Flooring is the soul of home decoration, and its extensive area can profoundly influence the overall home style and atmosphere. Here, we'll introduce several popular flooring materials in the Hong Kong market, along with their pros and cons, to help you choose the most suitable flooring material for your home.
1. Solid Wood Composite Flooring
Solid wood composite flooring combines the benefits of both solid wood and composite flooring. It boasts natural textures and excellent sound absorption properties. Treated for moisture resistance, composite flooring is more suitable for Hong Kong's humid climate than solid wood flooring. It's also easier to maintain and clean and comes at a more affordable price. However, similar to solid wood flooring, composite flooring can be prone to scratches and dents and has a less tactile feel. As glue is used in the manufacturing process, composite flooring cannot be recycled and has relatively low environmental friendliness.
2. Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo flooring resembles solid wood flooring with its natural texture and organic feel but requires less maintenance and no waxing. There are three main types of bamboo flooring: flat-pressed, side-pressed, and strand-woven, each offering a different surface finish. Bamboo wood composite flooring, a relatively new product, combines bamboo and wood, providing higher wear resistance and stability.
3. Stone Plastic Composite Flooring (SPC)
Stone plastic composite flooring, also known as SPC flooring, is a type of PVC flooring with added stone powder. It consists of five layers: a UV-resistant layer for protection, a wear-resistant layer for scratch resistance, an ethylene layer (also known as the print layer) with realistic wood grain prints, a primary material layer consisting of PVC composite material with inorganic minerals, and an underlayment layer for softness, moisture resistance, and sound insulation.
4. Marble Flooring
Marble offers a unique and diverse range of aesthetics, with a multitude of colors and patterns that are hard to replicate. It is known for its high hardness, waterproofing properties, and resistance to wear. The intricate natural veining of marble adds elegance and sophistication to any home. From basic black and white to shades of pink and emerald green, marble provides a wide range of choices that can complement various home styles. However, despite its smooth appearance, marble has many tiny pores that can stain and seep. Cleaning and maintenance can be cumbersome.
5. Porcelain Tiles
Porcelain tiles are widely used in various areas of the home, including the living room, bathroom, and kitchen. They are highly durable, easy to clean, and offer a sleek appearance. However, porcelain tiles are typically harder and colder to the touch. If you have children or elderly family members, you may need to consider other flooring materials with a softer feel to reduce the risk of falls and injuries.
6. Wood-look Tiles
Wood-look tiles feature surface prints that mimic the natural wood grain, offering the decorative effect of solid wood flooring combined with the properties of porcelain tiles. They are easy to clean and maintain, possess moisture resistance, and are suitable for wet areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.
