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Specifically kitchen flooring. We are having a kitchen extension built and will need a floor. The base is half concrete (existing kitchen) and half chipboard (extension) so we need something to sit on top of it. The room is 5 metres by 4 metres.
We had B&Q laminate before which worked okay. Wondering what would be better but still affordable.
Anyone used the 'Real Wood top layer' stuff? ( http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?fh_location=//catalog01/en_GB/categories%3C{9372013}/categories%3C{9372028}/categories%3C{9372109}/specificationsProductType=real_wood_top_layer&fh_reftheme=promo_159030150,seeall,//catalog01/en_GB/categories%3C{9372013}/categories%3C{9372028}/categories%3C{9372109}&fh_refview=summary&icamp=ns_3&listerGallery=true)
What on Earth are you doing now??
Why not crush some of the rubble from yer garden, then mix it with a resinous substance, to create an attractive and eco-friendly floor?
Those dimpled rubber tiles? Very tough, easy to clean and come in a range of attractive colours.
Kitchen flooring - something easy to clean and resist staining.
Tile, vinyl, good quality laminate that will withstand mopping. We tiled ours 9 years ago and retained it even during recent extension work and it is almost bomb proof - just the grouting looking a tad tired now.
If you do tile, make sure the wooden section is very well supported as flex isn't tile's friend.
We've just recently went through similar with choosing a flooring.
There is no doubt that wood has a warmer feel to it, and can look very nice, but the drawback for us was that expansion contraction of wood and the gapping that could possibly occur between the pieces ( that depends on how its laid tho ) Gapping may look good in an older property for the authentic look, but for us it was a no go.
In the end, we went for ivory travertine. It worked out at about £30/sqm which was reasonably priced as good quality tiles go. ( got it from floorsofstone.com ) and since then I haven't looked back.
They appear hard wearing, look good. down side would be they are colder to the feel, but that really doesn't bother me personally.
Travertine requires maintenance though - friends of ours put it down in their kitchen/extension and have been disappointed as it has flaked a bit and stained (although you can get sealants which would definitely be required for a kitchen application - but I am not sure whether they sealed theirs or not).
Have a look at Lino. Seriously! It can be quite pricey but they produce it in a huge range of finishes if you go for bespoke designs, however for a fairly plain finish, it's no more expensive than laminates. It's naturally antibacterial and unbelievably hard wearing if you get it laid professionally. We had it laid in our last house in quite a pale colour but it had tiny specks of glitter in it which looked amazing under bright light. I've just tried to find some photos but am struggling..
Wife doesn't like tiled floors.
Lino - I am stuck with an image of 1970's lino with stretch marks and tears. I assume it has improved?
Better to fit something she doesn't like than fit something she does like but needs to be replaced in two years - remember kitchens can get some heavy traffic and abuse.
Wood is a crap material for kitchen floors.
[i]'Right, let me transport this payn of boiling liquid over to the other side; whoops, the floor is wet and I have slipped. Oh dear, I seem to have scalded myself rather nastily and am now in acute pain and will need urgent medical attention perhaps even corrective surgery'.[/i]
You have [b]small children[/b] (with very delicate little faces) running about your gaff WCA.
I don't think I need to spell it out, do I? 😐
Wood is a crap material for kitchen floors.
😆
No it is DD, speshly laminate. Lethal stuff. Old battered wood is ok, as it has a bit of grip, but smooth wooden floor, potential slippage hazard, hot substances?? 😯
Just bung some skateboard grip tape down.
No it is DD, speshly laminate.
Oh right, ok then. Yes, you're right.
Except that laminate isn't wood.
Must admit the laminate in our bathroom (wet room specific stuff) is a skating rink for our ankle-biters. I doubt a kitchen will often be as wet as a bathroom though and kiddies will be likely to have footwear on.
Saying THAT... Our dining area/sun room is all wood floored and the girls do slip a bit if only in socks.
Except that laminate isn't wood.
Unless it is wood that is laminated to MDF 😉
Well you know what I mean.
That popular wood stuff what people like, (parqué or something?), that's unsuitable. I know this cos a mate put it down in his kitchen then he slipped on a wet patch. Fortunately not injured, but he considered the consequences, and replaced it with some tiles which had a slight texture which still gives good grip even when wet.
'Lino' has moved on quite a bit since you were decapitating small furry animals in your kitchen fella.
Have a look at the domestic (LVT) ranges here:
http://www.polyflor.com/jh/products.nsf/products!open&prodcode=csd
http://www.polyflor.com/jh/products.nsf/products!open&family=hom&prodcode=FXSC205
You can get some samples sent off the site
Unless it is wood that is laminated to MDF
Well, yes, of course. And you're the expert on wood flooring today are you?
It's still not wood though is it? It's a very thin sheet of timber/laminate glued to an mdf base. Now, if you'd like to call that wood flooring, then fair enough. We'll call it a "branding" exercise.
WTF is that site about???????
[b]Homogeneous Heterogeneous[/b]
Do they make floor tiles or what?
DD calm down dear!!!
If the laminate's uppermost surface is real wood, then it will display identical (slipperage-ing) characteristics to solid wood or engineered wood flooring won't it?
Another mate had this stuff put down. Having seen a plate drop then bounce rather than smash, I'd say it's a pretty good choice for a kitchen.
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That stuff belongs in a McDonald's bog.
No [i]you[/i] belong in a McDonalds bog.
There's wood and there's wood, Elf. It doesn't have to be thickly PUed and hence does not have to be slippery.
FWIW we got solid oak for much less than the price of engineered board. Worth shopping around.
If the laminate's uppermost surface is real wood, then it will display identical (slipperage-ing) characteristics to solid wood or engineered wood flooring won't it?
Depends on the surface finish. Laminates are almost always lacquered, and yes, they're slippier. And they're shit too.
FWIW we got solid oak for much less than the price of engineered board.
Given the temperature/humidity differentials that exist over a given year in a kitchen, engineered is the better solution (in my very limited experience).
If you can afford it, a parquet floor is one of the best floors you could have in a kitchen but that's £££.
a parquet floor is one of the best floors you could have in a kitchen
If you want to be horribly scarred for life, then probbly yes.
I am concerned that people are forgetting/ignoring who the OP is here. The clue is in the name.
I am trying to ensure that elfinsafety is the prime consideration here, and there you go recommending something that will cause certain permanent disfigurement. 🙁
Amtico, Karndean and the like. Expensive but lasts forever
They do indeed make floor tiles Mastiles. Lots of different ones. Particulary non-slip one's for kitchens'n'stuff
Darcy's knowledge of flooring >>> Elf's knowledge of flooring.
Sorry dude 🙂
Depends on the surface finish. Laminates are almost always lacquered, and yes, they're slippier. And they're shit too.
Well yes, agreed. I was just being obtuse - but a laminated MDF board with an identical uppermost wood board as an engineered board will be the same for slipping is what I was saying 😉
No you belong in a McDonalds bog.
No YOU belong in a McDonald's bog. End of sentence.
No, YOU belong in a McDonalds bog, and you have to scrub it out with your toothbrush what you then have to use to brush your dirty teeth. And you rinse your mouth using bog water.
So shut up.
Darcy's knowledge of flooring >>> Elf's knowledge of flooring.
No, you are wrong and I am right.
Go have a look in restaurant/commercial kitchens. Have a look what they use on't floor.
And then, right, be quiet cos you know I is win.
No, YOU belong in a McDonalds bog, and you have to scrub it out with your toothbrush what you then have to use to brush your dirty teeth. And you rinse your mouth using bog water.So shut up.
But my dad's bigger than your dad and you smell of wee.
Have a look what they use on't floor.
So following that logic, I have to install stainless steel tables everywhere, wear white clothes and a funny hat, cook for hundreds of people and shout and swear a lot?
Actually one of those is easy.
And have dinner served by an 18 yr old student every night.
Actually....
But my dad's bigger than your dad and you smell of wee.
This is probbly true, and I have no idea why you might think I would take that as an insult, quite frankly. 😐
And have dinner served by an 18 yr old student every night.Actually....
See? You know I is right.
+1 for Amtico
+1 for a decent (i.e. not cheap) lino. Just do not, under any circumstances, attempt to fit it yourself. We had pebbles in our old bathroom.
Our new (to us) house had limestone tiles on a mixed concrete and suspended floor and the tiles have cracked above the suspended floor.
We had tiles laid in our kitchen, mostly to match those in the conservatory. Big mistake, polished surface = ice rink when wet, plus any droppage has either broken the dropped item or chipped a tile. Not happy, shouldn't have let OH have her say 👿
Wouldn't go as far as fitting the shopping centre rubber flooring though...
Floors!!! I've been living in the land of floors lately, just finished the extension and done every room in the house,
oak laminate on the landing, which you have to leave an expansion gap, didn't want crappy beading round the edge, so ended up chiseling half an inch off the bottom of the skirts and doorframes so it looked right,
reclaimed parquet in the front (looks lovely, had the clean and face 30m2, never again 😯 ),
sanded, stained and varnished floorboards in bedrooms (easy and looks really nice)
For the kitchen and wetroom we got the stuff used in hospitals, non slip, lasts forever and it even wears the dogs claws down rather than the dogs destroying it, loads of different colours available too, dear though 😕
Welcome to Khanis world of floors!!! 😯
Marmoleum is supposed to be good. You can create patterns, pictures n stuff too if you want. Hard wearing and allows your kitchen to look like a school or hospital corridor!
http://www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/Consumers/Products/Linoleum/
Amtico no questions
here is one of my jobs
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only issues you may have is the transition from concrete to wood
the concrete will need checking out for damp
assuming it has no damp in it then it would be easier to overlay the whole floor with Ply 9 mm minimum and then fit the Amtico / lino / tiles / cushion floor / Karndean / polyflor / cuddly toy / hairdryer / teasmade / toaster / kettle / box of chocs/
oak laminate on the landing
What did you do for the stairs?
Carpet on the stairs
trout, no doubt, that the workmanship is excellent but that is horrible.
And it should be done with wood. Not something that looks a bit like wood.