Floor covering for the room what to choose. Which floor is better to choose for an apartment. Ceramic tiles and stone

Owners of new urban apartments with a rough finish and real estate in which to do overhaul, will not be able to get rid of laying the flooring. The interior design of the premises and the conditions for their operation, comfort in the house depend on it. An analysis of the operational and specifications offered materials.

The main types of floor coverings

When considering modern floor coverings for an apartment, property owners choose between the following materials:

linoleum;
ceramic tiles and porcelain tiles;
laminate;
piece or artistic parquet;
cork floor;

All materials for the floor in the apartment are distinguished by a variety of designs, a long service life, and easy maintenance. The differences are in the laying methods, the complexity of the preparatory work, cost and practical characteristics.

Laminate or linoleum?

With a limited budget, the choice of the best flooring for an apartment is traditionally made between linoleum and. Linoleum is a classic solution, this material is easy to install, has a long service life and a variety of assortment. Manufacturers offer flooring for a room with any intensity of movement. The design of the collections impresses with its variety: the pattern of linoleum can be any - abstract, wood or tile, metal or parquet, natural stone or pebbles. The main advantage of the material is the ease of installation, the work can be done independently, without the involvement of specialists.

Laminate is a trend of the last decade, this material is presented in different price categories, can be used in underfloor heating systems and is distinguished by a variety of collections. Manufacturers offer a waterproof laminate for the bathroom and kitchen, created from PVC. Laying the flooring is done using a simple tool, but requires an even base and care during work. Be sure to use a substrate that compensates for small flaws in the base and improves sound insulation.
When choosing what to make a floor from - from linoleum or laminate, it is necessary to evaluate the quality of the base.

An uneven screed will lead to the fact that the locks of the laminate will begin to break, cracks will appear in which water will get into. An ideal base and a competent choice of laminate in terms of abrasion class is the best solution for budget repair. Linoleum is indispensable when there is no way to improve the quality of the screed. The foam base of this flooring is able to compensate for small flaws in the subfloor.

Which floor is better to make in the apartment: parquet, parquet board or cork?

When deciding what to put on the floor in the apartment, fans of environmentally friendly materials choose between piece parquet, cork flooring and parquet board. For elite city apartments, these floor coverings can be competed with artistic parquet, which differs exquisite design and high cost.

Parquet and cork panels are an expensive floor covering for a room, the choice of which should be taken with special attention. Block parquet is made from solid wood the best varieties. Its service life exceeds 50 years, the material is not afraid of high loads, and sanding can restore its ideal appearance during scheduled repairs. The disadvantages of the material include its cost and the need to involve specialists in laying.

Cork flooring is available in two types - tiles and panels with a lock. For self-installation, the question: which flooring is better is rhetorical. Cork veneer tiles must be glued to an ideal surface and then varnished, like parquet. The lock cork flooring is laid according to the laminate principle and this work can be done without the involvement of craftsmen.

The competition for parquet and cork is parquet board- a compromise solution not only in price, but also in quality. The panels of this material resemble laminate, have a locking connection and are easy to install. Unlike parquet or solid board, the thickness of expensive wood species is only 4-6 mm, which reduces the cost of the material. The basis of the parquet board is a beam of softwood, glued perpendicularly to a thin pine veneer. This design guarantees the strength, durability of the floor covering, meets strict environmental standards.

When deciding what is better to lay on the floor - parquet or parquet board, tiles or cork wood panels, you need to be guided by your budget. All materials are environmentally friendly, with an individual texture and a long service life. Cork parquet and tiles are suitable for exclusive interiors, parquet board and cork wood panels are the best solution in a classic style.

Moisture-resistant floor in a city apartment

When analyzing which flooring to choose for a kitchen or bathroom, you need to consider the likelihood of puddles on the floor. A spilled pot, a malfunctioning dishwasher, or a disconnected water heater hose can cause puddles to form on the floor. Water is the main enemy of wood, laminate, cork. It is for this reason that there are reliable moisture-resistant floor materials - ceramic and clinker tiles, porcelain stoneware, self-leveling floors.

Ceramic tile differs in variety and affordable price. This is the best choice for small rooms with high humidity. The competition for this material is clinker tiles and porcelain stoneware. They are highly resistant to abrasion, strength, frost resistance. Deciding what is best for flooring in the garage, the choice is stopped on clinker tiles, as it does not absorb engine oil. In a city apartment, you can use any option, thanks to the impressive variety of collections.

The tile material competes with the self-leveling floor, which is distinguished by its durability, strength, and water resistance. Material suppliers offer exclusive solutions for any interior. The only disadvantage of self-leveling floors is high price and the need to attract qualified professionals.

Choosing a floor for different rooms

When choosing a floor covering in an apartment, it is difficult to determine what is best for all rooms. All rooms differ in traffic intensity, air humidity, environmental requirements. It is not difficult to answer a rather simple question - for covering the floor in the kitchen, which is better ceramic tiles or parquet - and it is problematic to choose between linoleum and laminate in the living room. It is necessary to take into account the quality of the subfloor and the qualifications of the master.

Depending on the purpose of the rooms, it is worth choosing between the following materials:

entrance hall - semi-commercial linoleum, laminate 23 or 31 class, cork flooring 23 class, ceramic tile or porcelain stoneware;
bathroom and toilet - ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware, PVC-based laminate, self-leveling floors;
kitchen - ceramic or clinker tiles, porcelain stoneware, PVC-based laminate;
living room - laminate 22 or 23 class, cork, parquet, parquet board, linoleum;
children's room - cork flooring class 23, parquet board, parquet;
bedroom - laminate, parquet board of small thickness, parquet;
balcony or loggia - linoleum, ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware.

For bedrooms and children's rooms, the environmental friendliness of the materials used is important, the bathroom and kitchen are demanding on the moisture resistance of the coating. Abrasion-resistant materials are used in the hallway of a city apartment.

Often, property owners ask themselves: what is better to use for underfloor heating? These heating systems are popular, the best choice for them there will be ceramic tiles, clinker or laminate. When using parquet or parquet boards in rooms with underfloor heating, you should refuse collections of hornbeam, cedar or maple and give preference to teak or merbau. In this case, the flooring will last as long as possible, and its exterior will remain flawless.

Vinyl Flooring: Features and Benefits

If parquet seems to be an expensive pleasure for someone, then, for sure, they will see a worthy alternative in vinyl flooring. He is credited with many positive traits that characterize wood flooring and linoleum. At the same time, there are no bad sides of vinyl that competitors have. The owners of an apartment or a private house get the opportunity to decorate any interior by choosing the best solution with a vinyl coating.

The structure of vinyl flooring and its advantages

The production technology provides for the inclusion of polyvinyl chloride, chemically inactive fillers, crushed quartz and some other components in the composition of the material. A decent look and proper shape are given by pressing at high temperatures. Synthetic components should not cause concern that during operation they can serve as a source of toxic substances, thereby posing a potential threat to the health of the inhabitants.

If you look at the plane cross section vinyl coating, then the following layers can be distinguished:

At the very bottom is a layer of polyvinyl chloride. It is attached to the base of the floor. The polymer strengthens the vinyl flooring.
Above is a reinforcing fiber layer of woven glass strands. Thanks to him, any kind of factors acting from the inside and outside are not able to change the shape of the product.
The so-called interlayer, which consists of quartz and sand, also reinforces the structure.
Decorative film. The topmost layer is also represented by a polymer - polyurethane. First of all, it is entrusted with the task of preventing the destruction of the product in the event of moisture, mechanical stress or ultraviolet rays. Sometimes there are modules with a convex surface or a surface on which the sole does not slip. On the other hand, decorative film is designed to give the impression that the floor is covered with stone, wood, leather, etc.

Advantages and disadvantages of vinyl flooring

Benefits of vinyl flooring:

From all the huge colorful variety, you can choose the color or pattern of the coating in accordance with your design tastes.
Many of those who use vinyl flooring for a long time, for sure, were convinced of its practicality. The original appearance almost does not change, the surface is not scratched, and when light objects fall on the floor, dents do not form.
Vinyl is comfortable in wet environments. Therefore, they can safely cover the floor in the bathroom or kitchen without fear.
To restore a well-groomed appearance in the application chemicals not necessary. It is enough to wipe it with a cloth dipped in plain water.
Outwardly, the structure seems to be monolithic, the seams are almost invisible on the floor - the elements are so tightly adjacent to each other.
With the installation of vinyl, as well as this repair, almost every owner will cope with minimal professional skills.
Even if you walk barefoot on vinyl flooring in winter, it will not seem cold to your feet.
Vinyl flooring is cheaper than some of the other options.

Disadvantages of vinyl flooring:

High requirements for the base of the floor - it must be even and clean. Otherwise, the vinyl coating will wear out or deteriorate before the operating period allotted to it by the manufacturer.
Toxins are distributed only when the material, through the negligence of the owners, catches fire.
The old vinyl coating taken to the landfill after dismantling will lie there for decades without decomposing into simple components.
If, for example, in a bathroom, a rubber mat is placed on a vinyl floor, a stain will form under it after a while - the polymer reacts with discoloration or pallor after prolonged contact with rubber.

Vinyl Sizes

Tile rectangular shape 600 mm long and 300 mm wide. In addition to the usual vinyl tiles, there is a quartz-vinyl version on sale. In the latter case, the floor covering is more resistant to chemicals and mechanical stress, an excellent insulator with respect to electricity. Quartz-vinyl tiles have proven themselves well in those rooms that will be frequently visited by people.

Roll cover. In each such roll, the canvas is from 15 to 20 meters long and 2 meters wide. Suitable for use in large rooms.

Laminated modules, each of which is a plate stretched up to 920 mm in length and 100 mm or 180 mm wide. A ball of fiberglass or felt that is in direct contact with the base of the floor plays the role of a shock-absorbing substrate, softens sharp mechanical loads when walking. The smallest thickness is 1.5 mm. The pattern on the front side gives the vinyl flooring a resemblance to a wood structure or makes it hard to distinguish from real bamboo in appearance.

Methods for installing vinyl floor coverings

Actually from the name "adhesive" the essence of the installation is clear - with the help of glue, which is usually applied with a spatula. It is convenient to press down to the base of the floor with a roller.

Locking modules assume the orientation of two plates to be joined in such a way that the spike of the first of them enters the groove of the other. The end result is a really secure connection like a lock. This method The good thing is that no additional fixing means are required during installation.

Self-adhesive vinyl tiles on the back side under the easily removable film there is an adhesive layer. The film is needed to prevent the adhesive from drying out. It is removed immediately before laying the tiles on the subfloor. The laid tiles are pressed by rolling a rubber roller.

The choice of floor coverings on the modern market is very wide.. You can find materials for use in residential and public buildings. Commercial flooring differs from domestic flooring in the ability to withstand significantly more intense loads. The range of floor coverings for domestic purposes is also diverse. There are different types - carpet, laminate, tile, linoleum and others.

Coatings of the same type can be divided into classes according to strength, wear resistance. Different types floor coverings for apartments differ from each other in moisture resistance, hygiene, thermal conductivity and a number of other performance characteristics, not to mention the aesthetic side.

What to look for when choosing flooring

One of the main criteria that you need to focus on when choosing a floor covering for an apartment is the purpose of the room where it is planned to be installed. The premises are divided into residential (rooms) and non-residential (kitchen, bathroom, hallway). They differ in the level of humidity, permeability and a number of other characteristics.

Room traffic

The load on the floor largely depends on the size of the family, but there is one more important factor- patency of the room.

High traffic - corridor, hallway, kitchen, bathroom
Medium - living room, dining room (if it is separated from the kitchen), children's (the degree of load on the floor in the nursery depends on the number of children, their age, activity. Babies who still cannot walk and teenagers who spend most of the day at desk, exert less load on the flooring)
Low - bedroom, office of a person engaged in sedentary work

For rooms with high traffic and heavy load on the floor, a durable wear-resistant coating is suitable - semi-commercial laminate or linoleum with a thick protective layer. You can use commercial coatings in such rooms, they will last longer.

The higher the permeability of the room, the more intensively the floor is polluted. Therefore, the coating must be non-staining. On a very light and very dark surface, especially a glossy one, the dirt is clearly visible, but the pattern, a colorful abstract pattern, hides them well.

A good choice would be a top coat that has anti-static properties and is less likely to attract dust. Caring for flooring in a high-traffic area should be as simple as possible.

Humidity level

In living rooms, the level of humidity is minimal, in the kitchen - increased, and in the bathroom, toilet - high. Floor coverings differ in moisture resistance. Moisture sensitive, parquet, conventional MDF-based laminate, conventional carpet.

Parquet and engineered boards (structures of 3 or 2 layers) are more resistant to moisture changes than single-layer massive boards, but it is not recommended to use them in wet rooms. Moisture-resistant parquet board impregnated with natural resins is also produced, but this is one of the most expensive floor coverings.

Average indicators of moisture resistance are characterized by a laminate based on high-density HDF boards with special impregnation and water-repellent treatment of lock joints. Waterproof floor coverings include:

Ceramic tile
Vinyl (quartz-vinyl) tiles with a mineral component
Vinyl (plastic) laminate
Linoleum
Short pile flocked carpet Flotex
Cork
Polymer self-leveling floor (epoxy and acrylic compounds are usually used in residential areas)

If in a room with high level humidity, the coating is laid floating, and not by the adhesive method, it is necessary to ensure maximum sealing of all cracks and joints so that moisture does not penetrate under the coating.

Health safety

For rooms where people spend long time, children's, bedrooms, you need to use the most environmentally friendly floor coverings, and if the family has allergies, small children and the elderly, their composition should be hypoallergenic. The most environmentally friendly natural flooring:

Solid wood plank and parquet
Natural linoleum (marmoleum)
Cork floors
Ceramic tiles (made from natural raw materials - clay)

Wood is usually treated with impregnations and covered with a protective layer on top, cork should also have a protective coating. It is necessary to pay attention to their composition, because of it environmental friendliness may decrease. In the manufacture of parquet boards, glue from natural ingredients should be used. Natural stone is rarely used in apartments due to the high natural radioactive background..

From an environmental point of view, PVC linoleum and other types of vinyl flooring are less preferred, but high-quality materials are non-toxic. Laminate is inferior to natural wood, but there is an E0 class laminate, with a minimum emission level, it is the safest for health.

If one of the tenants is predisposed to allergies, it is better to refuse carpet because it accumulates dust, which is an allergen. A good solution would be an anti-static coating that does not attract dust. The composition of the laminate and linoleum may include additives that prevent the growth of bacteria. Antibacterial coatings are the most hygienic, they are usually used in healthcare facilities, but they are also suitable for the kitchen, nursery.

IMPORTANT: It is generally accepted that natural materials are safer for health than synthetic ones. This is not true for carpet - natural can provoke allergies, and high-quality synthetic is hypoallergenic.

Other criteria

If the room needs high-quality sound insulation (music room, game room, home cinema), you need to choose a coating with good noise-absorbing characteristics - cork, acoustic linoleum on a thick foam substrate.

If the room is often barefoot (bedroom, children's room), the flooring should be pleasant to the touch, warm and/or soft. Finally, the flooring should not only correspond to the purpose of the room, but also fit into the interior, its style.

Living room, hall should impress guests, look rich but not flashy. Classic living room flooring options:

Block parquet, artistic styling looks especially advantageous, but this is an expensive solution
Solid or parquet board from precious woods
Linoleum under a tree - a more democratic option
carpet allows you to create a fairly comfortable environment

It is also a great option for the living room, but in Russia it is still exotic. For a luxurious interior in a palace style, ceramic tiles or a natural stone, but it is advisable to take care of heating such floors. original version- self-leveling polymer floors with 3D effect.

For the bedroom best solution there will be a natural, environmentally friendly floor covering with good acoustic characteristics, calm colors. Suitable for this room:

Long pile natural (if no one is allergic) carpet on which it is pleasant to stand with bare feet. Synthetic carpet is colder to the touch
Linoleum, marmoleum on a thick substrate
If the budget allows - natural wood (board, parquet) or cork
Laminate in the bedroom it is better to use a warm floor system, the main drawback of this coating is a booming sound

In the nursery, you need a hypoallergenic, safety (non-slip, preferably soft or elastic), resistant to dynamic loads and various damages, a coating that is well cleaned from dirt.

Great option - cork floor with shock-absorbing, sound-absorbing abilities, its minus is high cost
The most popular, although not ideal for a children's option - laminate. It is better to choose an antibacterial, zero emission class, and use a good substrate
Good decision - marmoleum, under which a thick substrate is required
If the children are small and spend a lot of time playing on the floor, a good choice would be short pile carpet- it is easier to clean, less dust accumulates in it
PVC tiles
- a novelty, ideal for children's play, colorful, soft, elastic, hypoallergenic, not afraid of pollution material. This is an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam modular tile.

In the kitchen, the floor covering must be moisture resistant, chemically inert, hygienic, and easy to clean.

Ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles- the most popular option
Can be used waterproof or moisture resistant laminate under a tree or under a tile, depending on interior style
Suitable quality linoleum with a thick protective layer
massive board looks spectacular, rich, but very whimsical to care for and requires careful handling
cork floor can be used in the kitchen, but it needs high-quality protection with a layer of varnish
Can do polymer poured floors

A fairly spacious kitchen is often zoned, in working area use tiles, and in the dining room - laminate, wood.

It is customary to lay a wooden floor in the office(parquet, parquet board) or wood-like laminate of strict colors, imitating noble wood species.

Wear-resistant coatings are suitable for the hallway semi-commercial or commercial laminate, linoleum of non-marking colors, tiles are less commonly used. Another option is a long pile carpet, which will trap dirt and dust, but such a coating will often have to be changed, since it is difficult to clean it.

For the bathroom, a classic solution - ceramic tiles. Create original interior will allow self-leveling 3D floor. You can combine tiles with flocked carpet, using it in front of the bath, shower - in places where they often get barefoot.

Video

Impact of floor coverings on health. The safest and most dangerous materials.

Outcome

When choosing the optimal flooring for different rooms in the apartment, as well as the kitchen, bathroom, hallway, you need to focus on the degree of load on the floor, the likelihood of contamination and mechanical damage to the coating, the level of humidity in the room. They must be correlated with the strength, wear resistance, moisture resistance of the coating, and the features of caring for it.

You should also take into account the age and health of the residents, safety and hypoallergenicity of the coating. For any room, you can choose budget and elite, traditional and original solutions.

In order to correctly choose the flooring in the apartment, you first need to find out what materials it is made from and consider all the pros and cons of different types.

Laminate

The laminate is based on MDF panels, carefully pressed with a paper layer and varnished.

Depending on the thickness of the panels, the quantity and quality of the primary material, the laminate can be of several strength classes. How to choose a substrate for a laminate -.

Benefits of this flooring:

simple installation with or without glue (in the second case, it is always possible to replace damaged panels);
resistance to mechanical stress;
fire safety;
easy care due to the antistatic layer applied on top;
durability (provided that the wear resistance class is selected correctly);
an extensive range;
affordable price.

Of the shortcomings of the material note:

fear of moisture;
insufficient environmental friendliness due to the use of resins, varnishes, impregnating chemicals in the production.

An overview of the different floor coverings can be seen in the following video:

Linoleum

The coating intended for a residential apartment is a multilayer system. Heterogeneous linoleum, which is presented in stores, consists of the following layers:

Frame (fiberglass), impregnated with PVC paste.
Pigment, which determines the color and pattern of the final product.
Protective.

Linoleum can also be equipped with an additional layer - the substrate, which determines its sound and heat insulation properties, and also hides floor irregularities.

Linoleum is sold either in rolls 1–6 m wide and 1.5 to 5.0 mm thick, or in the form of tiles (another name is PVC tiles). The floor surface is carefully prepared, and then the linoleum is laid on a special glue.

The advantages of linoleum:

ease of installation;
ease of care;
variety of design;
excellent moisture resistance;
wear resistance;
low price;
soundproofing.

Of the minuses - insufficient environmental friendliness, sensitivity to temperature extremes, a tendency to bursting under intense loads.

It is worth noting that there is another type of linoleum made from natural materials– flax oils, pigments, additives. The complexity of the production of such coatings makes their cost quite high, so they are not widely used.

carpet

In the context, this coating is represented by the following components:

Pile.
The base is the primary lining.
Secondary lining plus a fixing layer (most often it is latex).

The materials themselves can be artificial - nylon (polyamide), polypropylene, polyacryl, polyester, and natural - wool or a mixture of materials with 10-30% wool.

Laying is done on glue, like linoleum.

Benefits of carpeting:

ease of installation;
ergonomics;
safety;
a large selection of colors;
long-term operation.

There are few disadvantages:

rabies;
the difficulty of cleaning.

The environmental friendliness of the product will depend on the materials underlying the carpet. Accordingly, the price category of natural and synthetic coatings is different.

Self-leveling (liquid) floors

Bulk floor - a novelty in the world of modern floor coverings.

The composition of the liquid floor may include different substances:

polyurethane;
epoxide;
methyl methacrylate;
cement and acrylic.

The last name is the most environmentally friendly option, and the most expensive self-leveling floor is methyl methacrylate.

Advantages of self-leveling floors in their:

durability (perhaps one of the largest for flooring);
environmental friendliness;
strength;
water resistance, as well as resistance to chemicals, oil, solvents, etc.;
ease of maintenance.

Such floors are especially demanding on the surface for installation, and their laying is quite complicated. Of the negative aspects, the owners also note a tendency to burn out in the sun. For the price - the option is quite affordable.

Tile

The most popular are ceramics. They are durable, passable and water resistant. By appearance ceramic tiles are very diverse, they can imitate wood or other natural materials.

From tiles, you can create a real work of art on the floor, it becomes possible to zone the room and visually optimize the size of the room. In this case, you do not have to worry about mechanical loads on the floor, susceptibility sunbeams, high humidity. Excellent wear resistance is another plus of ceramic tiles.

Of the shortcomings:

complexity of installation and subsequent repair;
the presence of seams;
cold (this problem is solved by installing a warm floor under the tile).

cork floor

It is a plate measuring 90.0 by 18.5 cm and 9 mm thick (sometimes it can also be found in the form of rolls), based on veneered or pressed chips of natural cork bark.

Other layers may include wood dust on resins (function - imparting strength and rigidity) and face finishing (increases wear resistance and provides an aesthetic appearance).

The cork floor has a lot of advantages over the above coatings, in particular, this material:

environmentally friendly and natural;
provides soundproofing in the room;
has a variety of models;
keep warm;
pleasant to the touch;
able to absorb mechanical pressure;
has a long service life (warranty is not less than 10 years);
water resistant;
does not slip.

The negative point is the complexity of laying, because before that it is necessary to carefully level the base, and the price is quite high.

Another environmentally friendly option.

A parquet board is made from a wooden base, pasted over with a layer of valuable species (thickness 3–5 mm).

They are usually laid by gluing the panels to the base. The base is prepared in advance.

In addition to the fact that a natural wooden floor will create special comfort and coziness in the house, it has other merits:

durability and reliability;
ease of cleaning;
ease of installation;
low thermal conductivity.

The disadvantages are related to the naturalness of the material - wood can be deformed, because in cold weather it decreases somewhat in volume, and in summer, on the contrary, it expands. Due to the naturalness and high cost of the material.

How to choose the right flooring for your room: professional advice

When choosing a floor covering for a living room, it is necessary to focus on the following criteria:

room humidity;
demanding for frequent cleaning;
frequency and type of mechanical impacts;
temperature difference;
environmental friendliness.

Video tips for choosing an environmentally friendly floor covering:

Based on these parameters, rooms will be especially demanding for coverage:

hallway;
kitchen;
bathroom;
children's;
loggia.

For these rooms, flooring should be selected with great care. So, in the living room (bedroom, living room) you can put a laminate of class 21-23, and in the hallway and in the kitchen - more durable, class 31-33.

The bathroom and kitchen should be equipped with moisture-resistant floor coverings, such as linoleum, tile or self-leveling floor.

The most environmentally friendly materials are usually chosen for the nursery. From floor coverings it can be a cork floor, parquet, carpet.

Different styles of interiors are demanding on the choice of flooring. Hi-tech style successful options there will be tiles, parquet or laminate (more details -), and in a room designed for shabby chic - wooden parquet (on our website).

Remember that a properly selected floor in the room will not only be strong and durable, but will also give warmth, comfort, and a complete look to the entire interior.

This article on the website is dedicated to various types floors in the apartment. You will find out which floors are best done in the apartment, depending on the purpose of the room.

Today, new apartments are rented, mostly without finishing. There is a reasonable grain in this - why overpay for poor finishes and standard Construction 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 you create a concept for finishing the room, based on the wishes of the customer.

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 durability. There is a special load on the floor, for example, in the form of shoes with heels, furniture, falling 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 whole apartment, as the floors also carry a large decorative load throughout the interior.

Particular attention in this regard should be given to the correct selection colors floors 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 artificial material.

Now the trends are such that in 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, of course, has a long service life, is easy to clean and can withstand any load.

For floors in an apartment, special tiles made of vinyl, linoleum or cork are often used. Preference is given to such inexpensive materials, primarily because of their price, sound and heat insulation.

Remain popular and carpeting. Today there is a wide range of both natural and artificial carpets of various colors.

Wood floor coverings, namely, parquet tiles and overhead floorboards are also used in the apartment. Their special value lies in the naturalness of the material.

What kind of floor coverings for the house are more rationally suitable for different rooms? In fact, the area of any apartment can be divided into three functional zones:

living room or lounge;
working premises;
passage zones.

Floor coverings for the hallway

The hallway is the calling card of your home. The first impression of the owner and his dwelling among the guests is formed precisely in the hallway, therefore - here the floor should be quite beautiful.

But it cannot be discounted that it is here that 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 is laminated parquet (or laminate) - one of the most reliable finishing materials for the floor: he is not afraid of blows, falling heavy objects, heat and moisture.

Environmental friendliness and a variety of colors make this material good option for finishing rooms with high traffic and floor loads.

Floor in kitchen and bathroom

For a kitchen where the floor is occasionally subject to falling cookware and accidental dampening, laminate flooring is the perfect finishing material.

Also, ceramic tiles are perfect for kitchen flooring. The variety of its patterns and shades provides great scope for the imagination of the decorator.

The tile has one minus - fragility. If, nevertheless, the choice is made in favor of the tile, then take it with a rough surface.

The same requirement is true for the selection of tiles in the bathroom. Moreover, in the bathroom there will be no excess of water or electric warm.

Living room floor

The living room is the face of your home, where guests are received, family celebrations are held here. And here, as in no other room, piece parquet or solid board will be appropriate.

Artistic parquet from various breeds will give your floor a uniqueness, due to the pattern, from ash to wenge, and modern methods production of mosaic parquet will complement the quality of the overall pattern of the flooring.

You can use instead of piece parquet, as well as a parquet board, here a plus will be a varnish coating previously applied by the manufacturer.

The carpet on the floor in the living room has already become an anachronism. Previously, the carpet, most likely, was laid to cover the wretchedness of the floor with a beautiful pattern, now this is not necessary. There is absolutely no need to hide the luxury and beauty of the flooring of the room.

Floor in the bedroom and children's room

The flooring in the rest rooms (bedrooms, children's rooms) should be comfortable and warm, for this, of course, you can use all kinds of carpets.

They harmoniously fit 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 often or you have servants.

Natural wood flooring is a great alternative to carpet. soothing colors and the texture of a natural parquet board will create the necessary comfort for bare feet.

Laminated parquet with a system of water or electric insulation is well suited for a room for children.

A huge plus of the laminate in this case is its wear resistance, the child can spill paint on the floor, roll cars and ride them himself, various bumps and scratches are not terrible either. Laminate will take it all.

For docking various types floor coverings in the apartment use special thresholds in the shape of the letter "T". Instead, you can use cork compensators, tinted in the color of the coating, in which case the joint can even be curvilinear.

To make the final decision: “what kind of flooring to choose for an apartment”, consult with knowledgeable people, designers or architects. Only professionally selected materials will provide you with the comfort and harmony of your home.

What is quartz-vinyl coating:

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Choose best coverage for floor

1. Linoleum

A variant from the "cheap and cheerful" series. The most affordable and inexpensive synthetic material. There are no restrictions in colors and patterns, it happens with or without insulation. It is customary to divide linoleum into three types depending on its strength: household, semi-commercial and commercial.If you decide to opt for linoleum, then take a semi-commercial one for your home: it is much stronger, although a little more expensive than a household one.By the way, the same story happens with the laminate, which will be discussed a little later: for the home, they most often take a laminate that is intended for public spaces.Linoleum can be laid in any home, except for cold ones: it will crack in severe frost.Pros:

Does not rot, is not subject to the harmful effects of moisture With proper care, it has a long service life - over 10 years.
Good soundproofing properties
Easy care
Lots of design and color options

Minuses:

Linoleum is demanding on the base, it must be laid on a perfectly flat floor, then it will last a very long time. Otherwise, it will soon crack and "creases" will be visible.
Non-environmental: linoleum is a completely artificial material, and noticeably loses in this regard to natural coatings.
Low mechanical strength. Heavy furniture or even sharp heels can damage linoleum. Pets, especially large dogs, can destroy linoleum in a very short time.

2. Carpet and other carpets

Another inexpensive and very common flooring option. It is low cost, easy to install and does not require special care. Synthetic carpets are absolutely not interested in rodents and insects. Plus, there is a huge selection of colors and patterns, from classic "carpet" to radically avant-garde.Carpet can be used in any room except wet: kitchen, bathroom, toilet.Pros:

Resistance to external influences - abrasion and various mechanical damage.
Large selection of designs and colors
High noise-absorbing qualities
Excellent heat retention

Minuses:

3. Laminate

Laminate is the third most popular inexpensive and common flooring material. It consists of special panels made of fibreboard (MDF) and several layers of special thick paper. A pattern is applied to the paper (most often the texture of a tree is imitated) and a special durable protective layer of lamination. Hence the name - laminate.Pros:

high temperature

Minuses:

4. Floor board

Probably the most classic version of a floor made from natural materials is a floor made of wooden planks. Solid wood flooring is expensive, but it is one of the most reliable and environmentally friendly types of flooring.Modern solid wood floorboards are made according to a special technology, dried and processed on special equipment. The boards have lock joints that simplify installation - the floor is obtained without gaps and height differences, as it was in the old grandmother's apartment.The floor from the array does not need to be painted: the boards are already ready for use, covered with pesticides and a layer of varnish.Pros:

Strength and durability. Solid wood flooring can last more than 50 years without the need to replace the boards. Such a floor can be scraped and sanded as many times as you like - the thickness of the boards allows this. Easy installation. Although, as in the case of laminate, you should not do it yourself - it is better to hire specialists. Good heat and sound insulationMinuses:

massive board

5. Parquet and parquet board

Parquet from solid parquet boards is an expensive pleasure. Floors in royal palaces and very rich houses are laid out with such type-setting parquet. Modern parquet is cheaper, as it is made from composite materials: its base is thick plywood, and only upper layer 3 - 5 mm is valuable wood.The parquet board has the same structure as the type-setting parquet: thick plywood with a thin face layer. Because of this, both parquet and parquet board today are quite affordable for people with an average income (cunning: take a three-strip parquet board, it is much cheaper).Pros:

natural wood

different varieties

Minuses:

High price. And this is not only the cost of the material, but also the cost of laying work. If you want really high-quality parquet, you will have to spend money on a classy parquet floorer. Parquet is subject to mechanical damage, so it is not recommended to use it in a house with large animals - their claws will make the parquet unusable in a very short time. Parquet is afraid of moisture. And although it is less prone to warping than a solid board, it is not recommended to allow prolonged contact with water.

6. Engineering board

Engineering board - relatively the new kind coatings. In fact, this is a parquet board, but made using a slightly different technology. An engineering board consists of two or three layers: a thick (up to 1 cm) layer of expensive wood, a layer of cheaper wood or plywood, and another layer of expensive wood (for a three-layer engineering board).Another difference between an engineered board and parquet is that it contains only water-soluble glue that does not contain toxins, while synthetic compounds can also be used in some inexpensive types of parquet.Pros:

large quantity

Minuses:

The price is still quite high: the cost of an engineered board is comparable to the cost of a good parquet. To lay it, you need to prepare a good, even base and a plywood or fiberboard substrate. Despite the increased moisture resistance, it is still not recommended to use an engineered board in wet rooms.

7. Cork floor

This is a natural coating with good heat-insulating and noise-absorbing properties, pleasant to the touch and easy to install. Made from pressed cork bark. It is produced in the form of plates and in the form of rolls.Cork flooring is perfect for a nursery, bedroom or living room. It is absolutely eco-friendly.Pros:

Good thermal insulation. On such a floor, even in winter, you can walk barefoot - it keeps room temperature.
Good soundproofing. In professional recording studios, for example, the floors and walls are necessarily finished with cork panels.
Resistant to deformation. Heavy furniture does not leave marks on the cork floor - dents are leveled out on their own within a short time.

Minuses:

Prices for material and the cost of installation work are comparable to the cost of laying parquet - not the most economical option.
Cork flooring can swell and deform when exposed to water for a long time.
It is not recommended to use indoors with pets: the claws will easily damage the cork floor. Also don't walk around cork floor on heels.

8. Ceramic tiles and natural stone

Surely in any apartment there is a room (and certainly not one) with a ceramic tile floor. Most often it is a bathroom, toilet, kitchen, less often a hallway. Durable, resistant to abrasion and not afraid of moisture, the tile is an ideal material for wet and walk-through areas.In principle, a ceramic or stone floor can be arranged both in the living room and in the bedroom, but in this case it is ideal to combine such a coating with a warm floor, otherwise your feet will simply freeze.To say that the range of tiles and artificial stone huge, probably not worth it - in any, even the smallest hardware store, there are at least a dozen types tiles for every taste and budget. This gives unlimited possibilities in terms of interior design.Pros:

Affordable price. From the extensive range of ceramics, you can always find exactly the option that will suit you both in price and quality.
Strength. At correct styling ceramic tiles can last forever. An example of this is the ancient Greek temples, the floors of which are still finished with ceramics.
Ease of maintenance. Ceramic tiles and artificial stone are perfectly washed, they are not afraid of moisture.

Minuses:

Labor intensive installation. Laying tiles or artificial stone requires long and careful preparatory work.
Seams between tiles. No matter how hard the master tries, the seams will always remain. It is necessary to close them carefully, and this is also a rather laborious process.
The need to combine ceramic tiles with underfloor heating systems, and these are additional costs that increase the final cost of the coating.

9. Polymer coatings or self-leveling floors

Self-leveling floors have recently given way to more environmentally friendly materials - wood, cork or parquet, but still remain in demand. The reasons - the self-leveling floor is very durable, not afraid of moisture and provides unlimited opportunities for the implementation of design ideas.The material for such floors are cement-acrylic, epoxyurethane, polyurethane and epoxy compounds. In houses and apartments, the last two types are most often used. Self-leveling floors can be one-color, with a simple or three-dimensional pattern - the so-called 3D floors.Pros:

Self-leveling floors are not afraid of moisture, so they are most often used in bathrooms and kitchens. Properly made self-leveling floor can last up to 50 yearsResistance to fire and temperature.Ease of care.Minuses:

preparatory work

The results of the hit parade

In our hit parade, we tried to briefly talk about all the most popular types of flooring that can be found on the market. Which of these do we recommend you choose?

If you are an adherent of eco-style and love experiments - try cork flooring. Love classics and reliability - there is nothing better than a real solid wood floor or good parquet. Save, or do not want to invest a lot of money in a rented apartment - take inexpensive linoleum, carpet or laminate .In any case, you choose. And we will help make your choice easy and enjoyable. Live easy!