All the flooring materials have distinctive features, primary benefits, and some limitations. That’s why buying new flooring can be confusing; you have to think about all the factors. You must consider the pros and cons of each flooring type and decide which is going to be the best for you.
By doing that, you can find the flooring type that aligns with your decor taste, lifestyle, and floor renovation goals. To help you with this, Lush Loom has come up with the fact-based pros and cons of popular flooring materials in Dubai.
Stay with this article and find your desired flooring now.
Pros & Cons Of Top Flooring Materials
Upon in-depth research, here are the popular residential and commercial flooring materials we found. You can check their superior benefits and limitations to decide which one is ideal for you.
And here we go.
1- LVT Flooring
The luxury vinyl tile, or LVT, comprises a PVC-WPC composite and multiple layers of vinyl. It has a strong core layer and backing and comes with a polyurethane coating. It makes LVT scratch, dust, and wear-resistant to support longer durability features.
You can consider installing this flooring in both residential and commercial areas in Dubai. Whether it’s your home, office, or restaurant, LVT flooring can be the ideal choice because of its luxury appeal.
Here’s a look at its pros and cons.
Pros
- Ideal for high foot-traffic areas because it comes with a protective and wear-resistant layer of polyurethane.
- LVT flooring is completely waterproof with its rigid core that is typically made up of polyvinyl chloride.
- It has a non-porous surface that promotes its dust and stain-resistant properties, and you can easily clean it.
- Many luxury vinyl tiles use cork and foam to incorporate a cushioned core that offers comfort and reduces foot fatigue.
- This flooring type can be easily customized to suit your interior style while being available in many colors, textures, and patterns.
Cons
- LVT flooring with a thick wear layer sometimes appears as not real or natural.
2- SPC Flooring
The SPC flooring is a composite of stone and plastic, which is quite popular for its longer durability. It features a rigid core made up of polyvinyl chloride or limestone powder. It can be the best choice for residential and commercial areas because it offers great water-repellent, dust-resistance, and related features.
Apart from this, SPC flooring is coated with materials like aluminum oxide to prevent wear and tear. It is also counted in the list of multilayered flooring types that offer superior soundproofing.
Pros
- SPC flooring prevents warping and resists humidity changes because of the rigid limestone powder core.
- The multilayered composition of SPC makes it waterproof and suitable for high-moisture areas such as bathrooms and kitchens.
- Typically, manufacturers give this flooring a thick and transparent wear layer treatment to make it durable and resistant to scratches.
- It can be installed using a click-lock system, which eliminates the need for adhesives and is a quick flooring installation method.
- By incorporating advanced printing techniques, this flooring offers a wide range of sleek and contemporary styles.
Cons
- It can be scratched by dragging heavy furniture items.
3- Wooden Flooring
Wooden flooring is one of the most luxurious and expensive-looking flooring types. It is made with timber and synthetic lumbar and is finished with a variety of materials, such as polyurethane, wax, and shellac. Primarily, engineered wood and solid wood flooring are the main types of wooden flooring.
It has a great aesthetic impact and is available in a range of textures, including wire-brushed, subtle-scraped, smooth, and heavy-scraped. You can also choose dark & light colored shades considering your interior theme colors.
Pros
- It is refinishable, and you can frequently apply new finishes for an enhanced appearance and to support their longer lifespan.
- Compared to the other flooring types, it is often more eco-friendly because of its renewable wooden material.
- Wooden flooring can be custom-designed because you have a variety of wood species, patterns, and colors to choose from.
- Bamboo, LVP, and engineered hardwood flooring are pet-friendly because of their scratch & stain, and dust-resistant features.
- Some wooden flooring types, such as oak, regulate indoor humidity levels by absorbing and releasing surrounding air moisture.
Cons
- You need to finish this flooring every 5 to 7 years if it is installed in a high-foot traffic area.
4- Laminate Flooring
The laminate flooring is made using wood-chip composite, melamine resin, and synthetic fiberboards. The layers of these materials are fused, and a thin and clear plastic wear layer is laminated for better protection. It’s a quite budget-friendly choice compared to hardwood flooring and is aesthetically impressive with its wide range of textures and finishes.
Here’s a deep look at its potential pros and cons.
Pros
- You can get laminate flooring in high-gloss, semi-gloss, and matte finishes.
- It can be available to you in smooth, embossed, and wire-brushed textures.
- Laminate flooring is resistant to impact because of its high-density core board.
- It comes with a protective melamine wear layer to avoid dents and sustain its appearance for longer.
- Available in an extensive range of colors, such as grey, charcoal, beige, and brown.
Cons
- The core board of laminate flooring is dense but made with wood fibers that are not so resistant to moisture. That’s because it might not be suitable for areas prone to water damage, such as kitchens or bathrooms.
5- Vinyl Flooring
The vinyl flooring comes up in tiles, planks, and sheets, while made up of polyvinyl chloride resin and certain plasticizers. It is quite durable and easy to maintain because it is made with plastic and fiberglass layers. And yes, vinyl flooring can be easily customized and come up in numerous textures such as metallic, wood grain, brushed, etc.
Pros
- Vinyl flooring prevents the penetration of dust and mites because of its tight sealing with interlocking and non-porous surfaces.
- It is made with reinforced plastics such as fiberglass and PVC, which potentially resist structural breakdown or degradation of flooring.
- It is a pet-friendly flooring type that resists the scratches by your pet’s nails with its translucent urethane coating layer.
- It can be easily installed over an underlayer radiant or heating system because it can withstand high temperatures.
Cons
- It might fade by regular or prolonged sunlight exposure because it is colored by using certain additives such as PVC pigments.
6- Parquet Flooring
Parquet flooring is the most trending and modern flooring type that is available to you in engineered hardwood or solid wood. It is installed in certain intricate geometric patterns to add depth to your floor. You can customize and furnish parquet flooring easily, while the popular types for parquet flooring include oak, cherry, pine, walnut, and more.
Let’s have a look at the fact-based pros and cons of parquet flooring.
Pros
- You can install parquet flooring in brick, basket-weave, 3D, and other patterns for an attractive appearance.
- It is coated with a protective varnish film multiple times to offer scratch and stain resistance.
- Parquet flooring is made from materials that can be easily refinished and sanded to offer a longer lifespan.
- Installing this flooring makes your floor stable because it prohibits movement with tightly locked planks.
- It offers great customization because it is different from regular flooring types and comes in blocks that can be arranged in any pattern or shape.
Cons
- Parquet flooring is made up of wood, which is naturally not waterproof. So, it might not be a good choice for areas that are prone to moisture.
- The installation cost of this flooring is higher compared to the others because of the intricate geometric patterns.
Final Thoughts!
That was all about the pros and cons of popular flooring materials in Dubai. We enlisted Wooden, Parquet, SPC, Laminate, Vinyl, and LVT flooring. Wooden flooring is highly durable and can withstand extreme conditions without warping. However, it is not waterproof and is not considered a good choice for wet areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, and swimming pool sides.
In contrast, SPC flooring has a multilayered composition that makes it resistant to moisture or humidity changes. Similarly, vinyl flooring is considered pet-friendly, with its durable finishes that prevent scratches by pet nails. Meanwhile, the definition of the best flooring type is specified for every person, depending on his individual needs.
You can set your goals for your desired flooring and then explore all the popular flooring types mentioned above to find your ideal one.
