We discussed and analysed the most common / popular flooring options in Part I. It may not be necessary that the decision of the majority is the right one. So why not explore other options and see what suits our needs better. Most of these are neither run of the mill option, nor advised as a general option for all purposes. These are better used at specific place and space.
- Vinyl Flooring. Vinyl floors are a popular option among homeowners, particularly in kitchen and bathroom applications. A synthetic cousin of linoleum, vinyl flooring is water-and stain-resistant, versatile, and provides good durability for the cost. These are 100% Moisture Resistant, have long life as they have a wear layer. However, they are difficult to remove if glued down, can get punctured if any sharp object is rubbed and can get dents by heavy objects. Environmentally not recommended as they are not biodegradable.
- Carpet flooring. Carpet Flooring uses soft floor covering made of fibre either bounded or stapled. Generally has a beautiful upper layer attached to a harder, stronger backing. Apart from reducing the sound of boots, they are a good insulator, which save energy specially in cold climates. It also gives a psychological warm feeling. They are comfortable to walk on being soft and easier on the feet. One can even lie down on these if in the bedroom or living.
- Glass flooring. Glass floorsare used only at specific spaces and could be Transparent or Translucent, depending on the usage. Mostly, these are transparent glass when the need is to view something from above or below the floor. The translucent types are used when there is no such need. In both the cases, toughened glass is used to prevent breakage and long life. Glass floors make the space optically more spacious. The high quality ones have good shelf life and are reliable. It can be well mixed with aesthetic lighting for great effects. They are costly in terms of manufacture, as also installation. They are often slippery and prone to accidents. Most are not scratch resistant and lose their shine over a period of time.
- Brick flooring. One of the original flooring option, this still finds place with Quality Designers, in lieu of natural stone. Mainly made of clay, these come in various shapes and sizes. These come cheap and are durable and easy to clean. They are environment friendly, having insulating properties and are skid resistant. As they are baked in fire, the surface is hard and often rough, catches stains of paint, oil etc. Inter brick space needs good sealing to prevent mites etc making the space their home.
- Cement flooring. These are basically cement based, and could be of various types, like Interior Stained Concrete, Metallic Epoxy, Overlays, Garage Floors, Quartz Flooring, Epoxy Chip Flooring and Standard Epoxy.It is a common type of flooring used in all types of spaces, as its non-absorbent nature is very useful for water stores, durability, smooth and decent looks. It has good wearing properties, are easy on maintenance and economical.
- Terrazzo flooring. These are composite material, poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. They consist of chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, or other suitable material, poured with a cement type binder (for chemical binding), polymeric (for physical binding), or a combination of both. They are very durable, with endless design options. Are environment friendly and can be used for internal / external spaces and are recommended for spaces where one prefers cold floor .
There are still more options, about which your designer may be able to guide you. We endeavored to cover the relevant and reasonable amount of information so that we are able to take Informed Decision while deciding on the the Floor which will Floor you for times to come.
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