Flooring takes up a sizable portion of your overall renovation costs. It is also highly likely to be permanent and extremely tedious to redo. More importantly, flooring is the one surface you will come into contact with most often. Apart from the aesthetic appeal and wanting to match the theme of your house’s interior design style, you should also consider the compatibility of the flooring type to your lifestyle. Pets, exposure to sunlight, kids, furniture and various factors can result in marks and stains that will be difficult to remove.

Wait, are there even that many floorings to consider? There are roughly 10 types of flooring you can choose from but today we will discuss the 5 major categories – Vinyl, Tiles, Wood, Cement Screed and Natural Stone.

1. Vinyl

Vinyl is a popular choice amongst HDB owners for 2 main reasons:

  • First and foremost, it is the most economical option. It is one of the cheapest flooring options that is both waterproof and stain-resistant. It also comes in a wide range of types e.g. tiles, planks, sheets. Most people opt for either the tile or sheet vinyl flooring.
  • Secondly, the lock and click nature of the flooring makes installation easy and hassle-free. Generally, vinyl flooring takes the least amount of time to install.

However, if you expect high traffic or frequent furniture shifting, it is critical to note that despite its durability, vinyl is prone to scratching. Some people also avoid vinyl as it is not an eco-friendly option. Vinyl is mainly made up of PVC components which are harmful to the environment.

 

 

2. Tiles
There exists 2 main types of tiles – ceramic and porcelain. Choosing floor tiles is one of the best type flooring option and even if certain parts of the tiles were to get damaged in the future, they can be replaced at a low cost.

Homogeneous Porcelain Tiles 
Typically, homeowners opt for homogeneous porcelain tiles as they are known to be highly durable and able to withstand high traffic. The colours and designs on the surface of homogeneous porcelain tiles are uniformly distributed, presenting a sense of order.

Glazed Porcelain Tiles 
Conversely, glazed porcelain tiles do not have a consistency in the colouration nor design. Any chip on this flooring will be glaring and unsightly. It is thus recommended to go for the homogeneous porcelain tiles or settle for the glazed full body porcelain tiles. Unlike the glazed porcelain ones, the glazed full body porcelain tiles maintain the same colouration in its base or body as the surface.

Ceramic Tiles 
In general, these are not recommended to be used for flooring since ceramic is not as durable and has powdery backs. If you must use ceramic tiles, do ensure that the installed ceramic tiles are only subjected to very light traffic as they are prone to breaking easily.

3. Wood
While not commonly sought after, wooden flooring can elevate the ambience of your home. It works best with a Scandinavian themed home design as the nature of wood effortlessly captures the essence of the outdoors.

Hardwood
If you have the budget for it, hardwood flooring is a great way to add a luxurious feel to your home. Because real wood, such as oak, lime and mahogany, are used, this type of flooring can be difficult to maintain. It is also crucial to properly seal the wood with termites, liquid spillage and Singapore’s humid weather can all damage the wooden flooring.

 

 

 

Engineered Wood 
For a cheaper alternative, you can consider engineered wood. Engineered wood is made up of several layers of materials with the top most being a thin layer of real wood. Albeit cheaper than hardwood, do note that it is still significantly pricier than most other flooring options.

 

Despite careful sealing, wooden flooring can still get damaged if exposed to excessive moisture. Hence, we would not recommend this flooring for areas like kitchens and bathrooms.

4. Cement Screed
If you want a more rustic and raw aesthetic for your home, the increasingly popular cement screed flooring might just be the thing for you. Apart from being ideal for the industrial design style, cement screed flooring can be personalized to your preference. Staining, polishing and texturing options are some of the customizations that you can do with cement screed to find that perfect look for your home.

Before you get all excited and jump the gun, note that cement is porous and cracks easily. Even with protective coating, it will be inevitable that the cement screed flooring will crack eventually. Furthermore, if insufficient care is given, hairline cracks may appear due to moisture loss from evaporation. Hence, we would advise against using cement screed flooring in areas where the flooring has a high likelihood to get exposed to moisture e.g. bathrooms.

Nevertheless, cement screed flooring has been gaining popularity amongst Singaporeans. There is just something alluring about the raw and masculine beauty behind cement screed.

5. Natural Stone
In contrast, if you are looking for something more elegant and fancy, natural stone would be ideal. Natural stone flooring encapsulates the elements of luxury – it is priced on the higher end due to its association with being premium. Each natural stone tile also has its own one of a kind markings and grains. Amongst the various options, marble, slate and granite are the 3 main ones to look out for.

Besides just being a popular choice for luxury homes, natural stone (particularly marble) can be applied onto walls, counters and surfaces of furniture to create a visually cohesive theme around your home.

However, beyond its glamour, natural stone flooring is rather impractical. It is porous which means that it will stain easily even with high quality sealing. Although marble is generally durable, it is still susceptible to scratches. If this is a major concern for you but you are still drawn by the sophistication of marble, you can consider granite. Slate can also be a good second choice if you do not mind something a little more rustic.

There are so many other types of flooring available and so many more ways to design the perfect floor layout for your beautiful homes. At i.Poise we are fiercely passionate about creating interior home designs that screams your personality. Let us work together to achieve your personalized dream home. Call +65 63451730 or email us at info@ipoisedesign.com to get started.