vinyl Vs engineered board wood flooring

6 years ago

Hi, we have a dilemma that we'd like some help with. We are just coming to the end of building a large two story extension to the back and side of our Edwardian terrace. The ground floor will give us an L shaped open plan living area - comprising of our kitchen and leading to our living and dinning areas. We have underfloor heating in these areas and we can't decide what to put on the floor. We want the flooring to cover all three areas and not just the kitchen area. I really want wood - engineered floor boards - but we have been advised that they aren't ideal for a kitchen because if we get any leaks they will warp and have to be replaced. We have found some Karndean vinyl that is ok (looks like wood) but my heart is still hankering for real wood! We both feel that tiles would be too cold and conservatory like. My husband is also cautious about the maintenance that wood needs. Another thing to add - we have three kids and we are planning to get a dog next year too! Also, the extension has gone over budget so a cheaper option would be appealing but it's not all about budget because we will wait and save up if needed. Does anyone have advice and / or experience of this please? Thanks in advance

Featured Answer

sjtashfield

6 years ago

We have good quality engineered oak in dining area - big mistake. Chair movements have worn lacquer away, so any dropped food easily stains, kids have dropped rocks (?!?) & dented it, dog is old now and has been sick, leaving several bleach-looking marks. With karndean, you can mop it easily, and easily replace damaged sections (we have karndean in bathroom - not at all cold underfoot) - when we need to replace oak will definitely go for karndean.

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Comments (10)

minnie101
6 years ago
I think this is a pretty good article as I hadn't considered inspection points before. I normally wouldn't hesitate to have engineered wood in a kitchen however having got a puppy last year and completely underestimating the amount of mud she brings in Everywhere I would opt for vinyl. We don't have wood in our kitchen but solid and engineered elsewhere and I would also consider how slippery the surface can be particularly for a puppy who runs and jumps everywhere. I like LVT but i think they vary hugely even within the same brand as to how realistic they are so would shop around. Personally I also think LVT looks better with the design strips between the plank to mimic wood and I'd also speak to the fitter to see how it's finished around the perimeter of the room. My mum has a nice karndean floor but finished with clear sealant which I really don't like! I assume it's possible to remove the skirting boards and hide the ends of the planks as you would with wood to avoid this though? I think LVT is also a bit better re scratch marks (if you wanted to keep the wood looking pristine) and although it can still fade in the sunlight I don't think it will be anything like wood can fade

https://www.woodandbeyond.com/blog/can-you-have-wood-floors-in-kitchens/
Juliet Docherty
6 years ago
So many people recommend LVT it must be really worth a look. However, I also wouldn't overlook floor tiles. You can get huge ones that minimise the grout line issue and with underfloor heating they can be very nice to walk on.
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Thanks Jill. Sorry to be confusing. As you come through the front door it has 2 x glass panels. The inner porch door has a glass panel. I would like the wood to run the length of the first part of the hall, the dining room to the right would also run in the same direction. However, after the first part of the hall, you then turn left into the second part of the hall where again I want it laid along its length. It's how the wood joins up with an expansion joint (see sketch of what I think the fitter means to do) that I'm just not sure will look right? Could do with seeing some pics of anyone who has had a floor laid this way. Thanks
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Hi I'm in the process of buying a property which has wood effect tiles too in the kitchen and hall. I have opted to have Karndean flooring in my lounge which also opens up to the garden so I didn't want carpet. They come in many styles so maybe have a look at these? I have chosen one around £25per sq m which is the cheapest range. They are basically VInyl planks that get glued to your floor. Easy to clean and you don't have to worry about water warping the planks. Hope his helps
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Solid wood floor typically isn't recommended in a kitchen, the changes in temperature and humidity can cause the floor to expand and contract. Having said that my brother had parquet fitted 3 years ago in the whole of downstairs and it hasn't been an issue at all (so far!) . It is a large room though with lots of ventilation, extraction, door openings etc. Engineered wood is recommended however, it may still contract etc but only by a minimal amount and the small expansion gap left around the perimeter is sufficient. You would still need to mop up any spills straightaway and I would recommend ordering slightly over the recommended surplus amount. I'm not sure if this affects all engineered floors (or whether I chose badly so may be worth asking!) but I had a few knots in some of the planks which were "filled" by the manufacturer and over time the Hoover etc knocks out the "filler" which doesn't look great so basically if I was doing it again I would just discard any planks with knots in if you want the floor to remain looking good. i really like some of the LVT's but they do differ enormously even within the same brand as to what looks realistic. I might consider the architecture of the building with LVT, what period is it?, personally I would use the "design strips" between the planks to make it look more realistic. Is the kitchen already fitted? I ask as my mum had LVT fitted when she had her kitchen done and the planks just run up to the plinths on the units finished with a line of mastic which personally I'm not keen on. i don't think you can go wrong with a herringbone or chevron (which I slightly prefer) floor though. They're a classic and tend to make a space feel larger (your eyes aren't drawn to the straight lines of planks). I don't know the layout of the kitchen and whether you have an island but the pattern can tend to work in either direction whereas planks sometimes won't. I'm also not keen on "washing" wood floors too frequently but given there aren't pets that shouldn't be a concern. good luck!
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Hi Hu, Definitely looks like the sun/uv has warmed the oak up, like with most natural woods they will change colour over time. You could consider oiling the floor lightly on both sections but concentrating mainly on the lighter area as this will darken the wood slightly. I would suggest sanding if it was a solid oak floor, however as it's a 3mm solid (I'm guessing on this) I wouldn't risk sanding it. Definitely consider oiling it and if possible I would remove the rug for a while especially on brighter days to allow the colour to even out. I hope you are able to sort it. Charlie @The Kitchen Lady UK www.thekitchenladyuk.co.uk
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A S
6 years ago
I agree with colourhappy
You can get wood effect tiles which really do look like the real thing and work a treat with UFH. We recently had tiles laid which 120cm*30cm, so minimal grout lines.

LVT such as karndean and Amtico are fantastic products; you get the wood effect without the additional maintenance, highly durable and water resistant, if laid correctly. it's also warmer to the touch than tiles which works well in summer should you decide to turn off the UFH. .
E D
6 years ago
I would also have a look at linoleum. It's perhaps not as popular in the UK as it is on continental Europe, but it's extremely hard wearing (we've had ours for over 20 years before we switched to engineered wood), it's all natural and there's ample choice of colours and designs.
PRO
Floor Monster
6 years ago
When it comes to putting the an engineered board down in a kitchen there should be no issue if you have a Lacquered finish. It comes in two textures, brushed and smooth. The Brushed board tends to hide scratches much easier than the Smooth finish. But it is all down to which look your a wanting to go for. As you can imagine the Brushed texture does tend to feel more natural. We have many Brushed and Lacquered board in stock right now! If you want to have a look here. We would be more than happy to send free samples to yourself.

https://www.floormonster.co.uk/engineered-wood.html?plank_finish=285

Kind Regards,

Floor Monster Team
nmlondon
6 years ago
Well, we had engineered brushed oak flooring (bought online from one of the above posters, installed in the flat that we refurbished before we rented it out to a family with the two lively toddlers. It was laid everywhere except the bathrooms and the kitchen. The tenants stayed there for the three years... and apart from the scratches during the tenants’ removal, the flooring was in amazing state. Those photos were taken when we put the flat on market, four years after we installed the flooring.
Jill Taylor
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks for taking the time to comment everyone - there's some great advice. We are still undecided but may go for vinyl simply because it's cheaper ( we have run out of money!) but I'm still tempted to wait and get engineered. Argh!
PRO
User
6 years ago
We have LVT Karndean Van Gogh, dining room, kitchen, snug, utility and downstairs shower room. Indestructible. Still great after 8 years, dogs don't slip on it or scratch it, nothing dents it, you can mop it with ease, dries in minutes. Had everything else in this house as have been in it since God was toddling.....................nothing comes close in 'wearability ' and user friendliness.

The only problem we are encountering now is lightening of the product. However, it has been down a long time. The planks that are in one corner of our conservatory are considerably lighter than the rest of it.

Being the commercial grade stuff we were told not necessary to do anything with it. So waiting for Karndean to comment as it's supposed to be good for 10-15 years!
PRO
ARC Bespoke Interiors
5 years ago
quick step hydroseal flooring ideal for kitchen and bathroom, i can vouch that they are top quality laminated flooring, with vinyls you will have to make sure there is no humps and bumps and the floor is level ideal to lay on concrete,

if you really want the real stuff, buy unfinished engineered flooring then stain or lacquer, the lacquer to use would be ideal, is bona traffic, its what we have used in pubs and bars commercial propertys when renovating the floors, hard wearing

vinyl Vs engineered board wood flooring

sjtashfield

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vinyl Vs engineered board wood flooring

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