What is better tile or linoleum: choosing the optimal coating

What is better tile or linoleum

According to statistics, the most popular flooring in Russia is linoleum. It is cheap, beautiful, quite durable and easy to care for. Ceramic tile takes only the third position, giving the prestigious second place to the laminate. It would seem that an ideal coating with excellent characteristics and high strength, but for some reason, the buyer gives preference to less reliable linoleum. What does this indicate? What lies behind the frenzied success of linoleum and what is better than tile or linoleum? Let’s find out!

Content

• Linoleum: advantages and disadvantages
• Characteristics of floor tiles

Linoleum: advantages and disadvantages

Linoleum is a floor covering made of polyvinyl chloride. It is heterogeneous and homogeneous. The first consists of several layers: the bottom is a base that can be made of jute, felt, polyester and PVC, several middle layers are made of fiberglass and foamed vinyl, and the top is transparent, heavy-duty of the same vinyl.

The advantages of linoleum include:

• An abundance of colors and designs. In any store you will be offered more than 20 different options for this flooring: in flower, polka dots, with geometric shapes, with and without patterns, marbled, wood, tile, etc..
• low price. Linoleum costs quite inexpensively, at least the lower price threshold starts at 120 rubles per linear meter.
• simplicity of laying. Even the most remote person from the world of repair can lay linoleum. What could be easier – bed, cut off the excess, fixed with special glue or carnations and voila – the floor is ready! Beautiful, fresh, original!
• ease in leaving. No special detergents are needed to care for linoleum – just wash it with warm water and powder.
• softness. The floor laid with linoleum is characterized by elasticity and springiness. It is quite soft, so to speak, and durable.
• durability. Commercial linoleum, designed for highly visited places, can serve for decades, while its appearance practically does not change. Naturally, semi-commercial and household linoleum cannot boast of such results, but with proper care and careful handling, they can also be used for many years.

Linoleum also has disadvantages:

• burnout in the sun. If there is a lot of sun in the room, then the flooring will quickly begin to lose its color, which will certainly affect its appearance.
• weak resistance to mechanical stress. A fallen knife or fork, a table leg, thin heels – all this can cause damage to your linoleum.
• instability to various kinds of spots. Grease, acetone and other troubles are very poorly washed off the surface of the PVC coating, however, if you immediately react, the stain will not appear.
• intolerance to high and low temperatures.
• “Fear” of chemicals. Some aggressive detergents can ruin linoleum, leaving indelible spots, stains and even bald spots on it..

Characteristics of floor tiles

Ceramic tile is a finishing material that is indispensable in rooms with high traffic. It is strong, durable, calmly refers to high and low temperatures and is very beautiful. Let’s dwell on its advantages and disadvantages..

Advantages of ceramic tiles:

• huge assortment. In stores you can see not only artificial ceramic tiles, but also porcelain tiles, and sandstone tiles, and marble products. In addition, it can be glossy with a shiny surface, matte, with or without a pattern, under a stone, wood, metal, in general, a choice worthy to pay attention to yourself.
• high resistance to temperature extremes. This quality of ceramic tile allows laying it not only indoors, but also outside.
• moisture resistance. Water is the main enemy of many floor coverings, but not ceramic tiles – it can easily withstand any flood.
• resistance to chemicals and stains. Caring for the floor tiles is easy and simple – it is not afraid of any chemistry, and stains are not a problem for it.
• high “immunity” to abrasion.
• durability. Ceramics can serve for decades, while its appearance will always be at its best.

Now consider the shortcomings. So, ceramic tile:

• tough. The surface of the floor tiles is hard, falling on such a floor can cause injury.
• cold. Cool ceramic pieces can only be heated using the underfloor heating system, which is located directly below the floor covering..
• expensive. Indeed, in order to buy floor tiles you have to lay out a fortune. It means high-quality, expensive material, and not cheap fake from China.
• difficult to install. The installation process of the tile floor is quite painstaking and complicated. It is possible, of course, to lay porcelain tiles or ceramic tiles yourself, but only a professional can guarantee the quality. I will have to pay out money for the work of a specialist.
• slippery. Many types of ceramic tiles have a smooth slippery surface, which can cause a fall. But some manufacturers have already paid attention to this problem and are creating products that have a special coating that allows you to feel confident even if water is spilled on the floor.

Summarizing all of the above, we can draw the following conclusion: both linoleum and ceramic tiles are suitable for laying in the kitchen. But … Linoleum pretty quickly “out of order”, because any unsuccessful fall of a knife or fork could end for him disastrously. The same applies to stains – they are more than enough in the kitchen: boiling oil, a fallen sandwich, spilled juice or coffee – all this can cause damage to the appearance of the coating.

Now tile. This finishing material is ideal for the kitchen in terms of stain resistance, and it will also withstand the physical impact of kitchen utensils and furniture. But you just need to buy tiles with a matte, slightly rough surface, since glossy, slippery products can cause accidental drops.

It turns out that tiles are better than linoleum. It is stronger and more durable, more reliable and easier to care for. But this does not mean that it is impossible to lay linoleum in the kitchen. You can, why not! Just have a hundred times to be more careful and careful.

And you can even come up with an original interior, using both tile and linoleum. Such a kitchen will be one in a million!

In any case, no matter what floor covering you choose, it still requires care and careful handling. Even super durable porcelain stoneware or marble will lose its noble appearance if it is not periodically cleaned. Take care of your home and he will reciprocate.