Creating the perfect living space is not just about the colours of your walls and furniture. Your flooring needs to fit the theme too. Aside from fitting the theme, different floors have different pros and cons whether it comes to comfort, design, and ease of cleaning.
For example, parquet floors which are typically used in the bedrooms are more comfortable in the mornings if you use an air-conditioner throughout the night, as you won’t get a cold shock. On the other hand, if you were to use tiles in your living area, you may find it more comfortable on hot days when you lounge on the floor.
In this article, we look at some of the most popular types of flooring for your living room floor along with the pros and cons of each.
Marble
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Marble is one of the most popular types of flooring for the living room area of Malaysian homes, due to the tropical heat. As marble feels colder to touch, it makes for a refreshingly cool material in the living area especially if you enjoy sitting on the floor. It is however one of the more expensive materials in the market, as compared to other options.
Pros
Marble flooring can help to cool an area down to a certain extent, especially on really hot days. It also automatically increases the price of the property, as marble is not a cheap material.
Cons
As mentioned above, marble is one of the most expensive materials. On top of that, it scratches easily and will dull with time as more scratches accumulate. In order to get its shine back, professionals will need to be called in to polish the marble – and this cannot be done too often as every time the marble is polished, a slight bit of the surface is removed. Moreover, the cost of polishing the marble is not cheap either and can range to the thousands depending on the floor area.
Polished Porcelain Tiles
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While marble is the preferred material due to its coolness, polished porcelain tiles come in second. When used in the living area, polished porcelain floor tiles are cut into large squares and cover larger areas. This gives the floor a sleek and seamless look, which is easy to clean as well.
Pros
The pros of using polished porcelain tiles are many. The tiles are always cool which is great for the Malaysian weather. They are also highly durable and not easily scratched, making them a rather low maintenance material. Also because they are white in colour and highly polished to a shine, you will be able to see clearly if cleaning is needed. Because of how dense porcelain tiles are, they are also less likely to crack and are especially ideal for rental properties where tenants may be less careful with the house.
Cons
There are however downsides to using porcelain tiles, with the first being its difficult installation. As this material is denser than its counterparts, cutting and installing it will require professional help. And while porcelain tiles are not as pricey as marble, they are certainly more expensive than the average tile.
Ceramic Tile
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The next most popular material for the living room floor is ceramic tiles. Ceramic tiles are especially popular in warmer climates such as Malaysia, and they come in many design options. Homeowners can choose to have patterns on their floors, have them look like marble, or even have them look like natural stones or hardwoods.
Pros
Ceramic tiles are a great choice if you desire a different type of material but do not wish to splurge on your floor tiles. They come in many different designs, and as mentioned above you can make your floor look like any type of natural stone, and even hardwood if you wish.
Ceramic is also very durable and good for high traffic areas, and they are incredibly easy to clean. On top of that, to combat the tropical heat of Malaysia, ceramic tiles are cool to the touch and bring a cool reprieve on hot days.
Cons
There are not many downsides to using ceramic tiles for your living room area. The only disadvantage would be its difficult installation as it is hard to cut through due to their density, and they are rather heavy. You may require professional help to install ceramic floor tiles.
Vinyl
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Vinyl looks like wood planks, yet is made of PVC. Vinyl has long been touted as one of the most affordable flooring materials and is a favourite with homeowners who prefer their floor to be almost constant with the room temperature rather than being cold underfoot. They also provide the living area with a homey feel and an elegant touch.
Pros
One of the biggest advantages of using vinyl for your living room floor is that it is one of the most affordable materials. It is also one of the easiest materials to install as compared to the other materials on this list, and it is also durable and easy to clean. Homeowners can choose from multiple designs whether they prefer darker flooring or lighter flooring.
Cons
The only downside to using vinyl as your floor material is mainly vanity. Vinyl looks like wood, yet it does not feel as expensive or as luxurious as hardwood. The other downside is that while vinyl is durable, it can be dented when you drop heavy things on the floor, and these wear and tear are hard to repair.
Hardwood
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The last on the list is hardwood – wooden material for your floor. This is another popular choice for homeowners who prefer to have a “warmer” floor to step on as wood will not feel ice-cold even when you turn on the air conditioner. It is more expensive than vinyl but has the luxury associated with natural wood.
Pros
One of the biggest advantages of using hardwood is its easy cleaning. This type of material only requires mopping with warm water to remove dirt and stickiness. Also because of its priciness, installing hardwood flooring in your home will automatically increase its value.
Cons
While hardy and durable, hardwood has its set disadvantages. If installed in a particularly humid environment with fluctuations in temperature, the wood will have a tendency to expand and shrink according to the temperature which will affect the quality of the wood over time.
Also if you are installing hardwood flooring in a landed property, you need to ensure that your termite prevention treatment is constantly up to date or the termites may be attracted to your home.
Hardwood also does not do well with water retention as this will cause the wood to rot. Another major disadvantage is that hardwood is prone to scratches. However, fixing the scratches is not too hard – all you need to do is get some professionals in to sandpaper the flooring and they will be as smooth and shiny as the day you installed them again.
Which Type of Flooring Material Should You Pick for Your Living Room Area?
The first thing you should look at is whether you prefer a floor that is always at room temperature, or one that is cold. While youngsters prefer cooler flooring especially in the hot Malaysian weather, the elderly may prefer vinyl or hardwood type flooring as the warmer floors will be more comfortable for their feet.
You will also need to look at which design fits your living room’s theme best. Should you require a more intricate or customised design – or if you prefer the more expensive ones but do not want to spend that much – pick ceramic tiles as these tiles can be designed to look like any material you like.
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(Written by Isabelle, 1st July 2021)