Clueless about which type of flooring to look for? In case you are struggling to decide among a pile of confusing flooring samples, here are some factors that may help you choose the best option for your cozy home.
| Ceramic Tiles | SPC | Engineered Hardwood | Solid Hardwood | Marble | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $$$ | $$ | $$$ | $$$$ | $$$$$ |
| Durability | ✔✔✔✔✔ | ✔✔ | ✔✔✔ | ✔✔✔ | ✔✔✔✔ |
| Variety of Product Designs | ✔✔✔✔✔ | ✔✔ | ✔✔ | ✔✔ | ✔✔✔ |
| Waterproofness / Moisture-resistance | ✔✔✔✔✔ | ✔✔✔✔✔ | ✔✔ | ✔ | ✔✔✔ |
| Resistance to daily chemical corrosion (e.g. cleaning agents) | ✔✔✔✔✔ | ✔✔✔✔✔ | ✔✔✔ | ✔✔ | ✔ |
| Maintenance Cost | $ | $ | $$ | $$ | $$$$$ |
Here are Some Factors You Can Consider…
1 Budget
With high durability and reasonable pricing, ceramic tiles and engineered hardwood are the two most popular options for domestic flooring in Hong Kong. Ceramic tiles are available in both custom-made designs and patterns of materials such as marble, granite and wood to suit the needs of diverse interior designs. Engineered hardwood offers wooden patterns with a warm comfortable texture, making it an excellent choice for your living space. SPC flooring is the cheapest among the above five materials, but its susceptibility to scratches also makes it the least durable. Despite expensive pricing and installation cost, solid hardwood and marble are aesthetically pleasing with elegant and layered patterns. We suggest considering the price, installation cost and maintenance cost of each flooring before making your choice.
2 Durability
The durability of a flooring material depends on whether and how frequently it needs to be maintained. Solid hardwood, marble and some types of engineered flooring require constant maintenance. Regular polishing is needed, and the frequency of polishing increases with the materials’ susceptibility to scratches (in this case, solid hardwood flooring is the most vulnerable to scratches, followed by engineered hardwood and marble). The lack of regular maintenance may lead to scratches, discoloration, fading and cracks. On the other hand, ceramic tiles and SPC flooring do not need constant maintenance. Both are of layered structures and hence are not suitable for polishing. SPC flooring requires constant care with its vulnerability to scratches – once damaged, its surface is hard to be repaired. Ceramic tiles might be a better option for those who would like to save their time and expenses on flooring maintenance, given that ceramic tiles are scratch-resistant and can be kept shiny with minimal effort of cleaning.
3 Aesthetic Appeal
Ceramic tiles offer the most diverse designs. From plain colors to patterns referenced from other materials (such as terrazzo, marble, granite, timber and canvas), ceramic tiles come in a variety of shapes and styles to match different interiors. Comparatively, SPC flooring exhibits fewer variations in terms of designs – most SPC floors are of wooden patterns. The top layers of engineered hardwood and solid hardwood are made of real wood. Solid hardwood provides more defined patterns of tree trunks and is especially aesthetic. The outlook of marble is derived from the type of stone it is extracted from. Each stone displays unique patterns of their own and adds a tint of elegance to the living space.
4 Waterproofness / Moisture-resistance
Given Hong Kong’s humid climate, both ceramic tiles and SPC are great flooring options with high moisture resistance. Marble floors need to be regularly maintained. While a layer of artificial coating is added on the floor surface to ensure water resistance, the marble may be damaged by moisture as the coating deteriorates over time. Engineered hardwood and solid hardwood are vulnerable to water and moisture (especially solid hardwood) – require special care if the two types of flooring are used in humid residential areas.
5 Resistance to Daily Chemical Corrosion
Daily cleaning agents are composed of various corrosive chemicals for removing stubborn stains. While the floor is mopped and disinfected, some of the chemicals may remain and corrode the floor surface. The induced damage depends on the floor’s resistance to daily chemical corrosion. Among the above five types of flooring, marble is the most vulnerable to chemical corrosion, followed by solid hardwood – both may experience discoloration and fading unless sealed with an extra protective coating. Compared to solid hardwood, engineered hardwood is slightly less susceptible to daily chemical corrosion – it is able to resist a little amount of corrosive chemicals, but the surface of engineered hardwood may still be damaged by the remaining chemicals of the cleaning agents. Ceramic tiles and SPC flooring are of the strongest resistance to such corrosion – use of general cleaning agents will not induce visible damage to the floor surfaces. While SPC flooring is able to resist damage by chemicals of weak to moderate corrosivity, ceramic tiles are able to resist damage by chemicals of moderate to strong corrosivity. Despite the floors’ varied levels of resistance to daily chemical corrosion, the risk of chemical corrosion will still increase with the period of exposure to the chemicals.
6 Maintenance Cost
The time and budget of maintenance matter to your choice of flooring. Marble and solid hardwood give feelings of luxury and elegance, yet they are more vulnerable to damage by fading and scratches than other three types of flooring. The floor repair processes are also more complicated, hence a higher maintenance cost for marble and solid hardwood. Engineered hardwood can be classified into two types – polishable and unpolishable. The latter is cheaper than the former but requires replacement of the whole piece of flooring in case of scratches. Although ceramic tiles cannot be polished, the flooring material is the most resistant to scratches and chemical corrosion among the five types of flooring. Ceramic tiles generally do not require regular maintenance.
7 Do Your Family Members Have Any Special Needs?
Babies/Kids/Elderly
Babies, kids and elderly people are more prone to bacteria and viruses. Floor requires frequent cleaning, and we recommend using flooring materials that are durable and easy to clean. Materials like ceramic tiles and marble can be frequently mopped wet with a lower risk of moisture damage compared to the other materials. ASA’s PuriTiles® further ensures high hygiene standards with OxyTech® technology, through which the tiles can release healthy negative ions while eliminating harmful substances and formaldehyde in air. A bonus to the family’s health!
Pets
3 essentialities for the flooring: safe, comfortable for pets to walk on and easy to maintain. Anti-slip flooring ensures your fluffy friends’ safety by avoiding slips and protecting their joints, so make sure the flooring is of R10 resistance or sealed with an anti-slip coating. Besides, make sure the flooring materials are smooth to walk on (as materials with a grainy texture may hurt your pets’ paws). As the floor may have to be constantly cleaned to remove pets’ food crumbs and hair, you may also consider choosing flooring that is easy to clean to make the cleaning process more effective. Tiles are a great choice – we especially recommend our exclusive PuriTiles® collection – in addition to its high durability, PuriTiles® is antibacterial with tile joints narrowed to just 0.5mm. Besides minimizing your fluffy friends’ risk of being infected, PuriTiles® also effectively prevents pets’ food and hair from jamming in the joints and eases the cleaning process.
