How to choose a floor covering

If you decide to make repairs in the apartment, then you will surely face the question: what to put on the floor? There are so many people, so many opinions: for someone it is enough that the floor is comfortable and even, others attach great importance to safety, for others, durability and an affordable price are important.



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Linoleum or vinyl tiles, porcelain or ceramic tiles, parquet or laminate? How to choose? If you omit aesthetic preferences, then it remains to compare the price, service life, advantages and disadvantages of each material.

Of all surfaces, the floor is most exposed to abrasion, pollution, mechanical damage. It follows that it must have good functional characteristics. However, flooring It depends on other factors.



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For example, the price. Natural laminate or art parquet can afford not all, so you have to choose what is more affordable. Sometimes in the apartment it is impossible to make concrete screed, since an additional load on the floors is created, emergency situations are possible.



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Family composition is also important. If there are many children in the house, there are pets, it is necessary to select the floor primarily for reasons of practicality, hygiene, ease of cleaning.

Ceramic tiles (cuffles, tile) are the most common type of tiles. It is a mixture of clay, sand and minerals, burned and covered with glaze.





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1. Unpretentious care: tiles can be washed with any cleaning products.
2. Resistance to high humidity and temperature changes.
3. Wear resistance, durability.

Cons

1. Complexity of installation and replacement.
2. Bad soundproofing.
3. Fragility: Something heavy, falling, can break it.
4. Without additional heating, your feet may be cold.
5. It can be slippery and unsafe. Children slip especially often.

This is one of the strongest and most durable finishing materials. That's what the name says. Porcelain stoneware was invented in Italy more than 30 years ago and was originally intended only for use in public spaces with a large number of people: shopping centers, airports, hotels, train stations.



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Pluses

1. Very durable and durable.
2. Stronger than tiles, he is not afraid of mechanical damage and even treatment with aggressive chemicals.
3. Over 30 years of service.
4. Most often it doesn't slip.

Cons

1. It requires careful preparation of the black floor.
2. Making it yourself probably won’t work. We'll have to hire specialists.
3. It has a higher price compared to the tile.
4. It's cold to walk on.

Initially, laminate flooring was invented in Sweden, it was produced from laminated panels for kitchen furniture. The name itself is translated as “laying material”. Laminate, as a rule, has 4-5 layers. Thanks to the lock system "Quik step" it can be easily put yourself.



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Pluses

1. Low cost.
2. Durability. He is not afraid of the heels and claws of domestic animals.
3. Easy cleaning.
4. A large selection of colors and drawings.
5. It doesn't slip.
6. It's warm to walk on.

Cons

1. It can contain toxic substances that are released when heated.
2. They are afraid of water falling between the boards.
3. The drawing may fade over time.
4. Cheap laminate flooring is not durable.
5. Requires a perfectly equal surface for installation, otherwise the locks may break and the floor will creak.

Its practicality and low price make it very popular. Today, linoleum is available for sale with a variety of drawings that copy wood or tiles in detail.



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Pluses

1. Not afraid of water. It tolerates changes in temperature and humidity well.
2. Easy to lay off. It doesn't require a perfectly flat floor.
3. It's warm to walk barefoot.
4. Easy to care for, not afraid of detergents.
5. If damaged, it can be repaired with cold welding.

Cons

1. Linoleum, like laminate, is an artificial coating that can contain harmful substances and allergens.
2. It's hard to do without joints. They often diverge, and metal rapids annoy many.
3. There are dents from heavy furniture and traces from hot objects.

Quartz-vinyl Quartz-vinyl is, in fact, an analogue of laminate, which also has a lock fastener and is made on the basis of quartz sand flour, fastened by polyvinyl chloride. In Europe and the United States, the designation LVT (Luury Vinyl Tile) is adopted.



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The material itself is elastic. Many people who come across it for the first time say, “This is linoleum!” Here it is necessary to clarify: the usual linoleum consists of a grid on which foamed polyvinyl chloride is applied and a picture is printed on top.

It is distinguished from quartz vinyl by the absence of a basic carrier layer of quartz sand, which gives the LVT a very high resistance to penetration (it can withstand up to 1,500 kg), a very high heat capacity of the material and high noise insulation.

Pluses

1. Resistant to scratches, abrasion and other mechanical damage.
2. Not afraid of moisture.
3. They provide good sound insulation.
4. Undemanding for care and cleaning.
5. Installation of the coating is simple. PVC tile does not require a substrate, and the material itself can be cut with conventional scissors. The service life of this sex is 10-30 years.

Cons

1. It practically does not burn, but under the influence of high temperature can emit toxic compounds.
2. It requires a perfectly flat surface to be installed.
3. True Korean quartz vinyl is expensive.

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