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
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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?
We installed adhesive vinyl flooring throughout the entire house (except for the bathrooms and utility room). Overall, I’m satisfied, but we have significant wear in the dining area of the kitchen (even though there are felt pads under the chairs). After about 4 years, the damage is already so bad that I will probably need to replace around 10 planks during the next vacation. It just looks awful in a new build when the floor is so scratched.
Another thing to consider is that, due to the thin build-up of the vinyl (2mm (0.08 inches)), the screed in the rooms was raised. In the tiled areas, it is 1cm (0.4 inches) lower... If you want to install tiles or hardwood flooring later in the vinyl areas, you will face a height difference problem.
Another thing to consider is that, due to the thin build-up of the vinyl (2mm (0.08 inches)), the screed in the rooms was raised. In the tiled areas, it is 1cm (0.4 inches) lower... If you want to install tiles or hardwood flooring later in the vinyl areas, you will face a height difference problem.
Single-layer hardwood flooring including installation was commissioned through the general contractor. It was installed by a local company with a generally good reputation. Only with us, everything that could go wrong did go wrong.
Adhesive is free of harmful substances by today’s standards. This could change tomorrow.
Adhesive is free of harmful substances by today’s standards. This could change tomorrow.
F
FoxMulder2414 Sep 2020 10:25We recently faced the same decision.
In the end, vinyl was not an option for our home. It’s still plastic, essentially just a newer type of PVC flooring.
We chose hardwood flooring—oak plank flooring with a country style look. It’s durable and visually appealing. With a sufficient wear layer, hardwood can be sanded and refinished several times if needed after some years.
For underfloor heating, it’s important to glue the flooring down (this also applies to laminate, etc.). Otherwise, an insulating layer of air forms between the floor and the heating system.
We are installing hardwood throughout the house, except in the entrance area, bathrooms, and utility room. These areas will have tiles.
For care and cleaning, we were recommended a floor soap that contains wax. Light mopping with it every few weeks is sufficient.
Our flooring installer showed us his own kitchen, which has had hardwood for 20 years. It shows minor signs of wear but is otherwise in excellent condition. That convinced us. We wanted to avoid a transition strip between the kitchen and the living/dining area, and tiles felt too "cold."
With children, tiles also felt too hard. Honestly, I’d rather have a small dent in the hardwood floor than have my child bump their head on hard tiles—and the bigger dent would be on their head.
In the end, vinyl was not an option for our home. It’s still plastic, essentially just a newer type of PVC flooring.
We chose hardwood flooring—oak plank flooring with a country style look. It’s durable and visually appealing. With a sufficient wear layer, hardwood can be sanded and refinished several times if needed after some years.
For underfloor heating, it’s important to glue the flooring down (this also applies to laminate, etc.). Otherwise, an insulating layer of air forms between the floor and the heating system.
We are installing hardwood throughout the house, except in the entrance area, bathrooms, and utility room. These areas will have tiles.
For care and cleaning, we were recommended a floor soap that contains wax. Light mopping with it every few weeks is sufficient.
Our flooring installer showed us his own kitchen, which has had hardwood for 20 years. It shows minor signs of wear but is otherwise in excellent condition. That convinced us. We wanted to avoid a transition strip between the kitchen and the living/dining area, and tiles felt too "cold."
With children, tiles also felt too hard. Honestly, I’d rather have a small dent in the hardwood floor than have my child bump their head on hard tiles—and the bigger dent would be on their head.
How do tiles perform with underfloor heating in new buildings nowadays? Since modern houses are much better insulated, the underfloor heating doesn’t need to work as hard, and the floor doesn’t get as warm, right—or am I mistaken?
I know from my parents’ house: it isn’t as well insulated, so the floor heats up more, and the tiles feel pleasantly warm. I’m a bit concerned that in new homes it might be similar. Does anyone have experience with tiles in living areas? Are they rather cold (making socks necessary or going barefoot uncomfortable), or pleasantly warm like a wooden floor?
I know from my parents’ house: it isn’t as well insulated, so the floor heats up more, and the tiles feel pleasantly warm. I’m a bit concerned that in new homes it might be similar. Does anyone have experience with tiles in living areas? Are they rather cold (making socks necessary or going barefoot uncomfortable), or pleasantly warm like a wooden floor?
exto1791 schrieb:
How do tiles perform with underfloor heating nowadays in new builds? Since houses are much better insulated now, the underfloor heating doesn’t need to work as hard, and the floor doesn’t get as warm either, right, or am I mistaken?I don’t really feel the underfloor heating beneath our tiles. It was different in a previous rented apartment, where the bathroom floor was actually pleasantly warm. You can forget about that these days.
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