These types of flooring are still commonly used despite the withdrawal of the free screeding provide by HDB as they provide an entirely different concept compared to tiles. However, there many brands and companies providing these materials, so how should we choose them? Here are the points you may like to keep a lookout for;
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is generally on the lowest cost (exclude screeding) in all types of floor finish. There are genetically 2 different types of laminate available in the industry. Those made in German & the other what is so called “German-tech”. Needless to further explain, those made in German will definitely be of better quality, comes with more modern design & intriguing texture.
However, “German-tech” could be made in China but the term simply means: material & factory equipment bought from German, but fabricated through China labours (QC by SG). Hence, the cost of such material is usually more affordable if you are on a tight budget for your renovation.
Yet regardless, laminate flooring is only recommended to be used in bedroom floorings. This is because of the fact that they are NOT permanently stuck to the flooring like tiles. Laminate flooring is also made of natural materials that carry the possibilities of contracting & expanding through wear & tear as well as due to natural/man-made (air-conditioner) temperature in the atmosphere.
Hence, they are always more recommended to be used in bedrooms where there is lesser exposed surface and also with more heavy furniture such as wardrobe & bed on top to sustain stability & prolong lifespan.
Vinyl Flooring
While the use of laminate flooring is rather restricted, the use of vinyl flooring is widely recommended in most areas of the entire house (except wet areas such as bathroom, service yard etc). This is because instead of combining both natural timber fibres & man-made materials, vinyl flooring is genetically made out of man-made material (mostly rubber) and hence it is also usable in areas such as kitchen & dining area due to its waterproofing properties.
Furthermore, vinyl flooring requires no skirting as it can be easily cut to fit in all sorts of space neatly. However, bear in mind that both laminate and vinyl flooring comes with grading (AC1 being the lowest & AC5 the highest) and this is especially important when it comes to vinyl flooring because both the quality & cost will differ greatly along the grades (this is in fact more sensitive than the PSLE grade released yesterday!)
So how do you think of our advisory? Do click the like button and let us know in the comments below what are your takes about laminate/vinyl flooring.