This article on the website is devoted to different types of floors in the apartment. You will find out which floors are best for your apartment depending on the purpose of the room.
Today, new apartments are mostly rented without finishing. There is a grain of wisdom in this - why overpay for poor finishing and standard building materials, if you can independently make a choice from a wide range of proposals or use the services of a professional designer who will help create a concept for finishing the room based on the wishes of the customer.
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Floors in the apartment
The floors in the apartment always attract close attention. And not in vain.
The first thing that should be considered when choosing a decorative floor covering in an apartment is its wear resistance. The floor is subject to a special load, for example, in the form of high-heeled shoes, furniture, falling of various (including heavy) objects, etc.
In addition, the floors in the apartment should be easy to clean.
The choice of a certain finish will give a special style to the entire apartment, since the floors also carry a large decorative load throughout the entire interior.
In this regard, special attention should be paid to the correct selection of the color scheme of the floor in the apartment. It should be in harmony with the color of the ceiling, walls, furniture, etc.
Material selection
One of the cheapest materials, which is very often used for flooring in an apartment, is linoleum. However, it is worth noting that this is an artificial material.
Now the trends are such that for any repair and construction work, natural and environmentally friendly materials are mainly chosen.
Ceramic tiles are chosen for floors in the bathroom and kitchen, as well as corridors and hallways. This material certainly has a long service life, is easy to clean and can withstand any load.
For apartment floors, special tiles made from vinyl, linoleum or cork are often used. Preference is given to such inexpensive materials, primarily because of their price, sound and heat insulation.
Carpeting also remains popular. Today there is a large assortment of both natural and artificial carpets of various colors.
Wooden floor coverings, namely parquet tiles and overlay floorboards, are also used in the apartment. Their special value lies in the naturalness of the material.
What floor coverings for the home are more rationally suitable for different rooms? In fact, the area of any apartment can be divided into three functional zones:
- living room or recreation room;
- work premises;
- passage zones.
Hallway flooring
The hallway is the calling card of your home. The first impression of the owner and his home among guests is formed in the hallway, therefore, the floor here should be quite beautiful.
But we cannot discount the fact that this is where all the dirt brought from the street settles, here the floor comes into contact with a large number of rough soles of street shoes, therefore, the material for the floor in the hallway should be easy to clean and resistant to mechanical damage.
An excellent way out of this situation would be laminated parquet (or laminate) - one of the most reliable finishing materials for the floor: it is not afraid of impacts, falling heavy objects, heat and moisture.
Environmental friendliness and a variety of colors make this material a good option for finishing rooms with high traffic and floor loads.
Floor in kitchen and bathroom
For a kitchen where the floor is occasionally exposed to dropped kitchenware and accidental moisture, laminate is an ideal finishing material.
Ceramic tiles are also perfect for kitchen flooring. The variety of its designs and shades provides great scope for the decorator’s imagination.
Tiles have one drawback - fragility. If you still choose tiles, then choose ones with a rough surface.
The same requirement is true for selecting tiles for the bathroom. Moreover, in the bathroom there will be no excess of water or electric heat.
Living room floor
The living room is the face of your home, where you receive guests and where family celebrations take place. And here, like in no other room, piece parquet or solid boards would be appropriate.
Artistic parquet from various species will give your floor uniqueness, due to the pattern, from ash to wenge, and modern methods of producing mosaic parquet will complement the quality of the overall pattern of the floor covering.
Instead of block parquet, you can also use parquet boards; here the advantage will be the varnish coating previously applied by the manufacturer.
The carpet on the living room floor has already become an anachronism. Previously, the carpet was most likely laid to cover the squalor of the floor with a beautiful pattern, but now there is no need for this. There is absolutely no need to hide the luxury and beauty of the room’s flooring.
Flooring for the bedroom and children's room
The flooring in rest rooms (bedrooms, children's rooms) should be comfortable and warm; for this, of course, you can use all kinds of carpeting.
They fit harmoniously into any interior and muffle the sound, which is important for the bedroom. But this is the case if you are not too lazy to vacuum frequently or you have a servant.
Natural wood flooring will be an excellent alternative to carpet. Calm colors and texture of natural parquet boards will create the necessary comfort for bare feet.
Laminated parquet with a water or electric insulation system is well suited for a children's room.
A huge plus of laminate in this case is its wear resistance, a child can spill paint on the floor, roll cars and ride on them, and various impacts and scratches are also not scary. Laminate can withstand anything.
To join different types of floor coverings in an apartment, special thresholds in the shape of the letter “T” are used. Instead, you can use cork expansion joints, tinted to match the color of the coating; in this case, the joint can even be curved.
To make the final decision: “which flooring to choose for your apartment,” consult with knowledgeable people, designers or architects. Only professionally selected materials will provide you with comfort and harmony in your home.
What is quartz vinyl coating:
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The renovation is complete, all that remains is to replace the flooring. If you pay little attention to this stage, the result will be banal - linoleum, tiles or carpet. But knowledge of alternative solutions and their competent application can give a unique, and in some cases, better result.
The final stage of renovation in any house or apartment is replacing the flooring. Currently, the construction market offers a large number of different options. What is better and what is worse, what options are there in principle - the questions are far from being as simple as they might seem at first glance. For example, it would seem to be completely clear that there should be different floors in the bedroom and in the hallway; the purposes of these rooms are too different. Only ignorance of the possible options, pros and cons of various types of floor coverings ultimately leads to the fact that linoleum is simply laid in all rooms, and 90% of people who want to distinguish themselves with something, have linoleum in the hallway, and carpet in the bedroom, forgetting that laminate costs the same as linoleum, and cork is more environmentally friendly and ergonomic than carpet. Or another example. Everyone knows that self-leveling floors are industrial floors, but very few know that there is a type of self-leveling floor that is ideal for a range of residential premises. Thus, without setting the goal of finding out which floors are better and which are worse, let's figure out which flooring options can be used in different types of rooms, and which ones should not be used, starting with traditional ones and ending with exotic, rarely used options.
Types of residential premises
We will not consider utility rooms, such as sheds, verandas, boiler rooms. Our task is the premises inside the house. These are living rooms and residential premises for utility purposes - toilet/bathroom, kitchen, etc. You can determine the features of each of these premises:
- Living rooms. Can be divided into the following types:
- Living room, hall, dining room - characterized by high traffic, this is where most of the time is spent. Requires a hard-wearing floor covering that fits into the existing interior.
- Bedroom - requires a floor with increased ergonomics and environmental friendliness.
- Children's room - combines the necessary qualities of living rooms and bedrooms. Requires wear-resistant, environmentally friendly, ergonomic and injury-proof material.
- Toilet/bathroom. The floor should be of increased moisture and wear resistance, and easy to clean.
- Kitchen. Like the floor in the toilet, it must be moisture-resistant, wear-resistant, easy to clean from dirt, and at the same time oil- and grease-resistant. We must not forget that a large amount of time is also spent in the kitchen, so ergonomics is also important.
- The hallway is the main source of dirt. Sand carried on shoes acts on the floor covering like sandpaper, so the main requirements for the floor covering will be increased wear resistance, moisture resistance and easy cleaning from dirt.
- Balconies and loggias. It makes sense to consider only glazed versions of these premises. Otherwise, precipitation and temperature changes will quickly render any coating, except, perhaps, tiles or stone, unusable. For closed, unheated balconies/loggias, wear resistance and resistance to temperature changes are important. Heated balconies and loggias are essentially an extension of the room.
In addition to the listed characteristics that are typical for different types of premises, there are requirements that are common to all. The floor should be easy to install, technologically advanced and preferably inexpensive. Before you figure out what kind of floor coverings are used in different types of premises, rmnt suggests considering what floor coverings exist and what pros and cons they have.
Types of flooring
In total, today there are the following types of floor coverings:
- batten
- linoleum
- carpet
- laminate
- parquet and parquet boards
- porcelain stoneware and ceramic tiles
- self-leveling floors
- cork floors
- marmoleum
Let's look at each of them in more detail, and then, based on their pros and cons, we will draw a conclusion about the advisability of using them in certain premises.
Batten
Made from solid coniferous wood. Mounted on floor joists. Subject to mandatory painting either with abrasion-resistant floor paint or varnish with possible pre-tinting. In the latter case, a surface similar to parquet or parquet boards is obtained.
- durability - high wear resistance is achieved due to the decorative coating, which is easily renewed after erasing;
- high environmental friendliness;
- high ergonomics;
- The plank floor is easy to clean.
- complex installation - replacing floorboards requires special skills;
- limitations in design solutions.
Linoleum
Available in the form of rolls with a width of 1 to 6 m and a thickness of 1.5 to 5 mm or in the form of linoleum tiles. It is glued to a flat base using a special mastic.
Based on the material used, it is divided into:
- polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the most common type of linoleum;
- rubber;
- nitrocellulose;
- alkyd.
- sufficient durability - high wear resistance (refers to linoleum from the upper-average price range), all types are not afraid of water;
- easy to clean - the antistatic surface repels dust and dirt;
- wide selection of colors and textures.
- low environmental friendliness;
- low ergonomics - cold artificial surface.
Carpet
In essence, it is a relative of ordinary carpets. Made from synthetic or natural materials with increased wear-resistant and dirt-repellent properties. Available in the form of rolls or tiles. It is glued to a flat base using a special mastic.
- easy installation, low requirements for the quality of the base;
- high environmental friendliness - for natural carpets;
- high ergonomics and injury safety;
- large selection of colors.
- low durability - wears out quickly, low moisture resistance;
- low environmental friendliness - true for synthetic options;
- difficulty in cleaning.
Laminate
An MDF panel is impregnated with special resins, covered with a layer of paper with patterns of various materials and pressed at high temperature, while the top layer is varnished. According to the degree of strength, it is divided into classes. For a home, laminate of class 21, 22 or 23 is used, and for an office, hallway or kitchen it is better to choose from class 31, 32 or 33.
- easy installation - panels are connected using adhesive or non-adhesive methods. With glue, you get a more durable surface, but not dismountable; with glueless, the floor turns out to be easily disassembled, which allows, for example, if necessary, to replace a floorboard. Requires covering the floor with a special leveling underlay;
- easy to clean - has an antistatic coating;
- a wide variety of color and texture solutions - imitates coatings of any kind.
- low durability - only high-class laminates are wear-resistant, but they are already much more expensive, low moisture resistance;
- low environmental friendliness - the use of resins, impregnations and varnishes;
- low ergonomics - the artificial surface has its own disadvantages.
Parquet and parquet boards
Parquet flooring is essentially related to laminate and floating cork floors. A 3-5 mm decorative layer of valuable wood is glued onto the wooden panels. It is mounted in the same way as laminate using adhesive or glued to the base.
Parquet is made from individual planks and laid in the form of a mosaic directly on the base using a special mastic.
- easy installation, low requirements for the quality of the base;
- durability - high wear resistance is ensured by a 3-5 mm veneer layer;
- high environmental friendliness - practically the most environmentally friendly material is wood;
- high ergonomics - the covering made of warm natural wood is always pleasant to the touch;
- easy to clean.
- the design is limited only by the type of natural wood.
Porcelain tiles and ceramic or tiles
A very common flooring material. Ceramic plates are laid using tile adhesive on a concrete screed.
- durable - high wear resistance, high moisture resistance;
- high environmental friendliness - porcelain stoneware and tiles - natural materials;
- easy to clean.
- installation requires special skills;
- low ergonomics and high risk of injury.
Self-leveling floors
There are the following types of self-leveling floors:
- epoxy floors
- cement acrylic floors
- methyl methacrylate floors
Cement-acrylic floors are more environmentally friendly, but floors based on epoxy resins have a much wider choice of design solutions. Methyl methacrylate is the most expensive and is therefore rarely used.
- durability - resistance to abrasion, resistance to aggressive environments, such as oil, gasoline, solvents, acids and alkalis;
- high environmental friendliness - the hydrophobic surface does not absorb moisture at all, as a result of which harmful microorganisms that love a humid environment do not take root on it;
- easy for any type of cleaning - thanks to its hydrophobicity and antistatic surface;
- the ability to apply any pattern - used mainly in epoxy floors.
- high demands on the quality of the base. The base must be clean, dry, and most importantly, even;
- low ergonomics - hard, cold surface.
Cork floors
They are veneer plates or pressed chips of cork tree bark.
There are two types:
- adhesive - a layer of cork is glued directly onto a prepared, flat base using special glue. These can be either cork tiles or large sheets in rolls;
- floating are MDF sheets with a layer of cork glued on.
- easy installation - more relevant to floating coatings;
- durability - high water resistance (this applies more to adhesive coatings) and, thanks to volumetric memory, the surface is quickly restored after any deformation;
- high environmental friendliness - natural materials are used, cork prevents the development of harmful microorganisms, mold and mildew;
- high ergonomics - soft, springy and always warm surface significantly reduces the load on the spine and is excellent for barefoot walking and children's games, excellent sound insulation;
- cork floors are easy to clean - they have a dirt-repellent antistatic surface;
- a wide variety of color and texture solutions, from the natural look of cork to imitation of any type of surface - stone, wood, tile, etc.
- difficulty in installing adhesive floors;
- high requirements for the quality of the base of adhesive floors;
- low moisture resistance of floating floors.
Marmoleum
Made from natural woven or non-woven materials (for example, jute, hemp or flax fiber). The composition includes only natural ingredients, such as: linseed oil, pine resin, wood flour, lime powder and natural dyes. It can be in the form of rolls - actually natural linoleum, or in the form of panels like a laminate.
- easy installation, low requirements for the quality of the base;
- durability - have increased wear resistance due to the pattern made across the entire thickness, increased moisture resistance;
- high environmental friendliness;
- easy to clean.
- low ergonomics - the hard surface only becomes harder over time, which makes it quite dangerous for injuries.
Now let’s bring together all the listed qualities of these floor coverings in relation to their use in different residential premises.
| Name | Technology versatility |
For a long time- eternity |
Eco- versatility |
Ergono- micity, traumatic safety |
Easy to clean | Design | Minimum price, rub./m2 | Conclusion | |
| Batten | Low | High | High | Avg. | High | Low | 600 | Suitable for all types of premises, but it is better not to use in places with high humidity: toilet/bathroom, kitchen, balcony, hallway. | |
| Linoleum (mid-level and above) | High | Avg. | Low | Low | High | High | 400 | Universal material. Not used in children's rooms and bedrooms. | |
| Carpet | Synthetic | High | Low | Low | High | Low | Avg. | 60 | More suitable for office premises. |
| Natural | High | 1200 | Well suited for bedrooms and children's rooms. | ||||||
| Laminate | High | Avg. | Avg. | Low | High | High | 200 | Suitable for almost all types of premises, including the hallway, kitchen and balconies, although for the kitchen and balconies it is necessary to use laminate class 23 and higher, for the hallway - 32, 33, for the bathroom it is better not to use it. | |
| Parquet | Avg. | High | High | High | High | Avg. | 600 | Suitable for almost all types of rooms. It is better not to use in the hallway and toilet/bathroom. | |
| Parquet board | 800 | ||||||||
| Porcelain tiles | Low | High | High | Low | High | Avg. | 300 | Ideal for all types of utility rooms. | |
| Ceramic tiles | 250 | ||||||||
| Self-leveling floors (epoxy floor with a pattern) | Low | High | High | Low | High | High | 400 | Suitable for all types of utility rooms. Use in the living/dining room with a 3D pattern will add uniqueness to the interior. | |
| Cork covering | Adhesive | Low | High | High | High | High | High | 600 | Suitable for almost all types of premises. It is better not to use it in the hallway and toilet/bathroom. An excellent alternative to carpet in bedrooms and children's rooms. |
| Floating | High | 1500 | |||||||
| Marmoleum | High | High | High | Low | High | High | 900 | Suitable for almost all types of premises. In children's rooms, due to the hard surface, it is better not to use it. | |
It is clear that these conclusions are far from unambiguous, since they are given in isolation from the price. What to use in each specific case is always decided on an individual basis, taking into account the purpose, price and quality of the materials. The most important thing is that knowing about all the options and using your imagination, you can always achieve unique results. For example, tiles and laminate go very well together. Therefore, using these two materials in one room, you can divide the living and dining rooms into zones. In children's rooms, using, for example, cork and natural carpet, you can separate a play area and a relaxation area, and 3D self-leveling floors in the living room will become the envy of all your friends. Think, fantasize and the result will exceed all your expectations.
Video on the topic
For a comfortable life in an apartment, you cannot do without repair work related to flooring. There are currently enough options for what exactly can be laid on the floor in different rooms, so it is important to know the basic rules and patterns of choice.
In order to lay a suitable floor yourself, you need to have sufficient knowledge and skills that will allow you to do the job efficiently and for many years.
Design Features
Since each living space in an apartment involves a certain type of occupation, everything must be subordinated to this. That’s why they put wallpaper in the bedroom and children’s room, tiles are laid in the kitchen and bathroom, and decorative brick can be used in the hallway. But the floors become especially important; it is on them that a person spends the entire time at home. Thanks to a good and high-quality coating, it is possible to achieve maximum comfort in the room and ease of use by household members.
It is important not only the covering itself, which is located under your feet, but also the structure itself, which is hidden under it.
In apartments, floors are mounted on interfloor slabs and have two main layers:
- intermediate;
- the floor covering itself.
In some homes, the intermediate layer is not installed and the covering is placed directly on the slab. It can be PVC, linoleum, laminate, carpet or parquet. Due to this design, sound and heat insulation is very weak. The evenness of the floors also suffers because there is no leveling layer. Modern buildings have a completely different flooring system; it is a reinforced concrete and metal structure with a complex structure. They initially have a layer of thermal insulation and an additional soundproofing layer.
If the house is built in the form of frame-monolithic elements, then the floors are made of expanded clay concrete. This material has good insulating qualities. If the coating has weak insulating properties, then it is advisable to install an additional insulating layer for it. When creating a ceiling from beams, mineral wool can serve as a heat and moisture insulation material, which is placed between the beams, where, if necessary, a layer of waterproofing can be added.
When the beams are ready, an intermediate layer can be mounted on them, for which they use logs, a subfloor, layers of insulation and waterproofing, and screeds on which the floor covering is laid. Wooden flooring can also be laid over wooden beams, which will ultimately create a solid floor covering..
For some rooms it is possible not to make floors at all, these include basements, cellars, in which the floor is a screed that is as close as possible to the ground. In a strip foundation, sheet foundations can help make the floor warmer and suitable for long-term occupancy. For such rooms, ventilation plays a special role, because they do not have windows and if there is no air outlet, it will be impossible to be in such conditions. The size of the ventilation shaft will depend on the size of the room. If the basement is small, then the pipe removed will be enough; if it is large, you need to plan a more complex system.
If the quality of the floors is not satisfactory, you need to dismantle the old covering and install a DSP on which a new floor can be formed.
To delimit rooms you can use thresholds. They are especially important in the bathroom, because they will help protect other rooms from moisture accumulated after swimming and washing. When the base for the floor is done, the underlay is laid, especially if laminate was chosen as the flooring. If there is a need to insulate the floor, then you need to prepare a cake and pour it into the place where a heated floor is planned in the future.
There are a wide variety of flooring options, and the work involved in installing them differs dramatically. Some surfaces can be laid on a finished floor, but for some you need to screed and raise the level up to 10 cm to achieve the desired result.
Sound and noise insulation
In order to insulate the floor and reduce noise levels, there are a variety of materials that can be used during renovation work.
These include:
- Foamed polyethylene. This material is installed in the form of a layer that fits under the main floor covering and helps muffle noise and partially influence the warmth of the covering. The presence of such a layer alone will not be enough to finish the floor; it is important to equip it with additional elements.
- Construction of a structure made of wooden beams. If the room has high ceilings, then you can raise the floor level using beams that are installed on spread polyethylene foam. Mineral wool or polystyrene foam is placed between the beams, but expanded clay can also be poured. When everything is ready, sheets of plywood or OSB cover the floor. It is on such a coating that any base can be laid.
- Dry screed option. In this case, a polyethylene film is placed on the coating, on which beacons are placed, according to which the height of the heat-insulating material is then adjusted. Only after this can a gypsum fiber sheet be laid on which any coating can easily be applied.
- One of the simple but reliable coating options that achieves good insulation is ecowool. Quiet running on this floor is ensured due to the complex composition of the coating and its characteristics.
- A simple but effective insulation option is polystyrene. It is laid directly on the concrete floor. Based on the height of the ceilings, you can raise the floors to a certain level by laying the above material in several layers. Solid flooring options can be laid on this type of flooring.
In a new building, you can get any type of coating, and it is on this basis that you can plan subsequent work. A variety of materials will be used for each room; a waterproof floor must be laid for the bathroom, toilet and kitchen, since the presence of moisture on the surface will be constant. Vapor barrier floors will also help cope with condensation, which often accumulates in rooms with high humidity.
If repairs are made in the kitchen, then the first criterion when choosing a floor will be its non-flammable properties and polyurethane backing. The combination of these components will achieve better results. Bulk flooring can be used in any room, the main thing is to choose the right type of content, so that it helps to enhance sound insulation and create an additional layer of thermal insulation, making the floor in the room warm and pleasant in any weather.
Types of coatings
For a comfortable stay in any room, it is important to choose the right flooring. If the renovation is carried out at home on your own, then it is important to lay new floors well and efficiently.
There are now many options for such coatings, the main ones are:
- board;
- parquet or a more modern variation - laminate;
- linoleum, or alternatively PVC plates;
- ceramic floor tiles or porcelain stoneware.
Choosing a board to cover, it is important to select only tongue and groove materials. These are planed boards that have the shape of a parallelepiped. One edge has a ridge that runs along the entire length of the product. It is done using a cutter, which helps make the shape even, which is convenient to work with. The other side of the same board piece has a groove that fits into the tongue and snaps it into place.
Such boards can have a thickness from 25 mm to 45. Hollow floors need to be covered with thicker boards, while cast floors can be covered with thinner ones. The thickness level allows you to regulate the strength of the coating and the level of its vibrations. Thin boards are laid at a minimum distance from each other and the logs should not be located more than sixty centimeters from each other.
When installing such a floor, it is important not to reach the wall itself, leaving about one centimeter for the size of the board to change under the influence of temperatures.
When choosing materials, it is important to pay attention to the material itself. Floor boards must be well dried. After installing the entire covering, the boards can be painted, polished or varnished. The gaps from the walls, which allow the covering to expand, are covered with a plinth. When choosing the material from which it is best to make a floor for a living room, you should not give preference to alder or linden, they are not suitable for this function.
Larch floor has similar characteristics, but its distinctive feature is the ability to absorb moisture in the room itself. Thanks to this property, a person can feel great at any time of the year. Moisture does not spoil the coating and it lasts for a long time, bringing pleasure from use.
Parquet and laminate have many similarities to wood floors.. Parquet has pairs that are located on each side of the board, which is small in size. Small sizes make it possible to use valuable wood species and produce a high percentage of products without any defects. For parquet floors, a subfloor will be required., to which you need to attach every fifth board using a self-tapping screw, which is screwed in diagonally so that it is not visible.
Laying parquet boards can be done in several ways. The most popular are herringbone and chessboard. For large areas, you can combine different installation options, creating unique designs. This type of floor is one of the most expensive.
Despite all the positive aspects of this material, it has a very important drawback. When moisture gets in, it deteriorates, and if there is a lot of it, it rises and putting it back is an extremely difficult task. That's why it was invented alternative to parquet boards in the form of laminate. It is very similar to parquet, but is not made of wood, but of a four-layer material. It is based on a wood fiber layer that is thoroughly impregnated with resin, and on the reverse side there is an additional mounting layer that helps make the coating more rigid.
The top layer is paper on which a certain design is applied. The most common option is imitation wood. Another layer of melamine or acrylic resins is applied on top of it, which ensures resistance to abrasion and moisture. Installation of the laminate almost exactly repeats the system of parquet boards, which allows you to quickly and without much difficulty install a new coating.
Linoleum is a radically different floor covering.. It is very popular and finds its application in almost any room. It consists of a layer of fabric and its coating, which has wear-resistant characteristics. For the fabric layer, they now use both real fabric and non-woven felt-type options, which at the same time also insulate the floor. A variety of materials are applied on top. It can be PVC with various options and compositions.
The design of linoleum can be very diverse - from various patterns and shapes to a huge palette of colors. In addition, there is a wide variety of this coating in terms of strength and wear resistance.
Another flooring option is PVC tiles, which is a composite material having several layers. The base is stone, which is very crushed, and the top layer is vinyl with high strength characteristics. It is laid on bitumen mastic or glue, which simplifies the process, and damaged elements can be easily dismantled and new ones installed, which allows us to talk about the versatility of the coating.
The low cost makes it possible to periodically replace the flooring, changing colors or patterns and updating the space. A high degree of wear resistance makes it irreplaceable, and its good adhesion to the surface makes it possible to use it in a wide variety of rooms.
For more information about PVC tiles, watch the following video.
Oldest material used for installation of floors, ceramic tiles are considered. The modern variety of shapes, textures and colors allows it to fit into any interior. Its main characteristics are strength and resistance to any external factors. The only disadvantages include fragility when hit by heavy objects and slippery floors if water gets on them.
Modern tiles are laid using mounting adhesive, which speeds up the process. During installation, a seam is left between each tile, designed to change the shape of the product at different temperatures. All seams are sealed using a special product.
A similar material is porcelain stoneware, which was obtained by baking ceramics at high temperatures and pressure. The resulting floor covering has unique strength characteristics. Outwardly, it looks like a product made of natural stone, but is much lighter in weight. The stone floor looks very impressive and expensive. The hygienic properties of this coating allow it to be successfully used in the bathroom and kitchen.
These are some of the most common floor coverings that you can use in your apartment and install them yourself.
Design
In order to create a cozy atmosphere in the apartment, attention is paid not only to the walls and furniture, but also to the floor covering. It is important to choose the right material from which it is made, as well as the color scheme so that it is in harmony with the entire environment. Walls often create the main accent in a room, so the color selection of the floor will often come from them.
The material for living rooms, such as a bedroom, children's room, living room, is selected as natural as possible so that there are no harmful fumes or other negative effects on the body. For the hallway, bath, kitchen and corridor, you can use a floor made of practical materials that will withstand moisture, high-heeled shoes and other factors.
The variety of coatings also gives rise to new trends in interior design, and specifically floor coverings. New materials make it possible to use them in any room, while receiving the priorities necessary for a given space. The classic version of the flooring design assumes a monochromatic color palette, close to natural shades and textures. Modern trends dictate a riot of colors, a variety of textures and patterns that can fit into any interior.
Classic floors were often made of wood, and to create them you need to order parquet from solid real wood. The parquet itself can be piece, artistic or panel. For the same task, you can use massive boards made of oak or exotic species: acacia, walnut, elm and others. Oak boards are often artificially aged.
You can also use parquet boards, but you need to choose a pattern that will fill the space with the era of classicism.
Modern interior design also requires modern coatings. The use of laminate, parquet boards, solid wood, carpet, carpet tiles - everything is suitable for making the interior modern. The only exception is the bathroom, for which it is better to use vinyl coverings.
Laminate is considered the most versatile, because it can be used throughout the apartment.
An original solution would be to use tiles in the kitchen or bathroom. For a shower room, using a marble finish will create an atmosphere of luxury and wealth. The marble floor will fit well into the design of the corridor, where the coating should be wear-resistant, but at the same time beautiful, in order to present the room to everyone who enters.
For the kitchen, the appropriate tile color would be brown, but this also depends on the interior of the room itself.
If it is made in an antique style, then dark colors will complement and continue the chosen direction, and for modern motifs it is better to choose a metallic shade of tiles, which will visually expand the space and make it lighter.
Modern materials come in a wide variety of forms - from small to quite large. They can have unusual and very interesting textures and patterns, in addition, have unique and unusual color schemes that will help make the interior of any room unique.
When planning to purchase a new floor covering, it is important not to make the wrong choice. To do this, you must follow certain rules and criteria when choosing. The most important thing will be the selection of flooring for a specific functional area.
Throughout the apartment you can highlight:
- an area for guests and complete relaxation (living room, bedroom, children's room);
- high humidity area (kitchen and bathroom);
- non-residential area (corridor, hallway).
Depending on each zone, you need to choose a floor covering. In addition, when choosing gender, it is important to take into account the rhythm of life in which the family lives. Lovers of home feasts and mini discos will need a durable covering, while homely and quiet household members will like carpet.
The presence of children also plays a role, in this case all floors must be as safe as possible: environmentally friendly, non-slippery, not hard.
Pets also influence the choice of flooring. If there are a lot of them, then it is best to choose something reliable, resistant to scratches, moisture and any other external influences.
Based on the family budget, you can divide the range of materials into two parts - affordable ones, which will not burden the family, and expensive ones, the purchase of which will have unpleasant material consequences. It is difficult to do a cheap floor repair, but with desire and patience it is possible.
For the first floor, the choice of flooring will not be as wide, because close proximity to the ground or basement will increase the level of humidity, which can negatively affect some surfaces. In those houses where the interfloor ceilings are thin or already dilapidated, in no case should heavy floors be made. It is better to replace them with something durable, but as light as possible.
Making the right choice is not difficult if you approach the process with knowledge and do not rush. It is important to find the optimal solution that will allow you to get the desired result and will not require a large amount of financial resources.
Beautiful examples
When creating your own unique apartment design, it is important to take care of the quality, comfort and beauty of the flooring. Modern materials can make it possible to create not just fashionable interior options, but also lay a covering that will serve for many years and delight its owners.
The use of parquet has always been popular. This material has a pleasant color, and if desired, you can create a beautiful room design using a pattern. It is recommended to use it in the living room, in the hall, you can also put it in the bedroom, but it is better to add a carpet to it for coziness and comfort.
For the hallway, the best option would be to use laminate flooring., which can be combined in color and create an interesting pattern. This coating is not afraid of moisture, so it can be washed frequently, and good protection against damage will allow you to walk on the floor in shoes with any heel.
In the bedroom, wooden floors would be most suitable., which are environmentally friendly material, they are warm enough and will not cause discomfort when walking in the cold season. The color of the wood can be matched to the interior of the room, and can also be decorated to match a certain tone, if necessary.
The best option for flooring in a children's room is carpet.. It protects the baby from bruises when falling, prevents fragile objects from breaking, does not collect dust and is easy to clean. You can lie on it at any time of the year without fear of catching a cold.
It is quite difficult to answer the question “which gender is better”? After all, floor coverings differ from each other, at least in appearance. If we take the decorative factor out of the equation, we can compare the price, service life, advantages and disadvantages of each material. Let's try to find the best floor covering in this way.
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In the photo:
Which coating should you prefer if there is so much choice?
Floor coverings can be divided into three large groups: wooden (parquet, boards, solid boards, cork), elastic (carpets, rubber coating), ceramic and stone. Which floors are better - decide for yourself!
1. Block parquet
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In the photo:
Most people by the word “parquet” mean piece parquet.
2. Parquet board
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In the photo:
The parquet board forms a perfectly smooth, “seamless” floor surface.
3. Cork floor
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In the photo:
4. Solid board
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In the photo:
A solid plank floor does not look “uniform”: chamfers on the plank separate one plank from another.
| coating | price | term services | advantages of solid wood | disadvantages of solid wood |
| Solid board | 30-200 dollars sq/m | up to 50 years with proper installation | Beautiful natural finish. Solid boards are universal and suit almost any interior. Very durable. | Requires a high-quality “subfloor”; when laying, it is necessary to use heavy-duty two-component glue (it itself is quite expensive). Solid wood reacts sharply to the indoor microclimate: temperature and humidity. |
5. Artistic parquet
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In the photo:
Artistic parquet is a work of art: it is made in a single copy.
| coating | price | service life | advantages of artistic parquet | disadvantages of artistic parquet |
| Artistic parquet | From 50-70 to 3000 dollars sq.m. | 50-70 years | Luxurious coating, the ability to create a unique pattern. It’s hard to think of which floors are better and have more status than artistic parquet. | Expensive. It “dictates conditions” to the rest of the interior. |
6. Laminate
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In the photo:
In appearance, it is difficult to distinguish a high-quality laminate from a parquet floor.
7. Natural linoleum, marmoleum
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Natural linoleum is made using ancient technology from “pure” materials.
8. Rubber flooring
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In the photo:
A not very well-known covering for the home, rubber flooring looks like a cross between linoleum and self-leveling flooring. But much more environmentally friendly.
| coating | price | service life | advantages of rubber flooring | disadvantages of rubber flooring |
| Rubber coating | from 20 dollars sq/m | From 25 years old | Extremely easy to install coating (tiles or rolls). It has good sound insulation and is durable (can even be used in gyms). Rubber flooring is antistatic. | Rubber is sensitive to high and low temperatures. Despite manufacturers' statements about being particularly environmentally friendly, synthetic rubber (rubber) is often used. |
9. PVC linoleum
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In the photo:
Modern technologies make it possible to imitate almost any material with linoleum: natural boards or tiles, as in the picture.
10. Carpet
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In the photo:
For those who like to walk barefoot, there is no better flooring for the home than shag carpet.
11. Modular carpet tiles
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In the photo:
Modular carpet tiles are an alternative to carpet.
12. Ceramic tiles
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In the photo:
Beautiful, bright, but not too warm. In our climate, you can only walk on ceramic tile floors wearing warm socks or slippers.
13. Porcelain tiles
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In the photo:
In the Russian climate, it is advisable to use porcelain floor tiles together with a “warm floor” system.
14. Stone floor
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In the photo:
Natural stone flooring is great for hallways and atriums in a home - it will be reminiscent of the cobblestones of medieval squares.
15. Self-leveling floor
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In the photo:
There is no other way to create a white glossy floor without a single seam - only the “self-leveling floor” technology is used.
16. Cement floor
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In the photo:
Cement floor is a godsend for designer interiors in the loft style.
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