A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing the Right Flooring for your Interiors
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As one of the understated parts of our interiors, the flooring material we use can make or break the look of any space. Flooring is the first design element that we make physical contact with, vital in creating a lasting impression on its user and crucial to how any space looks. There is an ample number of flooring materials available in the market, which leads to the inevitable question – Which flooring material is best suited for your needs? As an architecture and interior design firm in India that specialises in design and build projects, we have a comprehensive guide for all your flooring needs.
- Italian Stone
A go-to solution for most people wanting luxe interiors! The softness of the stone gives it a high shine, but the flip side is that the cheaper ones come with a lot of filling. It is primarily suitable for indoor use. Italian Stone is expensive, both in terms of material and labour.
- Indian Stone
Be it our forts, palaces, streets or homes, local stones have always played an important role in Indian architecture. Indian marble, granites, kota, limestone, sandstones, and kudappah are popular choices, known for their lower cost and increased durability. These can be used almost anywhere, including exterior spaces. Local Indian stones are known for their lower cost and increased durability.
- Tiles
The most cost-effective and durable flooring available, tiles come in a great variety and range, and newer improved material variants keep getting added quite often. Ceramic, porcelain, vitrified, full-body, and glass tiles – the list is endless. If the base is laid out properly, then tiles can last a lifetime.
- Laminated wooden flooring
A popular choice for making a space look warm and cosy, the laminated wooden flooring has become a preferred choice for bedrooms recently. It’s also one of the fastest to lay. There are different grades of laminated wooden flooring that one needs to choose, keeping in mind the footfall expected over it.
- Hardwood flooring
Hardwood floors look extremely beautiful but require ample maintenance. The natural grain variation makes it look better than the slightly uniform laminated version. These floors should be avoided in areas with great temperature variation or in zones with a termite threat.
- Vinyl
It is a good option for giving a quick remodelling to spaces as it is only 2mm thick and can flow under doors and over existing old flooring. Customizable, cheapest and the fastest to lay among all flooring options, it needs good quality and a finished subfloor.
- Cast In-situ /cement-based floorings
Cast – in – situ and cement-based flooring can be used anywhere and everywhere – Floor, skirting, staircases and counters. The colour range is wide, the only requirement is to add the desired pigment to cement. One such example is the terrazzo flooring – extremely easy to maintain but mostly used in the luxury segment due to the unavailability of skilled labour.
Micro-concrete flooring involves a PCC base with an added pigment. It’s a preferred flooring for heavy machinery zones as it’s an extremely tough and sturdy base. Traditional Indian homes also used to have a version of this, known as the Red oxide floor.
- Bamboo
Bamboo flooring is a sustainable option as it grows much faster than wood. If treated properly, it can be highly termite resistant as well. Bamboo flooring is suitable for bedrooms and formal areas.
- Carpeted
Carpeted Flooring has been a popular option for offices due to its sound absorption capability as well as for providing friction for chair wheels. It is suitable for air-conditioned dust-free areas, where one needs a little sound absorption.