Ceramic tiles or engineered wood floor?

hardpressed

I'm still trying to decide what to put on the floor of my kitchen diner, approx 24 square metres. I have a cat and dog and direct access from a muddy garden so it needs to be easy to clean. I think I've ruled out vinyl due to the dog and cat's claws and possible damage. Ceramic tiles seem to be the obvious choice but I'm worried about them making the room even colder that it is at the moment. How durable is the surface on ceramic tiles, daft question but does it wear off after a few years? How would engineered wood stand up to constant mopping and the occasional 'accident'? Whatever I decide on I'm going to have to get a professional in to lay it.

vansboy

When we did ceramic in a previous house, I wish someone had told us about underfloor heating - they were freezing!! So if you do tile, heat the floor too.

Tiles were slippery, as well.

Not fan of the wood, especially with the pets, 'cos it'll scratch (other Moneysavers will mention how many times a good product would sand & come back looking ok, though)

Laminate maybe - the Aqualoc water resistent stuff from B&Q is what I've used a few times now & lasting verrrrry well. Not everyones taste, but if you buy it when on offer, get thick underlay, it'll do what you want.

VB

sillywilly

We were going to laminate our kitchen but found that tiling was actually cheaper. And after having a major washing machine leak that I didnt know about until I got home I am so glad we did!!

Laminate or even real wood would have been absolutely ruined after sitting under a pool of water for 6 hours - even the waterproof stuff as it would have got under the back of the laminate.

Go for tiles. If worried about the cold just install some underfloor heating - electric stuff is cheap enough from Screwfix. Even "wet" stuff isnt too much if you have a radiator in your kitchen.

Tiles are the way to go. Ceramic are fine and cheaper than porcelain but porcelain are tougher. Natural stone, like Marble, Slate, Granite are also good but expect to pay a lot!! And they will have to be treated and cared for.

HTH:p

emmas42

Engineered wood shouldn't be "wet" mopped as the moisture will start to swell the wood. It should be done with a damp, well rung out mop or a spray which is then wiped over. They can be sanded back maybe two or possibly three times and refinished before the veneer is too thin to do again. Solid wood can be refinished many times, but is the most likely to suffer moisture damage and swelling.
If the floor really does need a good mopping after the dog and moggies have wandered all over it from being in the garden then tiles would be the best thing as you can really go for it with the mop if needed.
Ceramic tiles are very very durable, but the best tiles for wear and tear are porcelain. They are very dense and so it is less likely they will crack or break if something is dropped on them. You can buy quite textured ones that reduce the chances of slipping.
Like Vansboy said, if the room is cold then underfloor heating is a good choice! You can get electric heating kits that can be laid by a DIYer but they do have to be wired in by a part P registered electrician. They can be set on timers very easliy.
If you choose laminate, it is more resiliant than engineered wood as it has an aluminium oxide layer on top to protect from scratches. It is less likely to take damage than engineered woods, but if it does get damaged, the plank is ruined and can't be refinished. Again you have to damp mop these floors as the joints can still swell with too much water, even the aquastop ones. (Which are very good!) You can get joint sealers to help prevent this, but water resistant laminates tend to be resitant to humdity (Bathrooms conservatories etc) rather than full on wetting.