What kind of flooring should I get?

LazyBoycp
LazyBoycp Posts: 320
edited November 2009 in The bottom bracket
Afternoon all.

I have decided to replace the carpeting in my hall and study because it's getting a bit grubby what with carting my bike inside after it has been raining. Yes, I know I should have wiped it down to dry it off before taking it in, but I didn't. :oops: :)

I think that some sort of flooring that would be wipeable and wouldn't stain after very short-term contact with muddy water & oil would be ideal. Does anyone have any thoughts on what sort of thing would/would not work? I have been thinking that something like http://www.wickes.co.uk/Solid-Bamboo-Fl ... nvt/199903 might be nice, with 5014206191320_001c_v001_zp?&$143x143_generic$ to go underneath my bike holder.

No real budget, but that's no reason for NapD to come up with something outrageously expensive! :D
«1

Comments

  • de_sisti
    de_sisti Posts: 1,283
    Amtico, or slightly cheaper Karndean. (They're both like lino but thicker and better quality).
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,715
    Carbon fibre.

    Lightweight, stiff yet compliant. You know it makes sense.
  • STEFANOS4784
    STEFANOS4784 Posts: 4,109
    Don't go to Wickes-cheap cr@p :wink:
    winter beast: http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff016.jpg
    Summer beast; http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff015.jpg
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    No garage?... :wink:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • tebbit
    tebbit Posts: 604
    How about solid wood flooring, I've used solid oak on the ground floor of my house, except for the kitchen, what is under the flooring? Is it a solid concrete floor or is it suspended timber floor? If it is suspended timber, how about just polishing the hall floor, you can buy a wax finish which would do the job?
  • LazyBoycp
    LazyBoycp Posts: 320
    Hopper1 - wash your mouth out with soap! :wink: There's no way my bikes are going anywhere near a garage. Not least because I don't have one... :D (I live in a 2 bed flat - don't think I'll be buying anywhere with a garage for a year or two yet.)

    As far as I'm aware, it's a solid concrete floor, so solid wood is an option. I think maybe carbon fibre would scratch a bit easily. Otherwise I'd be straight on www.carbonfibreflooring.com placing my order. :wink:

    The GF's parents have Karndean and Amtico flooring at their holiday house and apparently it's really nice (no, I haven't been invited...) so they're on the list too.
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    Tiles. Harder than wood or laminates, resistant to stains, simple to clean (mop or sweep), easy to lay on your own if you pick nice big tiles (unlike laminate floors which are a 2-person job in my experience). Get a rug to stop your feet getting cold.
    - - - - - - - - - -
    On Strava.{/url}
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    LazyBoycp wrote:
    Hopper1 - wash your mouth out with soap! :wink: There's no way my bikes are going anywhere near a garage. Not least because I don't have one... :D (I live in a 2 bed flat - don't think I'll be buying anywhere with a garage for a year or two yet.)

    As far as I'm aware, it's a solid concrete floor, so solid wood is an option. I think maybe carbon fibre would scratch a bit easily. Otherwise I'd be straight on www.carbonfibreflooring.com placing my order. :wink:

    The GF's parents have Karndean and Amtico flooring at their holiday house and apparently it's really nice (no, I haven't been invited...) so they're on the list too.

    Wow! Two bedroom flat...with a study... dead posh! :wink:
    Surely you should refer to it as an apartment :wink:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    DesWeller wrote:
    Tiles. Harder than wood or laminates, resistant to stains, simple to clean (mop or sweep), easy to lay on your own if you pick nice big tiles (unlike laminate floors which are a 2-person job in my experience). Get a rug to stop your feet getting cold.
    +1

    Ideal for a hallway and cheap too.
  • geoff_ss
    geoff_ss Posts: 1,201
    DesWeller wrote:
    Tiles. Harder than wood or laminates, resistant to stains, simple to clean (mop or sweep), easy to lay on your own if you pick nice big tiles (unlike laminate floors which are a 2-person job in my experience). Get a rug to stop your feet getting cold.

    +1

    They can be quite expensive, though and not sure if it would be worth it in a flat.

    Life wouldn't be worth living without a garage and/or a decent workshop. I've had access to such things all my life 8)

    Geoff
    Old cyclists never die; they just fit smaller chainrings ... and pedal faster
  • andy162
    andy162 Posts: 634
    maander wrote:
    Amtico, or slightly cheaper Karndean. (They're both like lino but thicker and better quality).

    This is the way to go. A dear doo but looks fantasic. My Brother has a carpet shop & raves about either.

    Not a DIY job tho.
  • tebbit
    tebbit Posts: 604
    Tiling in a flat could be a problem with noise transfer, exposed wooden floors are often banned in older conversions, tiling for similar reasons, the advantage of wooden floors is that underlay can be placed under the flooring. Use solid wooden floors rather than laminate, they last a lot longer, Karndean and Amtico are expense but good, they get used a lot in shops like Marks and Spencer.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    Lay down old inner tubes, then clear hard plastic over the top...
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • OffTheBackAdam
    OffTheBackAdam Posts: 1,869
    Try the click-lock, laminated type of stuff.
    Easy to lay, doesn't need gluing, mops clean, no problems with spilling water on it.
    It's not expensive either. Various finishes, from wood through to slate
    I've got kitchen, entrance area, through lounge & a couple of bedrooms floored with it, all from B&Q.
    http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?fh_view_size=10&fh_reffacet=specificationsProductType&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB%2fcategories%3c%7b9372013%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b9372028%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b9372109%7d%2fspecificationsProductType%3dlaminate_flooring&fh_refview=summary&fh_refpath=facet_159016185&fh_eds=%c3%9f&ts=1258917467119
    It's got a very hard, scratch-resistant top layer too. wears like pigs' noses.
    The bamboo stuff does look good, but it's a stack more expensive
    Remember that you are an Englishman and thus have won first prize in the lottery of life.
  • LazyBoycp
    LazyBoycp Posts: 320
    hopper1 wrote:
    LazyBoycp wrote:
    Hopper1 - wash your mouth out with soap! :wink: There's no way my bikes are going anywhere near a garage. Not least because I don't have one... :D (I live in a 2 bed flat - don't think I'll be buying anywhere with a garage for a year or two yet.)

    As far as I'm aware, it's a solid concrete floor, so solid wood is an option. I think maybe carbon fibre would scratch a bit easily. Otherwise I'd be straight on www.carbonfibreflooring.com placing my order. :wink:

    The GF's parents have Karndean and Amtico flooring at their holiday house and apparently it's really nice (no, I haven't been invited...) so they're on the list too.

    Wow! Two bedroom flat...with a study... dead posh! :wink:
    Surely you should refer to it as an apartment :wink:

    :D Sorry, I wasn't clear - I made the second bedroom into a study. I'm not that posh!

    Have just had a look at the Amtico website. Can't believe how much it costs! :shock: (... even just to floor my meagre flat. :P )
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    +1 for solid wood flooring. We've had the downstairs done throughout now. It's not cheap, but you shouldn't ever need to replace it
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Laminate. Cheap, had mine in the front hallway of my house for 7 years now and its good as gold.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    I've got Quickstep laminate which has been down about 7 years and hasn't marked in any way. Used other, cheaper, laminate in other parts of the house and it has all be removed as the laminate chipped to easily. Avoid real wood flooring at all cost, my sister and the wife's cousin both have it and it gets pitted very easily from high heeled shoes. Will probably do the same with cleats. The other option is a good quality lino. The better ones can pass as laminate or tiles to all but the closest inspection.
  • pneumatic
    pneumatic Posts: 1,989
    Beware laminate if there is any chance of it getting wet. We have it everywhere at Chateau Pneumatic on account of the budget running out when we made our extension. In several places where water is used (toilets, laundry, shower), it has seeped under the flooring and bubbled it up good and proper. :(

    I would have said get proper wood flooring, but Pross is correct about it pitting and scratching easily. There again, that is part of the charm of a wooden floor; it weathers over time.

    Proper Lino from Kirkcaldy is our latest attempt. Apparently for the first 25 years, it is just settling in. That'll see me out!

    Fast and Bulbous
    Peregrinations
    Eddingtons: 80 (Metric); 60 (Imperial)
  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    What about putting soil down on the floor, sticking in some grass seed and have an indoor lawn?

    Then you could buy some guinea pigs and keep them inside. That would be a fantastic life.
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    Pross wrote:
    I've got Quickstep laminate which has been down about 7 years and hasn't marked in any way. Used other, cheaper, laminate in other parts of the house and it has all be removed as the laminate chipped to easily. Avoid real wood flooring at all cost, my sister and the wife's cousin both have it and it gets pitted very easily from high heeled shoes. Will probably do the same with cleats. The other option is a good quality lino. The better ones can pass as laminate or tiles to all but the closest inspection.

    I doubt even a 18 stone tranny would damage a good oak or walnut floor :wink: Like most things though, you get what you pay for. If you want something really nice have a look at English brown oak.
  • Monkeypump
    Monkeypump Posts: 1,528
    pneumatic wrote:
    I would have said get proper wood flooring, but Pross is correct about it pitting and scratching easily. There again, that is part of the charm of a wooden floor; it weathers over time.

    I've got solid wood floor floors in my hall, lounge & dining room and they look great now that the wear & tear is spead evenly. It's easy to be precious when they're new - the first scratch or pit is nasty - but once they're worn in it's fine.

    Lay the floor and have a party - it's the fast-track way to that warm, worn-in look!
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    APIII wrote:
    I doubt even a 18 stone tranny would damage a good oak or walnut floor :wink:

    :lol::lol::lol:

    How about a pebble beach? You wouldn't be able to tell if you'd chipped any of the stones, and if some get stained with oil you can just rake it around a bit and hey presto! good as new.
    - - - - - - - - - -
    On Strava.{/url}
  • LazyBoycp
    LazyBoycp Posts: 320
    I get the feeling some of you aren't taking this entirely seriously. :D:D

    I think an indoor lawn would be more trouble than it's worth - I'd presumably have to get some sort of lights that replicated sunlight (my hallway doesn't have any windows), and I'd need an irrigation system so it didn't all die. Also, I'm not a big fan of pets, so I'd need to buy a lawnmower to keep the grass under control. And what about getting back from a couple of weeks holiday to find that it's impossible to open the front door because the grass has grown too long?! Must try harder, johnfinch. :wink:

    I think my favourite suggestion so far is the pebble beach. :)

    I have passed on the suggestions on to the GF, so will see what she says.
  • tri-sexual
    tri-sexual Posts: 672
    indoor lawn is a stupid idea
    solid wood is the way to go but must be laid correctly to get the full benefits
    try building some ramps, half pipes and berms
    not only will you have a sexy interior but will make you very popular :lol:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    We recently had the garage and downstairs loo done in the LuxTouch range from Pietra Firma. It's really nice. There is a nice tactile feel to it.
  • BigJimmyB
    BigJimmyB Posts: 1,302
    maander wrote:
    Amtico, or slightly cheaper Karndean. (They're both like lino but thicker and better quality).

    I can vouch for Karndean. My kitchen / diner has it and it looks great. Warmer than stone/slate/ceramic tiles and hard to damage.

    QuickStep laminates are also v good. Probably less durable than Karndean.

    Both pricey though.....
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    BigJimmyB wrote:
    maander wrote:
    Amtico, or slightly cheaper Karndean. (They're both like lino but thicker and better quality).

    I can vouch for Karndean. My kitchen / diner has it and it looks great. Warmer than stone/slate/ceramic tiles and hard to damage.

    QuickStep laminates are also v good. Probably less durable than Karndean.

    Both pricey though.....

    No where near as exclusive as the Pietra Firma stuff though.
  • BigJimmyB
    BigJimmyB Posts: 1,302
    NapoleonD wrote:
    BigJimmyB wrote:
    maander wrote:
    Amtico, or slightly cheaper Karndean. (They're both like lino but thicker and better quality).

    I can vouch for Karndean. My kitchen / diner has it and it looks great. Warmer than stone/slate/ceramic tiles and hard to damage.

    QuickStep laminates are also v good. Probably less durable than Karndean.

    Both pricey though.....

    No where near as exclusive as the Pietra Firma stuff though.

    ND - Looks v nice - you did your garage in it? Blimey. That's gotta be one nice garage.

    I can see it would be expensive, it'd need to be to pay for their website!
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    It's not too bad actually, approx $1,000,000 per square metre.

Categories