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Laminate Vs Porcelain Tiles

Hi guys,
I am planning to do my kitchen and bathroom and with that I also intend to change the flooring on the ground floor. At present there are regular tiles in kitchen and bathroom and laminate flooring in downstairs bedroom, living room and hallway.

I came across this porcelain tiles and they look fab.

Leaving the cost aside, is it a good idea to get the entire downstairs changed to porcelain tiles?

Are they reliable and durable?

Any advice would be highly appreciated.

Many thanks.

Comments

  • MX5huggy
    MX5huggy Posts: 7,168 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Firstly are your ground floors all solid not suspended timber? (Under the laminate). It they are not solid then I would not do it unless you make them solid. Tiled floors are not a popular option in the UK, on the continent they are. Perceved as cold, but you all ready have a cold floor option with the laminate.
  • yaz2010
    yaz2010 Posts: 173 Forumite
    Ground floors are solid. I mean there is concrete underneath the wooden floors. I want to know how reliable are the ceramic tiles. Do they crack at all?
  • MadelinesMum
    MadelinesMum Posts: 862 Forumite
    Hi, I have dropped a milk bottle and a large pyrex dish on my kitchen tiles and they haven't broken. They are quite robust, as long as they are laid on a good, flat surface.
    I must remember that "Money Saving" is not buying heavily discounted items that I do not need. :hello:
  • katejo
    katejo Posts: 4,315 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    yaz2010 wrote: »
    Ground floors are solid. I mean there is concrete underneath the wooden floors. I want to know how reliable are the ceramic tiles. Do they crack at all?

    I had porcelain tiles laid nearly 3 years ago and have been very pleased with them. No breakages yet though I haven't dropped anything to test it !
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    We laid porcelain tiles earlier this year and they are better than we imagined., both for cleaning and skid resistance when coming in from a wet outdoors.

    Other parts of the house are also tiled, though with a lower quality product. These are also completely intact, even after about 10 years of wear, with no cracks or chips.

    We're removing some tiles and carpets from living & dining areas to replace them with Karndean. This is partially for the look of it, but also because, for us, tiles don't feel right in a living area. We can't convince ourselves we're living in a Mediterranean environment!
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