From vinyl to marble: The price of 7 popular flooring types in Singapore
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PUBLISHED ONDecember 19, 2021 2:10 AMByDawn Ng
Flooring can change the aesthetics of your home. With so many options in the market, what type of flooring should you choose?
You might know that you want wood-patterned flooring for your Scandinavian-style home, but with “wood-patterned flooring” ranging from laminate flooring to solid hardwood, there are still so many choices to consider!
If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry: Here, we’ll provide you with a brief overview of the seven most popular flooring types in Singapore.
Do note that all prices stated below only account for the material costs. Additional costs, like adding subfloors and skirting, are not included.
Vinyl
Price: $4-18 PSF
Suitable for: Living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens
Where to buy:
Pros
Vinyl flooring comes in a wide variety of designs and colours. It can mimic the appearance of wood or stone but at more affordable rates.
There are two types of vinyl flooring: vinyl sheet and vinyl tile. Vinyl tile is more expensive as it can better replicate wood or tile floorings.
Vinyl flooring is quiet and comfortable underfoot, water-resistant, stain-resistant, easy to install and maintain, and relatively durable.
High-quality vinyl also has high slip-resistance and load tolerance, making it ideal for living rooms and bathrooms.
Cons
Vinyl flooring needs to be laid on top of a subfloor, usually cement screed. This might incur additional costs.
Vinyl dents and scratches easily, so be careful when placing heavy or sharp objects on vinyl flooring.
It’s also prone to fading and discolouration under excessive UV exposure, like direct sunlight.
Hardwood
Price: $28-50 PSF
Suitable for: Living rooms, bedrooms
Where to buy:
Pros
Hardwood flooring can make any home look sophisticated and cosy.
Because hardwood flooring is made up of solid wood pieces, it can be refinished to remove imperfections. It has a very long lifespan and can increase the value of your house upon reselling.
Cons
Unfortunately, hardwood flooring can get chipped and scratched easily, making it hard to maintain.
It’s not waterproof and prone to mould and termites too. Hardwood flooring can also expand and shift in Singapore’s hot weather.
Engineered wood
Price: $6-20 PSF
Suitable for: Living rooms, bedrooms
Where to buy:
Pros
Engineered wood flooring, or layered wood flooring, is made by combining high-quality plywood with a thin piece of high-quality wood (like oak or maple) on top.
This prevents the wood from expanding and contracting too much when the temperature changes.
It has the same aesthetics as solid hardwood flooring, but it is much more affordable.
It’s also quite durable, less susceptible to water damage than solid hardwood, and relatively easy to maintain.
Cons
However, engineered hardwood has shorter lifespans compared to solid hardwood.
For those who fear markings on your floor, be warned: engineered hardwood is not scratch-resistant.
Laminate
Price: $3-$8 PSF
Suitable for: Living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens
Where to buy:
Pros
Laminate flooring is similar to vinyl flooring, as both have many designs, styles, and colours. While vinyl is usually made up of PVC, laminate flooring is made of fibreboard with a hard, transparent top later on top of the printed design layer.
This makes the material durable, water-resistant, and relatively easy to maintain.
Cons
Laminate floorings must be installed correctly! Just like vinyl, it’s laid above a subfloor. If not applied on an even subfloor, it might break over time. And if not sealed properly, it can swell when in contact with liquids.
Laminate flooring is also prone to discolouration. Once the top layer is scratched, it cannot be repaired.
Tiles
Price: $3-12 PSF
Suitable for: Bathrooms, kitchens
Where to buy:
Pros
There are many types of floor tiles, like porcelain and ceramic. Floor tiles are durable, waterproof, and stain-resistant.
They’re often used in bathrooms and kitchens as the cheapest waterproof option. If a tile is damaged, it’s easily replaceable without redoing the entire flooring.
Cons
The grouts are easy to stain but difficult to clean. They also don’t feel very comfortable walking on, so you probably won’t want to install tiles in your bedrooms.
Polished cement screed
Price: $15-30 PSF
Suitable for: Living rooms, bedrooms
Where to buy:
Pros
When we think of cement screed flooring, we often think of the grey floor on our void decks. It’s also usually used as the subfloor to even surface other flooring types like vinyl.
Then, it might come as a surprise that polished cement screed has started becoming popular in homes.
Why? Some people go for it because of its “industrial” look, which adds to the modern, industrial style.
Cons
Cement cracks easily, so even though the protective coating will help resist wear and tear, you might still see some cracks on the floor.
It’s also slippery and should not be used for bathrooms.
Marble
Price: $40-70 PSF
Suitable for: Living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens
Where to buy:
Pros
Since marble is a natural stone, each pattern is unique and one-of-a-kind. It’ll help make your house look elegant and stylish! Having marble flooring will improve the value of your home if you wish to sell it.
Besides its good looks, marble flooring is very durable. It’s also cool to the touch, which is a bonus in Singapore’s hot and humid weather.
Cons
Marble is costly. To make matters worse, it has a high installation cost on top of its material cost.
It also stains easily and discolours over time. And even though it’s durable, the surface can scratch.
As marble is hard underfoot, it might not suit households with falling risks, like elderly or young children.
Check out other flooring options
You can consider other options, such as natural bamboo, granite, and linoleum. Within each flooring, the quality and design of the specific material will also affect the flooring price.
With so many options abound, it’s best to consult your contractor and designer to see which flooring type best suits your style!
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This article was first published in 99.co.