vinyl Vs engineered board wood flooring

4 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

4 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
4 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/
PRO
colourhappy
4 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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I'll agree with ProSource Memphis, you need to install an engineered wood floor because of the concrete. For our customers that are in your exact situation we offer engineered products, prefinished and unfinished (site sanded/finished), that have 3-5 mm wear layers. Some of these products can withstand 2-4 sandings, which equals way more lifespan than a cheap engineered floor. This equals less cost in the long run, but higher cost up front. Basically the thicker the wear layer, the better chance your engineered floor will last longer (80 years + estimated for 4-5mm), and the more expensive it will be. ProSource is correct, gluing a 3/4" solid floor down can be problematic and not worth the risk. Especially when there are high quality engineered floors that offer essentially the same thing. Engineered is going to be more stable with your fluctuating climate as well. You'll want a hygrometer in the home to monitor relative humidity. It should be somewhere around 30-60% RH for the floor to play nice. There are so many more variables involved in this discussion that entire books can probably be written. But that's my $.02
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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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We have engineered wood all the way through our house and I don't regret it. We get the odd scratch but overall its ok. It also looks lovely and is natural. Ours is a pale smooth matt finished oak, so probably the most likely to show up marks. I agree with FloorMonster and get something brushed? We also got loads of samples from Natural Flooring as they had some really nice finishes that would be able to take the wear of the bike and the dogs. Something like the brushed engineered wood in the second picture down? This also tells you how to look after it....found it while we were trying to decide what to get. http://www.yourhomerenovation.co.uk/expert-advice-everything-need-know-engineered-wood-flooring/
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A S
4 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
4 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
4 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
4 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
4 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
4 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
4 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

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vinyl Vs engineered board wood flooring

sjtashfield

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minnie101

colourhappy

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vinyl Vs engineered board wood flooring

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