Choose the Right Hard Flooring for Your Open-Plan Living Area
These flooring options are all popular, but which one is right for you? They each have pros and cons you should know about
Hard flooring is sought after for open-plan living areas for good reason – it adds a sense of spaciousness and is a snap to clean. The flooring you choose for your kitchen, living and dining area will be a choice you have to live with for many years to come, however, so be sure to weigh up the positives and negatives of each option before settling on a decision, and look outside the square. You may be able to save a considerable sum by going for a flooring alternative that gives you the look and attributes you’re after – just be sure to weigh up any negatives. We’ve done some of your homework for you, finding out the upsides and downsides of many of the popular hard flooring choices available.
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Timber can be stained in whatever colour you like and there are various species and widths from which to choose.
“Traditonally, you used to buy boards, stain and varnish them,” Bagnato says. “Now you can buy pre-finished, pre-stained floating timber boards already polished and ready to go.”
Blackbutt is a popular hardwood flooring choice, although more expensive than other commonly used – and beautiful – floorboards: Tasmanian oak and Victorian ash.
Bagnato advises checking a timber’s rating for hardness before settling on a species for floorboards. Blackbutt is one of the hardest but take care with other species.
“You may love Baltic pine but it’s a soft, soft timber – everything marks it,” Bagnato says. High-heeled shoes and dog claws can quickly scratch and dent soft wooden floors.
Timber floorboards stained in ‘Wenge’
“Traditonally, you used to buy boards, stain and varnish them,” Bagnato says. “Now you can buy pre-finished, pre-stained floating timber boards already polished and ready to go.”
Blackbutt is a popular hardwood flooring choice, although more expensive than other commonly used – and beautiful – floorboards: Tasmanian oak and Victorian ash.
Bagnato advises checking a timber’s rating for hardness before settling on a species for floorboards. Blackbutt is one of the hardest but take care with other species.
“You may love Baltic pine but it’s a soft, soft timber – everything marks it,” Bagnato says. High-heeled shoes and dog claws can quickly scratch and dent soft wooden floors.
Timber floorboards stained in ‘Wenge’
PROS: This material is warm and inviting and can be restored to former glory by sanding refinishing every six or seven years. It also suits plenty of home styles.
CONS: Softer timbers can dent and scratch, and can be noisy for anyone accommodating the floor underneath. This material usually requires rugs and runners to ‘warm up’ a home and absorb sound. It can crack, gap or cup. It has to be installed on joists or sub-floors, rather than directly on concrete slab.
CONS: Softer timbers can dent and scratch, and can be noisy for anyone accommodating the floor underneath. This material usually requires rugs and runners to ‘warm up’ a home and absorb sound. It can crack, gap or cup. It has to be installed on joists or sub-floors, rather than directly on concrete slab.
Engineered timber floorboards
Engineered timber floorboards are a less expensive option than regular floorboards that can look just as beautiful, but only the top layer is timber. The remaining width is a filler known as substrate.
Architect Christopher Megowan says engineered timber that uses American and European oaks are becoming popular, and have come a long way in recent years.
“There used to be a stigma about veneers – they looked cheap – but those days are over; now the thicker veneers are quite good.”
The timber top layer can be 2, 4 or 6mm thick. If it’s your own home, Megowan strongly advises going for the 6mm option. “The cost is not exponentially higher; it’s money well spent,” he says.
The real benefit of a 6mm layer is that you can do three sandings, meaning your floors are going to look great for about 30 years. A 2mm layer can’t usually take any sanding at all. Unless you’re buying an investment property with the intention of doing it up cheaply and quickly flipping it, Megowan says a 6mm thickness is otherwise advisable.
Engineered timber is more stable than hardwood, which expands and contracts with temperature and moisture levels, but only when the substrate is multi-layered ply or similar. If you buy engineered timber layered on solid pine, your floors will face the same challenges as with solid timber – they can crack, cup and gap.
TIP: Although floating floorboards are available, Bagnato prefers floorboards that are glued and nailed to the floor. Floating floorboards sit on a rubber underlay and are installed simply by clicking the planks together – they can feel unnaturally bouncy to walk on.
Engineered oak flooring in ‘Georgia’: Woodcut
Engineered timber floorboards are a less expensive option than regular floorboards that can look just as beautiful, but only the top layer is timber. The remaining width is a filler known as substrate.
Architect Christopher Megowan says engineered timber that uses American and European oaks are becoming popular, and have come a long way in recent years.
“There used to be a stigma about veneers – they looked cheap – but those days are over; now the thicker veneers are quite good.”
The timber top layer can be 2, 4 or 6mm thick. If it’s your own home, Megowan strongly advises going for the 6mm option. “The cost is not exponentially higher; it’s money well spent,” he says.
The real benefit of a 6mm layer is that you can do three sandings, meaning your floors are going to look great for about 30 years. A 2mm layer can’t usually take any sanding at all. Unless you’re buying an investment property with the intention of doing it up cheaply and quickly flipping it, Megowan says a 6mm thickness is otherwise advisable.
Engineered timber is more stable than hardwood, which expands and contracts with temperature and moisture levels, but only when the substrate is multi-layered ply or similar. If you buy engineered timber layered on solid pine, your floors will face the same challenges as with solid timber – they can crack, cup and gap.
TIP: Although floating floorboards are available, Bagnato prefers floorboards that are glued and nailed to the floor. Floating floorboards sit on a rubber underlay and are installed simply by clicking the planks together – they can feel unnaturally bouncy to walk on.
Engineered oak flooring in ‘Georgia’: Woodcut
PROS: Engineered timber looks like solid timber but is less expensive and quicker to install – it arrives pre-finished. It’s considered more eco-friendly, too – only a thin layer of slow-growing hardwood is used and the substrate uses faster-growing species. It’s also
more stable than solid timber.
CONS: The number of sandings it can tolerate depends on the veneer thickness.
Oak floors: Mafi
more stable than solid timber.
CONS: The number of sandings it can tolerate depends on the veneer thickness.
Oak floors: Mafi
Bamboo
Megowan says bamboo is usually chosen for three reasons: its eco-credentials, its good looks and the cost.
“It’s a quick growing renewable so it has a sustainable aspect to it,” Megowan says. While hardwood can take anywhere from 20-120 years to mature enough to be used for flooring, bamboo takes only four to six, and is actually a type of grass.
Bamboo comes from a variety of sources, however, and some are greener than others. Megowan advises getting it from a verified source and checking its certification from GECA (Green Environmental Choice Australia) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).
TIP: When choosing the finish for your bamboo flooring, opt for matt over high gloss. “High-gloss finishes show dirt and scratches; matte is more practical; it hides any inconsistencies.”
PROS: Certified bamboo is eco-friendly – it’s fast growing and biodegradable – and insect resistant. It comes in a wide range of colours and is quick to install because it arrives pre-finished.
CONS: Bamboo flooring can scratch, and can’t be sanded back and refinished like timber can. It’s durable, but check for quality – some bamboo flooring is far more hard-wearing than others. The colour may also fade over time.
TIP: Engineered bamboo is far more durable than stranded bamboo, and is more resistant to moisture.
Read more: Everything You Need to Know About Bamboo Flooring
Megowan says bamboo is usually chosen for three reasons: its eco-credentials, its good looks and the cost.
“It’s a quick growing renewable so it has a sustainable aspect to it,” Megowan says. While hardwood can take anywhere from 20-120 years to mature enough to be used for flooring, bamboo takes only four to six, and is actually a type of grass.
Bamboo comes from a variety of sources, however, and some are greener than others. Megowan advises getting it from a verified source and checking its certification from GECA (Green Environmental Choice Australia) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).
TIP: When choosing the finish for your bamboo flooring, opt for matt over high gloss. “High-gloss finishes show dirt and scratches; matte is more practical; it hides any inconsistencies.”
PROS: Certified bamboo is eco-friendly – it’s fast growing and biodegradable – and insect resistant. It comes in a wide range of colours and is quick to install because it arrives pre-finished.
CONS: Bamboo flooring can scratch, and can’t be sanded back and refinished like timber can. It’s durable, but check for quality – some bamboo flooring is far more hard-wearing than others. The colour may also fade over time.
TIP: Engineered bamboo is far more durable than stranded bamboo, and is more resistant to moisture.
Read more: Everything You Need to Know About Bamboo Flooring
Laminate
Laminate is attracting more attention than ever, and not just from those on a tight budget. Just like it does for your kitchen cabinets and benchtops, laminate for flooring comes in a range of finishes and is dramatically less expensive than timber floorboards. Water resistant and durable, laminate flooring can cop a beating from high heels, pets, boisterous children and heavy furniture without showing a mark or dent.
PROS: Laminate is inexpensive and durable, and is available in a range of colours and finishes to match your decor. You can even match it to your kitchen cabinets for a seamless look.
CONS: It won’t add value to your home like floorboards can. This material doesn’t draw heat, so can be chilly underfoot. It isn’t as long-lasting as stone or timber.
Mammut laminate floor in ‘Capital Oak’: Kronotex
Laminate is attracting more attention than ever, and not just from those on a tight budget. Just like it does for your kitchen cabinets and benchtops, laminate for flooring comes in a range of finishes and is dramatically less expensive than timber floorboards. Water resistant and durable, laminate flooring can cop a beating from high heels, pets, boisterous children and heavy furniture without showing a mark or dent.
PROS: Laminate is inexpensive and durable, and is available in a range of colours and finishes to match your decor. You can even match it to your kitchen cabinets for a seamless look.
CONS: It won’t add value to your home like floorboards can. This material doesn’t draw heat, so can be chilly underfoot. It isn’t as long-lasting as stone or timber.
Mammut laminate floor in ‘Capital Oak’: Kronotex
Lino
Linoleum floors have been used since the mid-19th century but were in their heyday during the 1950s. Although they were shunned for a time since then, money-conscious home owners are embracing this hard-wearing flooring material once more – an easier feat now that it is losing its cheap-and-nasty reputation.
“I think it’s a beautiful material,” says Bagnato. “The colour is consistent, it doesn’t chip or stain, they even have lino that looks like timber and I swear you wouldn’t know; the photography is so accurate that you’d really have to get on your hands and knees to tell the difference.”
Some lino designed to look like timber or stone also has a textured surface to mimic the real thing.
Linoleum floors have been used since the mid-19th century but were in their heyday during the 1950s. Although they were shunned for a time since then, money-conscious home owners are embracing this hard-wearing flooring material once more – an easier feat now that it is losing its cheap-and-nasty reputation.
“I think it’s a beautiful material,” says Bagnato. “The colour is consistent, it doesn’t chip or stain, they even have lino that looks like timber and I swear you wouldn’t know; the photography is so accurate that you’d really have to get on your hands and knees to tell the difference.”
Some lino designed to look like timber or stone also has a textured surface to mimic the real thing.
PROS: Lino is easy to install and inexpensive. Another big plus is that it’s eco-friendly (it’s made from renewable materials such as linseed oil, pine rosin, ground cork dust and wood flour) as well as easy to clean.
CONS: This material has to be well-maintained to keep looking good; grime can build up quickly. It won’t add value to your home. Sharp objects can cause tears, and it’s a soft, impressionable surface so expect furniture to make dents.
CONS: This material has to be well-maintained to keep looking good; grime can build up quickly. It won’t add value to your home. Sharp objects can cause tears, and it’s a soft, impressionable surface so expect furniture to make dents.
Travertine
Travertine tiles are requested more than any other floor finish in the projects Bagnato takes on, and is often carried through from the open-plan living/dining/kitchen into the outdoor areas and even the garage.
“You don’t want to have too many materials or it becomes a mishmash of everything,” he says.
Unlike marble, which is soft and scratches easily, travertine is natural stone that’s hard enough to withstand wear and tear. Honed travertine is usually sanded smooth and used in interiors, while the more textured ‘tumbled’ travertine is used outside to prevent slips and to disguise dirt.
PROS: Travertine is ultra-hard wearing and can accommodate under-floor heating. It’s cool under the feet in summer and easy to clean – no grout is required. It suits most decor styles.
CONS: This material must be sealed correctly to prevent stains – a costly exercise – and is unforgiving if you drop something. Unheated, it can be unpleasantly cold in winter.
Travertine tiles are requested more than any other floor finish in the projects Bagnato takes on, and is often carried through from the open-plan living/dining/kitchen into the outdoor areas and even the garage.
“You don’t want to have too many materials or it becomes a mishmash of everything,” he says.
Unlike marble, which is soft and scratches easily, travertine is natural stone that’s hard enough to withstand wear and tear. Honed travertine is usually sanded smooth and used in interiors, while the more textured ‘tumbled’ travertine is used outside to prevent slips and to disguise dirt.
PROS: Travertine is ultra-hard wearing and can accommodate under-floor heating. It’s cool under the feet in summer and easy to clean – no grout is required. It suits most decor styles.
CONS: This material must be sealed correctly to prevent stains – a costly exercise – and is unforgiving if you drop something. Unheated, it can be unpleasantly cold in winter.
The travertine tiles in this house blur the boundaries between inside and out.
Learn more about this house
Learn more about this house
Polished concrete
Although polished concrete is surging in popularity as a hard flooring option, some people won’t consider it for their home because the thought of walking barefoot on icy-cold concrete puts them off. In fact, the opposite is true.
“People think it’s going to be cold and sterile but they’re shocked to find out that it’s the opposite,” says architect Dominic Bagnato. “It’s a warm material that’s hard wearing and does not show any dirt; they love that about it.”
Polished concrete has thermal qualities that make it ideal for the eco-conscious home owner (or the one who wants to save money on heating and cooling bills). Its thermal qualities mean it absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night when temperatures outside drop and you’d normally turn on the heat. During summer days, it keeps your home cool because it takes longer to heat up than other flooring options.
View more stylish living rooms
Although polished concrete is surging in popularity as a hard flooring option, some people won’t consider it for their home because the thought of walking barefoot on icy-cold concrete puts them off. In fact, the opposite is true.
“People think it’s going to be cold and sterile but they’re shocked to find out that it’s the opposite,” says architect Dominic Bagnato. “It’s a warm material that’s hard wearing and does not show any dirt; they love that about it.”
Polished concrete has thermal qualities that make it ideal for the eco-conscious home owner (or the one who wants to save money on heating and cooling bills). Its thermal qualities mean it absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night when temperatures outside drop and you’d normally turn on the heat. During summer days, it keeps your home cool because it takes longer to heat up than other flooring options.
View more stylish living rooms
Polished concrete comes in all sorts of colours and you can choose the size of aggregate that gets mixed in – you can see the aggregate in this polished concrete whereas in the last shot, the aggregate is fine to the point the floor looks quite uniform in colour.
If you’re really keen, you can throw mementos into it such as coins and keys – do so when the installers have trowelled in the concrete and are almost finished, so they don’t sink to the bottom.
A concrete grinder will do a superficial grind before it has completely set (it takes 28 days to harden to maximum strength), and it will then be polished with your chosen sealant. You can choose a matt or gloss finish. The more it’s polished, the shinier it becomes.
TIP: Choose wisely when it comes to colour – the colour can’t be easily changed after the fact unless you grind the concrete right back and pour the slab again.
Read more: Concrete Flooring Is Cool, but Warmer Than You Think
If you’re really keen, you can throw mementos into it such as coins and keys – do so when the installers have trowelled in the concrete and are almost finished, so they don’t sink to the bottom.
A concrete grinder will do a superficial grind before it has completely set (it takes 28 days to harden to maximum strength), and it will then be polished with your chosen sealant. You can choose a matt or gloss finish. The more it’s polished, the shinier it becomes.
TIP: Choose wisely when it comes to colour – the colour can’t be easily changed after the fact unless you grind the concrete right back and pour the slab again.
Read more: Concrete Flooring Is Cool, but Warmer Than You Think
PROS: Hard wearing, thermal qualities and suits a range of styles from industrial to contemporary.
CONS: Is likely to crack in time –airline cracks are inevitable as the earth shifts beneath the home. Another challenge with this material is that if the polyurethane coating on top is applied before the slab has cured, it may peel away. Drop glass or ceramic on a concrete floor and, guess what? It will break.
YOUR SAY
Which flooring option would you recommend to your friends? Tell us about your good and bad flooring experiences in the Comments.
MORE
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CONS: Is likely to crack in time –airline cracks are inevitable as the earth shifts beneath the home. Another challenge with this material is that if the polyurethane coating on top is applied before the slab has cured, it may peel away. Drop glass or ceramic on a concrete floor and, guess what? It will break.
YOUR SAY
Which flooring option would you recommend to your friends? Tell us about your good and bad flooring experiences in the Comments.
MORE
Turn Your Kitchen Into a Classic With Checkered Floors
Underrated, Alternative and Affordable Hard-Flooring Options
7 Kitchen Flooring Materials That’ll Treat Your Feet
Unify Your Upstairs and Downstairs With the Perfect Stairway Flooring
The appeal of timber floors is impossible to deny. Whether laid in a herringbone pattern like this one, or just in a row, timber floors have a warm glow that can make a home look spacious and homey. Although hardwood floors are expensive, they can also be relied on to last. They can withstand multiple sandings and stainings before starting to deteriorate – in about 100 years!
BE WARNED: Don’t sand back your timber floors too many times if you want them to last. My house was built in 1890 and the original timber floors can no longer be sanded back because they’ve had one too many sandings. The timber is starting to crack and come apart at the seams – literally – as a result. All I can do is oil them to keep the timber nourished, but the floorboards will one day have to be replaced.