What is your opinion on the suitability of laminate flooring for a hallway and loo? Initially, I was thinking of using something tougher and more washable, such as ceramic tiles, but I am reluctant, because they are so permanent. If they go out of style, they are a bitch to remove... whereas laminate can be ripped away in a jiffy.
Another couple of options would be rubber-backed carpet tiles or possibly cork tiles, but I'm not that keen on those materials. Anyone got any other suggestions on this?
I don;t care how much they claim "bathroom grade" is waterproof - I just wouldn't for the loo. Hall's OK.
I'd use a *good* quality vinyl for the loo rather than laminate. Also it is very easy to change and should see >10 years hard use anyway.
But, re ceramic tiles - I don't see a problem. And you won't be doing the job again for a long long time (never if you do it right).
Anyway, bugger "fashion" - aren't we all above that here? Choose what you like. But a neutral choice like a grey (light or dark) or white means you can change the wall colours with less fear of clashing.
Slate (or a ceramic lookalike) is pretty timeless as is anything marbley. Quarry comes and goes, but over the long term it's also IMHO a solid choice and doesn't have to be red...
Tim Watts wrote in news:i3jq4v$on6$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:
Thanks for the input. The floor is bare screed at the moment. I'm not sure if it's quite smooth enough to lay vinyl tiles on, but I'm not experienced in vinyl. My only previous experience of vinyl tiles is self-adhesive ones, and for those, I'd definitely need something smoother than this screed. In one house, we had "Marley" tiles laid onto bare screed by a pro, back in about 1960. He stuck them down with some kind of black tar-like adhesive, and the tiles neeeded heating up in the process. They stood the test of time; they were still looking no worse for wear in 2009! I guess that system is now obsolete. For this job, I'm thinking I could perhaps lay cement board or similar over the screed floor and then lay a good quality self-adhesive vinyl tile through the hallway and loo together. Or is vinyl tile in a hallway considered a bit naff/tacky these days? I've seen some very convincing-looking stone-effect ones somewhere; B&Q, I think.
The cost of booking guys to lay vinyl at the time you buy it isn't high - I had my last kitchen done.
It's an option.
No.
It's worth researching the good makes. Some of the vinyl has a very thin pattern layer, meaning it wears to white quickly. The good stuff is thicker and tougher. You can also choose between something cushioned and something that's solid, more like lino (which is still available IIRC).
My last kitchen had some cushioned stuff with a tough top layer and a pattern that looked like tiling. You could tell it wasn't tiles, but it still looked really good. I got that (and the fitters) from Allied Carpets.
I've said this on here before, but we stuck some "slate look" laminate down in the kitchen here years ago (8?) as a quick fix until we could afford to do it properly.
This was the aqualok stuff from B&Q.
The following year I found an offcut in a puddle outside (where I'd been cutting it). Many years later, it's still out there, still getting all the weather and still completely fine.
Floor is still down and seems fine as well (which is a shame - it's harder to justify replacing it ;-))
So, some of the stuff really is waterproof...
we avoided ceramic and went for the quick laminate option as wife was pregnant and the floor is a little bouncy - nothing major but needed sorting for ceramic.
The laminate appears to cope fine with the slight movement
I too have B&Q laminate down in my shower room, and bathroom, and it has not been a problem in either. I also have laminate from the same series in my kitchen and conservatory, and again, no problems. All of these are from the B&Q 'Tiloc' range. Three of them are simulations of white limestone tiles, and the kitchen one is a simulation of slate tiles. The effect is so good, that they have, over the years, fooled just about everyone who has encountered them - to the point where I have had people on their hands and knees in disbelief that they are not looking at the real thing. The Tiloc range is not expensive, and is a dream to fit together. If you are really worried about the core not being waterproof, B&Q do a silicone type sealer especially for the job. You put a thin bead of it down each joint, before snapping it together, then wipe off any excess that exudes. My son-in-law used it when he fitted Tiloc in his bathroom, but I have not found the need.
In my hallway, and the downstairs toilet that leads off it, I have B&Q bog-standard wood effect laminate. It's probably about the cheapest one that they do. Both areas are heavily trafficked, but it still looks as good as when it was put down. It is mopped regularly, but I think the trick is to not get it ridiculously soaking wet. As long as you use a mild detergent, and wring the mop out well, you really won't have a problem. I have been putting laminates down in my houses since they first appeared on the market
20 odd years ago, and they have evolved a lot since those early days of having to glue the boards together. The modern board glueless locking system is machined so well anyway, that the fit is tight enough that you can't see the joins between boards, without a magnifying glass, so that doesn't leave a lot of space for moisture to get down into, anyway. If you do go down the laminate route, one little trick is to have an old toothbrush to hand as you lay it. Run it down every mating surface, before putting them together, as you can get tiny bits of machining debris in the complex-profile snap joint. Even the tiniest piece of such debris, can stop the joint from closing tight. Also, make sure that you use a good quality underlay. I've found that it is well worth spending a bit more on the grey medium density stuff, rather than using the white low density polystyrene 'paper'.
The big snag with laminate flooring especially in a hall way is when you come in from the rain. It is so easy to slip up if there is no carpet there. This happened to a friend of mine and she neatly peeled the skin off on her shin which resulted in several painful skin grafts and months off work. Anyway it is up to you! Robbie
How very odd. I have had the stuff down in both my entrance porch and hallway for years, and none of us in the house have ever had any similar problem. In fact, I can't say that I've ever found the stuff even remotely slippy when coming in from the rain. I have a very simple mat just inside the door, and I actually tend to deliberately 'scuff' my feet on the laminate in the porch to dry off what the mat doesn't get so that it doesn't tread into the hallway. All I've ever noticed is a bit of a 'squeak' when I walk on it with wet shoes. Perhaps it was just an unfortunate combination of the laminate surface and the type of soles on your friend's shoes which caused the problem, although in saying that, five of us living in our house, including three kids running about like demented loonies when they were young and still living here, so I would have thought that one of us would have come up with a similar combination over the years ?
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