Best option for kitchen floor and heating

I have a concrete floor covered in sheet vinyl, which is warm and very easy to clean and didn't cost very much. Plates even bounce off it without breaking (sometimes!)

On 19 Mar 2006 03:50:00 -0800 someone who may be snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote this:-

Floor - do you want a floor that any crockery or glass you drop will break upon? An alternative is a wooden floor with some sort of covering. It might not look as good, though opinions vary, but gives dropped items more chance of survival.

Heating - if you want underfloor heating make sure that it is insulated underneath. Wet underfloor heating should be controlled separately from radiators due to its different characteristics. A separate valve or pump and a lower temperature than radiators are needed. An alternative is plinth heaters, under kitchen units. These again are best controlled separately, though it is not so important with these in house sized heating.

That's erroneous. I've had kitchens with plastic, wood and slate floors. There is no difference between them (or it is marginal enough not to make no practical difference). The far greater effect is based on the item itself and the angle at which it's dropped.

The only floor covering that makes some difference is carpet, and it's even more revolting to have that in a kitchen than a bathroom.

Hard floors are not cold under foot as long as they are insulated underneath. They acquire room temperature. I quite happily wander about with bare feet on a slate floor all the year round without feeling at all uncomfortable.

Cork tiles are very good crockery-wise.

I'm sure they'll be fashionable again soon.

Owain

On Sun, 19 Mar 2006 16:36:37 +0000 someone who may be Andy Hall wrote this:-

My experience is different. Vinyl covered wood floors are far kinder, though things still smash on them.

Leaving aside the UFH issues, the average costs of flooring range from around 20-30 a square meter for carpet or vinyl or plastic laminate, up through 50-60 a square for fitted wood laminate, and some ceramics, to over 100 a square for top class stone and really good solid wood.

The best value for money is a careful screed and paint...;-)

Do we have to resign ourselves to the fact that for a half decent job it's going to cost serious money, or are there alternatives we've overlooked?

I originally had a quote for ISTR about £650 for supply and fit in a medium-sized bathroom. Did it all myself for just the materials - approx 1/3 of the cost. If it all went pearshaped I could have bought all replacement materials to have another go and still been quids in!

Regards, Simon.