DIY advice... kitchen flooring

[Archie_tect]

Nice to walk on when it's freezing though.... and good insulation... http://home.howstuffworks.com/question550.htm

 

[threebikesmcginty]

compressed soil.

 

[MontyVeda]

re vinyl/lino... I'm likely to buy what i can afford... but don't know what to look out for. Is it just a case of thicker=better? Do i really need one labelled 'anti-slip'?

This looks like a good price, but have no idea if it's a good product or not... plus say £40 for getting it laid (at a guess).

 

[MontyVeda]

compressed soil.

state of my kitchen, that's more or less what I'm replacing.

 

[Archie_tect]

With printed vinyl check the thickness of the wearing course to see how thick the printed film is otherwise it can wear through quickly leaving the white backing showing though.
The thicker cushion vinyls provide insulation and are warmer to touch. Most are non-slip finishes these days ... it's the skid resistance when wet that you need to check as some are lethal!

 

[mark st1]

One hit wonder... and it would take ages to get to the toilet only being able to stand on bands you liked.

Thats right and if you stepped on the cracks the Boogi man might get you or the sunshine or the moonlight but it would be good times.

 

[MontyVeda]

thanks for that A_T, the ones I'm looking at have either 0.2mm or 0.4mm wear layer, ones twice as thick as the other, but for all i know, both could be painfully thin. They also all seem to have a skid resistance of R10... sounds top, but according to HSE, it's very slippery when wet... in fact their words for R9 and R10 are 'unacceptably slippery'.

 

[Spinney]

Had cork tiles in the kitchen and utility room in a previous house - laid over hardboard, and sealed, no probs, warm under foot. Was there for 7 years or so.

 

[fossyant]

Ceramic is nice and easy to clean. We have a flat concrete floor. Down side, drop anything on it and the cups etc smash to a million bits. And it's cold. Wife hates it.

 

[MontyVeda]

Yeah ceramic is too cold for my delicate feet... and would crack unless i gave the floorboards some serious attention.

 

[Night Train]

How about real Linoleum? Natural, antibacterial, hard wearing, looks really good when professionally laid with a pattern.

I don't like the cushioned vinyl flooring as it can tear if you have to move an appliance over it and will suffer dents from chair or table legs.

I have a tile effect laminate in my kitchen and after 8 years it is still looking good and hasn't failed anywhere. The difference in floor height isn't much of an issue unless there is no flooring outside the kitchen door. However, a ramped threshold strip under the door works well.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Baked wombat dung with a coat of varnish.

 

[slowmotion]

Baked wombat dung with a coat of varnish.

Varnish? Triple-organic, ethically-sourced virgin jojoba oil, if you please. Twenty-five guineas for a charming 5ml earthenware pot in Notting Hill.

 

[swee'pea99]

You'll doubtless scoff at this, but have you considered checking ebay? My brother in law got a load of absolutely fantastic French solid oak boards for some ridiculous price - less than lino - and the end result is hard wearing, warm to the touch, and looks pure class. All you need is some rich bugger whose bored missus fancies a change, or people moving into a property they've just bought who have the cash to indulge themselves in getting their new kitchen 'exactly the way we want it'.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Varnish? Triple-organic, ethically-sourced virgin jojoba oil, if you please. Twenty-five guineas for a charming 5ml earthenware pot in Notting Hill.