With the price difference, I could install vinyl three times over before reaching the cost of real wood flooring.
Upstairs, in the children’s rooms, we will use vinyl flooring. Even though someone here said it’s a sin, sin, etc., if it ever bothers us, the vinyl will be removed. With the price difference, I could install vinyl three times over before reaching the cost of real wood flooring.
One more vote for hardwood flooring.
Yes, our hardwood (installed throughout the house except for bathrooms, hallway, and home office) shows wear after 8 years, 2 cats, and 2 kids. In raking light, you can see countless scratches. In areas with a lot of sunlight, it has partially faded.
Nevertheless, I would still install the same flooring again today without hesitation. It is much more pleasant for the eyes, nose, and feet than laminate or vinyl. Tiles—well, you have to like the cold. We don’t.
Maintenance? Well, when mopping, we occasionally add a cleaning product to the bucket. Otherwise, it is virtually maintenance-free.
In the kitchen, it actually still looks almost the best.
Yes, our hardwood (installed throughout the house except for bathrooms, hallway, and home office) shows wear after 8 years, 2 cats, and 2 kids. In raking light, you can see countless scratches. In areas with a lot of sunlight, it has partially faded.
Nevertheless, I would still install the same flooring again today without hesitation. It is much more pleasant for the eyes, nose, and feet than laminate or vinyl. Tiles—well, you have to like the cold. We don’t.
Maintenance? Well, when mopping, we occasionally add a cleaning product to the bucket. Otherwise, it is virtually maintenance-free.
In the kitchen, it actually still looks almost the best.
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