Content
- Linoleum
- PVC Flooring
- Parquet flooring
- Laminate
- Cork cover
- Floor board
- Ceramic tile
- Stone floor
- Self-leveling floors
- Carpet covering
The choice of floor covering is one of the most important tasks in carrying out repair work. The modern market of building materials has a huge number of them, which can confuse almost any buyer, especially an unprepared person. Some types of coatings are excellent for baths and kitchens, others - for bedrooms and halls. Some fit easily and without outside help, while others will require the involvement of specialists. How to deal with all the variety and choose exactly that option for the kitchen, bath, living room, hallway?
Linoleum
Let's start with the most popular option, which will be found if not in all modern apartments, then exactly in the majority. This is due to its low price and acceptable appearance. Linoleum is diverse in colors, and the most expensive options are good imitate parquet, stone, etc., and generally choose the right color and pattern in the store will not be, rather, on the contrary - eyes can run away from choice.
Lay linoleum is also easy: it can be done even by a layman, however, an even basis will be required. Linoleum is easy to clean, because it is easy enough to wash it, it is waterproof, does not make noise during walking, it is not cold, does not rot and is durable enough.
As for some shortcomings, then, perhaps, many of them are explained by the price: it is not as eco-friendly and aesthetic as a tree, but the tree does not always fit. Linoleum does not tolerate very high and very low temperatures and can cause a crack. Well, many are familiar dents from heavy furniture or just items with a small footprint. And with these dents it is already difficult to do something.
Where do they use it?All these properties make linoleum almost universal material. Therefore, it can be built in the kitchen, the hallway, the living room, the nursery, in the offices. By the way, linoleum is divided into types: commercial, semi-commercial and household. The first is better for places with a large cross, and for the house it is better to choose nevertheless semi-commercial - it is slightly more expensive than household, but it will be more reliable in operation.
PVC Flooring
An interesting enough coating, which is a kind of hybrid of linoleum and laminate. The fact is that it is a soft relief material, which is produced in the form of tiles. This coating is quite durable, not very expensive, suitable for rooms with any load, as well as high humidity. The strength of PVC floors is incredible, especially when you consider their small thickness of 3-7 mm, which is much less than that of linoleum or other coatings.
Such a floor covering is simply transported, it is easy to fit, it is warm, it allows to isolate the sound. In addition, a huge selection of colors and textures will make it possible to realize all the ideas.
But, unfortunately, a huge assortment will be only in large cities, in small it will be necessary to be content with only a few species. Laying such a floor is not very easy - the process requires certain skills, so it's better to call specialists. And in order to ensure that no defects are detected during operation, such as drying of seams, etc., it is necessary to pay attention to the storage conditions and to properly apply the coating.
Where to use it?This coating - one of the few that can be attributed to universal. Due to its properties it is equally good to use in the kitchen and in the living room, in the hallway and in the bath. However, it is better for a bathroom to use more traditional coatings such as tiles, but this option also has a place to be.
Parquet flooring
Parquet board is a natural, very beautiful and not the cheapest coating. A natural, natural tree brings a special atmosphere into the room, giving it warmth and comfort. And this is not just a sensation, because a tree, indeed, has a low thermal conductivity, it is environmentally friendly and breathes.
From the parquet boards you can lay out whole patterns or simply somehow unusual arrange their packing. The tree is reliable, and with proper styling and appropriate care can last a long time. But still it is subject to the influence of moisture, and because of the ability to breathe, the tree peels in the winter and expands in the summer, and a warm floor with such a coating can not be arranged. And the cost can scare many away from using such a wonderful material.
It is worth noting that today parquet is not only called parquet boards, but also a massive board and piece elements. Under the massive understand the grooved board, which is slightly wider than the parquet board. Due to this, it is more susceptible to deformations, but in order that they are not so noticeable, there is a microfascient on the edges on the board that hides the visual cracks that may appear. Otherwise, all the advantages and disadvantages remain the same.
Where to use it?In residential areas where there is no influence of adverse factors: a living room, a bedroom, a nursery. Unfortunately, when the moisture gets wet, the parquet is swollen and nothing can be done about it.
Laminate
Laminate is becoming more popular, as it is not very expensive, and the performance is good, and looks very natural. It is made of fiberboard, several layers of paper, on which a certain pattern is applied, a layer of melamine or acrylate resin and a protective film. All this is pressed and finally gets resistant to mechanical damage, abrasion, sunlight coating, which can convey the texture of any wood. That is why laminate is often used as an alternative to a parquet or a board.
In addition, the laminate is relatively quickly stacked, it does not leave dents from even heavy pieces of furniture, with the appearance almost like a parquet of such careful care, it does not require. It is fire resistant, durable, and though not the most natural and ecological, yet does not emit a huge amount of harmful substances, so it does not harm health.
Before laying the laminate it is necessary to lay a special substrate, and the list of requirements for the surface is wider than for some other coatings. If the base is not sufficiently aligned, you can eventually get creaks when walking. You also need to carefully observe all the nuances of technology, otherwise with time swellings and bubbles can not be avoided. Unfortunately, laminate as well as wood, is afraid of moisture, so you need to use special protective solutions, which is why use, for example, in the kitchen is undesirable, at the very least, it is better to choose glutinous laminate.
In addition, you need to correctly choose the type of load, which is determined by the classes. For residential premises suitable 21, 22 and 23 classes: the higher the figure, the higher the load can withstand laminate, last longer and costs more.
Where to use it?For all the above properties, the conclusion suggests that the ideal place for a laminate is a living room, a bedroom and a nursery. With a special desire, of course, you can use it in the kitchen, but this will lead to unnecessary problems and troubles.
Cork cover
The cork coating is made from cork bark shavings impregnated with organic resins, which is why it is natural, ecological, has such properties as sound absorption and thermal insulation. It can be produced in the form of slabs or rolls, not very difficult to use and perfectly suited where appreciated by the warm floor, environmental friendliness and silence.
In addition, the cork floors are sufficiently resistant to deformation, even from heavy furniture no traces remain. It is easy to take care of the coating, since it is resistant to aggressive media (except for alkalis), so many detergents will work. The surface itself is non-slip, which is also appreciated in certain types of premises, as well as resistant to many types of pests.
However, under the influence of moisture, such a floor can begin to swell, and the heels or claws of domestic animals can easily be scratched, since the tensile strength is not very high. A low thermal conductivity does not provide an opportunity to organize a warm floor in the room, although it is not needed with such a coating. And the price is not the lowest: if you take into account all the necessary materials, it will be almost the same as parquet.
Where to use it?Great for bedrooms, children's, living rooms. Use for hallways and kitchens is problematic, and for bathrooms and bathrooms it is inadmissible.
Floor board
Undoubtedly, an eco-friendly, natural material that, with proper care, will last for several decades. The boards have low thermal conductivity, and the floor in the room will not cool too much.
In principle, since this is a natural tree, all the shortcomings and dignities have already been described. It is worth emphasizing once again that the board is also afraid of humidity, therefore it will be necessary to take protective measures.
Where to use it?The floorboard is now widely used for summer cottages, country houses, verandas, as well as living quarters, incl. bedrooms and living rooms, especially if a particular style of interior is chosen.
Ceramic tile
It is ceramic tile is indispensable where the flooring requires moisture resistance, strength, durability, resistance to dirt, grease, resistance to loads, sunlight, temperature changes, etc. In addition, with a modern variety of possible tile options, the eyes will scatter even experienced designers, because it can be different in size, with different patterns - from monophonic to imitation even wood, shiny or matte, different in degree slip. All this allows you to create an original interior, creating various drawings, laying out in an interesting manner. It's easy to take care of tiles, just wash, you can use almost any detergent.
The thermal conductivity of the tiles is high enough, and this is both plus and minus: walking barefoot will be it is unpleasant, since the coating is cold, but the warm floors here are just in time, as it will be good to pass heat. Although the tile and a fairly strong material, it does not relieve its fragility, so when you lay it better to use the services of professionals. When heavy objects fall to the floor, cracks may form, which is also attributed to the minuses of the coating.
Where to use it?Ceramic tiles are good where there is high humidity or people's passability: bath, kitchen, toilet, hallway, corridor, offices, shops, etc. But in the bedrooms and nurseries such coverage is rare, it does not belong here, although in the presence of warm floors it is permissible.
Stone floor
This is quite expensive coating, which does not have such popularity, as some of the materials described above. Used mainly natural stone, most often granite and marble, which makes the floor uniquely expensive and chic in appearance, but quite cold, however, the system of warm floors will save and in this the case.
But the stone floors are very strong, resistant to falling objects, and to heavy furniture, and to heels, and to moisture, and to the sun's rays. It is easy to care for, especially since many detergents can not affect it negatively.
By the way, an artificial stone is also used, which, by its properties, practically does not differ from a natural analogue.
Where to use it?This coating for elegant halls, kitchens and bathrooms. By the way, in countries with a hot climate, such floors are in demand for other premises, because they have an important feature for them - they cool the room. At us try to warm up a floor, therefore use of a stone floor has not got wide popularity.
Self-leveling floors
Filling or polymeric floors are one of the newest materials on the flooring market. The bottom floor is of several types depending on the composition, but still it is based on polymers. So, a semi-liquid mixture is poured over the prepared substrate, leveled and left to solidify. As a result, it turns out to be perfectly smooth and seamless, as if a rubberized surface. The process requires a certain skill, and time to prepare and solidify.
The advantages of a new type of coating can be described for a long time. But, in short, it is durability, water resistance, resistance to microorganisms and chemicals, resistance to a wide range of temperatures, ease of maintenance, fire resistance. Separately, we should note the aesthetics, because you can choose any color, perform a floor of several colors, or even organize a picture: so, the popularity of 3D floors.
If you look for shortcomings, you can find fault with the high price, the complexity of the work on the device, and also the property to fade under the action of the sun's rays.
Where to use it?The floor has huge possibilities for use: kitchens, baths, children's rooms, trading floors, etc.
Carpet covering
What, no matter how warm the soft carpet, can make a cozy room? It is pleasant to the touch, always warm, diverse in color, lint length, type of material used. In addition, the carpet provides good heat and noise insulation. Can be produced as one-piece sheets, and individual tiles, which are then easily removed from the base.
Carpet is now characterized by a fairly low price, a variety of colors, but like all the carpets, collects dust, so requires frequent cleaning. It is also highly sensitive to moisture and sunlight, on which it can burn out.
Where to use it?Great for living room, bedroom and nursery.
