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Living etc, April 2011
March 03, 2011
Lapicida multi-slate tiles
Buyer’s Guide to....bathroom flooring
Luxurious mar le, warmest wood or deep-hued Marmoleum – what lies underfoot sets the tone for your bathroom. It’s time to get on down....Bathroom flooring can be a big investment, so it pays to gen up on what will work in your space before you take the plunge. The look and feel of the material you choose is all-important, but you also need to factor in practicalities like durability, maintenance and comfort underfoot. The size of your space and fittings also have a bearing. But get it right and flooring can unite the look of a bathroom, elevating it to the most desirable room in your home....Before you buy...One you’ve measured your floor space, add an extra 10% to allow for cutting and edging. Don’t forget to budget for extras such as grout and/ or sealant, as well as the price of installation if you’re getting it professionally fitted. Next, research into materials. “When visiting a showroom, try to view as large an area of the flooring as possible to see any variations in colour and texture,” says bathroom designer Lindsey Perry at ID Bathrooms. “Always take samples home as it may look quite different in situ.” It’s worth speaking to an installer or showroom expert about which surface is most practical for your needs. For instance, polished stone can be stunning in a small en-suite, but isn’t ideal for a family bathroom as it can be extremely slippery when it gets wet. Instead, ask about brushed or honed finishes for stone, which give extra grip....Top tips: stone flooring should be resealed every few years to ensure it remains water resistant; with tiles or natural stone, the thickness of the material, plus the subfloor and adhesive, can result in different floor levels from room to room, so remember to ask your installer about any adjustments they’ll need to make; using the same tiles on your floor and walls is ideal for smaller spaces, as it visually expands the room; metallic effect ceramic tiles are a wonderful way to redirect light and create an opulent look; for a small floor area, large format tiles make the room look larger, as they look neater and use less grout; to break up a large expanse of tiles, try jewel like glass tiles as a decorative border or central panel. It’s vital to check they are suitable for use on floors, though....Materials: Vinyl, rubber, linoleum and marmoleum – warm underfoot, these manufactured materials are affordable, waterproof and easy to keep clean. Clever digital photography reproduction means there are limitless design options, while textured finishes help with slip resistance or emulate the feel of real stone or wood. All come in either a roll or tiles for easy installation. Porcelain and ceramic – these tiles are available in a large range of colours, textures and glazed finishes, with may imitating the look of natural stone at a fraction of the price. Porcelain is both low maintenance and hard wearing in high traffic area, so if your bathroom is going to be used by the whole family, it’s really a practical option. Ceramic is cheaper but not as tough as porcelain. Stone – natural marble, granite, limestone, slate and travertine are all porous but, if sealed, will last for many years. Granite comes in a wide variety of colours, while the distinctive patterns in marble and onyx can look stunning. For a luxurious look try marble or limestone tiles. Their calming shades and subtle textures help to create a haven of tranquillity. Wood and laminate – solid wood or normal laminate floors aren’t really suitable for bathrooms as the humidity will cause plants to discolour, swell and warp. But some hardwood floorings, such as teak and bamboo, can work well (double check with the manufacturer first) and engineered wood and bathroom-specific laminate –made with PVC – are designed to withstand moisture. Cork is a great choice as it’s naturally mould resistant. It’s also eco friendly, as harvesting doesn’t require the tree to be cut down – the bark is simply cut off. Solid surface materials – resin, acrylic, corian and LG Hi-Macs are ideal for bathrooms and come in contemporary colours. Floors can be matched to moulded basins and bathtubs for uniformity or several shades can be combined to mark out different zones....Underfloor heating is fast becoming the choice in bathrooms, creating more space by removing the need for radiators and helping floors to dry quickly. There are two different types to choose from. Wet or plumbed water underfloor heating is by far the more energy efficient, but requires new pipework, so is usually only recommended if you are planning a complete overhaul. Dry or electric cable underfloor heating, on the other hand, is laid as a mesh mat of cables, which only involves lifting the top layer of flooring. However, if your house was built before 2000, you will almost certainly also need to add insulation at the same time. Without it, the heat will escape below, so it’s imperative to put down insulation first. Only then you can lay the mat and finally replace the floor. Dry systems are cheaper to put in, at around £100 per square metre, but they then cost up to 25% more than wet systems to run....For similar mottled colour stone tiles, for both floors and walls, try Lapicida’s multi slate tiles (40x40cm), £23.94 per sq m....Source book Lapicida lapicida.com Natural stone
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