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?
Bookstar schrieb:
Parquet flooring doesn’t require any maintenance at all. Water only causes problems if it sits on the floor for a long time; you just have to wipe it up.Well, the strip parquet in the old house really needed maintenance! It was just that our landlady was too stingy. Water soaked in immediately and the floor swelled. You couldn’t just wipe it up that quickly.
There was also a big color difference caused by the sunlight.
Of course, it’s possible that the floor was not of good quality or simply wasn’t properly maintained...
We have vinyl flooring in the children’s and bedrooms because it seemed like a great choice – a mistake, but it is what it is now. Otherwise, I’m a fan of tiles, which are durable and practically indestructible. Warm in winter, cool in summer. We have wood-look tiles almost everywhere, which is a matter of taste; we really like them – 3 out of 4 people don’t even notice that it’s not real wood. Next time, I would choose parquet flooring for the children’s and bedrooms.
Lumpi_LE schrieb:
We have vinyl flooring in the children’s and bedrooms because it was supposed to be great – a mistake, but unfortunately it is how it is now. Otherwise, I’m a fan of tiles, they are durable and virtually indestructible. Warm in winter, cool in summer. We have wood-look tiles almost everywhere, a matter of taste, but we really like them – 3 out of 4 people don’t even notice that it’s not real wood. In the children’s/bedrooms, next time I would choose hardwood flooring. What exactly bothers you about the vinyl, since you say it was a mistake?
We feel the same way and I also suspect that we will use tiles with wood-look or light gray/wood look completely in the living-dining-kitchen area. It’s timeless, durable, ideal for summer and winter with underfloor heating, and doesn’t fade.
Upstairs we’re actually still very, very undecided...
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nordanney14 Sep 2020 09:33exto1791 schrieb:
too many disadvantages..
Natural material → That’s true, of course! For the living and dining area, it’s an idea, but I wouldn’t get parquet flooring for the kitchen! I really have concerns about water resistance. Then obviously “fading from sunlight” is a big issue with parquet... it forgives scratches (At least with the parquet in our rental apartment, I wouldn’t agree with that. It’s looking really scratched up by now). It does feel great though, that’s true.
Besides, parquet requires a lot of maintenance and is expensive... I think only true wood or parquet enthusiasts would appreciate it here. Then I totally get it! 1. Maintenance = vacuuming and damp mopping three times a year (unless you’re running around a lot)
2. Fading: Only with dark wood, light wood darkens over time. Depending on the finish, it’s quite limited overall.
3. Scratches: That’s natural. Scratches are normal and to be expected. Oak, for example, is extremely durable (maple or wenge are also great). So having a dog is not a problem—and even my kids haven’t been able to damage it.
4. Price: from €18 per square meter (approx. $20 per sq ft) for two-layer parquet in the form of wide planks. I don’t consider that expensive. I just bought Haro wide plank flooring in amber oak for just over €30 per square meter (approx. $36 per sq ft).
I only see positive aspects
exto1791 schrieb:
What exactly bothers you about the vinyl, since you said it was a mistake? - It looks somewhat cheap, even though it was really expensive – it appeared different in the showroom.
- It was advertised as indestructible, but it’s already heavily scratched – real wood flooring probably wouldn’t look much worse.
- The feel is like that of a plastic plate.
- It’s only clicked together, not glued, and the joints have already opened in three places (this never happened in the rental apartment with self-installed laminate flooring costing 5€ over 7 years).
- There’s also the frustration that real wood flooring would have only been slightly more expensive, but by the end of the stressful construction project, we just wanted to be done and said “well, lets just take this now.”
On the positive side, it can be cleaned completely without residue. I don’t know how real wood flooring compares, but permanent marker on laminate was sometimes a challenge.
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Nice-Nofret14 Sep 2020 09:36I find the attitude that it is the landlord’s responsibility to maintain the hardwood floors quite surprising. I have always taken care of the hardwood flooring in my rental apartments just as well as I do in my own home. After all, I also clean the bathrooms, carpets, toilets, and so on.
I suggest considering linoleum; it is natural, extremely durable, and robust—and no, it doesn’t look like something from schools or hospitals anymore. It feels warm underfoot and is quieter than tiles or laminate—an all-around good material. In my opinion, vinyl is environmentally harmful and has no place in a healthy building.
I suggest considering linoleum; it is natural, extremely durable, and robust—and no, it doesn’t look like something from schools or hospitals anymore. It feels warm underfoot and is quieter than tiles or laminate—an all-around good material. In my opinion, vinyl is environmentally harmful and has no place in a healthy building.
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