The type of flooring you choose will determine the congruency of your overall home concept. You have probably heard of the more common flooring options such as homogenous tiles or vinyl. The two primary reasons for their popularity is the relative durability and the ease of maintenance.There are a few other considerations when choosing the right flooring for your home. Experts I spoke to say that the following factors – level of moisture, durability, ease of maintenance – influence their decisions when recommending flooring options to customers.
Follow this 5-step guide to decide which flooring best suits your needs.
Will your floor be installed in the balcony, bathroom, or kitchen?
The location of where the flooring is to be has an utmost importance and your patterns of usage and lifestyle would determine the type of suitable floor materials. For the locations such as bathrooms or kitchens, we recommend non-slip homogeneous tiles with texture as they are waterproof, durable and last heavy wear and tear. Be careful of having too much texture to the tiles as they are more difficult to scrub and clean. If you want to have a wooden floor look, it is now possible with homogeneous tiles that have a wood texture layer of glazing on them.
Do you have pets or young children running around the place?
Having pets or little young children is a joyous thing in life but it may not be very joyful for your floor actually. You would need a floor material that is highly resistant to scratches and spillage stains. Another consideration is the impact absorbance upon a child falling down. Vinyl based floorboards are highly resistant to scratches and stains and having a rubber based sole, they are more impact absorbing as compared to the more hardy floor tiles. This in turn could minimise any injury caused by a child running and falling down. Carpet floor tiles are another option however they would be higher maintenance and aren’t resistant to spills.
(Vinyl floorboards for kid’s room)
Will there be frequent moving of heavy objects around the area?
Are you constantly going to shift the furniture about or retrieve heavy and bulk items from this space? If so, the likelihood of items dropping and hitting the floor would be high. You would need a floor material that would be able to withstand heavy impacts over a long span of time. Granite floor tiles are an ideal option as they are durable and long lasting. However they are costly, being natural stone of course. You could go with carpet floor tiles but take note that they will wear out in a couple of years but they aren’t as expensive to install or change anyway.
Do your foresee yourself taking frequent care of your flooring?
In Singapore, with all our busy work schedules and life, taking care of a home can be quite a chore. Many of us would consider having a material that would be easy maintenance so as to ease our lives. So if you see yourself not taking frequent care of your flooring, then you should go with the stronger materials such as homogeneous tiles or vinyl based floorboards. Natural materials such as parquet, marble or granite flooring need more frequent care even though they may be stronger in some ways. Carpet floor tiles are a no-no if maintenance is your main consideration.
Did you factor in the cost of installation in your budget?
Cost is always anyone’s concern when it comes to renovation so taking note of which materials and their costs are essential. Marble and granite floorings could cost the most expensive while homogeneous tiles would be the next on the list. Parquet and vinyl floorboards are relatively similar in pricing and are a notch down in price compared to tiles. Carpet floor tiles may be one of the cheapest options available however they will need to have the most maintenance.
This article is written by Montie Mahtani
Interior Designer / Blogger
