Materials in various patterns step up options
Flooring needs to suit environment it’s installed in, be it humid or high traffic
An explosion of flooring options — vinyl, laminates, engineered woods and tiles in both natural and manmade stone — has meant many old rules for choosing what to put on “the fifth wall” have gone out the window. Among those rules is quality can always be measured by price, and natural materials are always better than man-made, designer Linda Mazur says.
“You can get a hardwood for $4 a square foot and be looking at $6 or $7 for engineered wood or vinyl,” she explains. “People have preconceived notions that they should not cost more than real wood. That’s because they don’t understand what it offers them.” Homeowners no longer need to choose flooring based on the look they want because patterns of every type are available in just about any material. It’s now possible to find everything from realistic concrete finishes in vinyl tiles to life-like wood grains on porcelain planks.
That makes it easier to get the right product for the environment it’s being installed in; an important consideration, Mazur says.
“What’s the humidity like, how will the room be used, do you want to do in-floor heating? That’s why it’s good to work with a really knowledgeable retailer or a designer.”
Condo dwellers, she adds, should always check building regulations before purchasing anything.
In terms of esthetics, there’s no doubt hardwood is “classic, beautiful and has longevity,” says Mazur, who’s loving the warm brown and ashy grey tones she’s seeing in natural woods now.
But engineered wood (manufactured by binding wood strands, particles or fibres to form a composite) has many advantages. For planks wider than six inches, for example, “you want the structure and durability of engineered wood. It avoids the arcing you can get in (wider planks of ) natural wood,” Mazur says.
Engineered woods are now almost impossible to distinguish from solid hardwood. Many are now available in popular distressed styles, such as Metropolitan Hardwood Floor’s Kentwood collection, which includes textured, saw-marked and raw finishes in soft grey and brown woods.
Mazur also sings the praises of the new generation of vinyl flooring.
“It’s very easy, very versatile, very forgiving and very comfy.”
The patterns, she says, are both wide ranging and realistic.
“You can get it in anything from barn board to poured concrete looks. People look at some of them and cannot believe it’s not wood.”
Karndean Design Flooring, which sells vinyl flooring in tiles and planks, gets those realistic designs by doing things such as scorching, liming and scraping century-old planks, which are then photographed and turned into film. Unlike laminates, many vinyl tiles can be installed in patterns, such as herringbone, increasing the design possibilities.
While tile is playing a lesser role in kitchens — partly because it’s hard to stand on for long periods — it’s still a favourite for smaller spaces, such as bath and laundry rooms. The pre- vailing look is bold art deco or Byzantine-inspired graphics.
Mazur loves the look for a small space.
“Really strong graphic or mosaics are great in tiny spaces,” she says, dismissing the notion that pattern will visually shrink the area.
“Hey, we know it’s a small space. We’re not going to fool anyone into thinking it’s bigger, so let’s just have fun and go for impact in elements like flooring.”
Many higher-end tile are still made using age-old processes, but that doesn’t mean it looks dated.
The Stardust collection from Walker Zanger, for example, pays homage to ’70s themes, including the style of singer David Bowie, early New Wave and space exploration.
Made from glazed basalt, or lava stone, it uses a core element of the earth to create contemporary patterns with cool shapes, colours and metallic glazes.