What material to choose for finishing the floor in the bedroom?

We compare laminate, quartz-vinyl, parquet, parquet and engineered boards.

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Alexey Kupriyanchik

Head of the estimate and contract department of the company "Larsson».

Bedroom floors need to be sustainable, tactile and durable. Let's compare the five most popular finishing materials: laminate, quartz-vinyl, parquet, parquet and engineered planks. At the same time, we will figure out whether they can harm health.

Laminate

• Price per m²: 500-2,500 rubles.
• Life time: 3-10 years old.

Laminate is one of the most popular floor coverings. Manufacturers offer a wide range of colors and textures.

Typically, the laminate consists of five layers: two layers of cork, moisture resistant board, wood veneer, protective vinyl. The material's wear resistance class depends on the thickness and quality of the latter - from 21st to 34th. The higher the class, the more loads the laminate can withstand and the longer it lasts.

Laminate is easy to install and relatively inexpensive. At the same time, a conventional coating does not tolerate the effects of water, and the price of a moisture resistant one is much higher. In addition, the laminate has poor sound and thermal insulation.

The laminate contains formaldehyde. In large quantities, it is harmful to humans, and forms a poisonous gas when burned.
You can determine the degree of environmental friendliness of the laminate by the formaldehyde emission class, which is indicated on the package. For living rooms, coatings with the E1 marking are suitable - they emit a minimum amount of harmful substances and are not harmful to health.

Each country has its own quality standards. I recommend choosing laminate from European manufacturers, especially German and Belgian. They have strict requirements, and the declared characteristics accurately correspond to reality.

Quartz-vinyl tiles

• Price per m²: 1,200-3,000 rubles.
• Life time: 10-25 years old.

Quartz-vinyl consists of three layers of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). One of them is reinforced with fiberglass, the other is added with quartz for strength. The third layer is decorative: it gives color and texture. A protective polyurethane coating is applied to it.

Quartz vinyl has many benefits. It is not afraid of water, does not fade in the sun, and has a high wear resistance (43rd class). The coating is warm to the touch and not too hard, dampens some of the sounds. Installation is no more difficult than with laminate flooring. There are quartz-vinyl tiles in different colors and textures on sale.

Quartz-vinyl is made from synthetic materials. It releases toxic substances when it burns, but it is usually safe in everyday life. Some manufacturers add unhealthy phthalates, lead and cadmium to the material. It is better to buy products from European manufacturers - they follow strict quality standards and use safe raw materials.

Parquet

• Price per m²: 3,000-15,000 rubles.
• Life time: 20-50 years old.

The parquet is entirely made of precious wood. It is an environmentally friendly, durable, beautiful and tactile material. It dampens sounds well and provides thermal insulation.

The peculiarity of parquet is that it can be updated. To do this, remove the top layer from it and re-varnish it. This can be done several times as needed.

Parquet is difficult to maintain. It must not be filled with water. For cleaning, you need a vacuum cleaner with a special attachment and care products. It is important to monitor the humidity and temperature in the room: in case of deviation from the norm, the parquet will swell or dry out.

Parquet will cost much more than artificial materials. The cost depends on the type of wood and manufacturer.

Parquet board

• Price per m²: 2,000-12,000 rubles.
• Life time: 20-40 years old.

The parquet board consists of three layers. The lower and middle layers are technical, they provide the strength of the material and consist of coniferous wood. The top layer is decorative, made of expensive types of wood: ash, beech, oak and others.

Parquet board is an environmentally friendly material that is pleasant to the touch. Like parquet, it can be updated. The number of restorations is limited by the thickness of the face layer. The disadvantages are the same as that of parquet - difficult maintenance and high cost.

Engineering board

• Price per m²: 2,500-10,000 rubles.
• Life time: 15-40 years old.

An engineered board consists of two or three layers. In the first case, plywood and sawn veneer are used. In the second, a middle layer of oak, ash or other wood is added. A three-layer board is more durable due to the fact that the wood grains in the layers are located perpendicular to each other.

Engineering board is a beautiful material. Its appearance depends on the type of wood in the decorative layer and the shade of oil with which it was coated. It is environmentally friendly because it is almost entirely made of natural wood. The glue contains silicone additives between the layers, but they do not emit harmful substances.

Engineered board is not as finicky as parquet. It tolerates temperature extremes more easily. He does not like water either, so it is better to prefer dry cleaning and quickly wipe off the liquid if it gets on the floor.

How to choose your bedroom flooring

Any of the listed materials is suitable for the bedroom. Here are some tips for choosing.

1. Choose quality coverage in a segment that fits within your budget. Better to get a good laminate floor than the cheapest engineered board - it will look nicer and last longer.
2. Pay attention to the manufacturer. I recommend buying flooring from European brands - they have strict quality standards and high requirements for raw materials. This affects the characteristics of the material and its safety.
3. Ask the store for a certificate of conformity in order not to buy a fake.
4. Sniff the material before purchasing. If you opened the package and felt a strong chemical smell, do not take it.

For my bedroom, I would buy an engineered board: it looks beautiful in the interior, serves for a long time and is not as demanding on the indoor microclimate as parquet and parquet board.