Choosing the right flooring for every room in your home – Free Malaysia Today

The right tile can make a world of difference to your home. (Rawpixel pic)

When you step into your home, or your bedroom, whats the first thing you feel? The floor, of course! And different floors have a different impact on each room.

With many different types of flooring options available in Malaysia, it can be daunting trying to choose the right one for your home.

This guide will enable you to get a better idea of the options and prices of flooring available and find what suits you best.

Ceramic tiles

Ceramic tiles are composed of natural clay, sand and water. These ingredients are moulded to form square or rectangular tiles before being baked in a kiln to remove moisture.

Ceramic tiles are mainly used in the living room and bedroom. Designed to be used indoors, ceramic tiles are also suitable as wall tiles due to their light-weight characteristics.

Available in both gloss and matte finishing, they are also considered the most basic tiles and the cheapest.

The most important reason for choosing tiles is owed to the variety of designs available. Whichever look youre going for, theres a tile design that will suit your needs.

Best suited: Bedroom, guest bathroom

Price: RM8RM12 per sq ft for labour. Tiles start from RM2 per sq ft.

Porcelain tiles

Porcelain tiles are baked at a very high temperature for a long period of time to evaporate moisture. These tiles are available in a wide variety of colours and designs, and come with either gloss or matte surfaces.

Porcelain tiles are very versatile as they can withstand heavy foot traffic and resistance against wear and tear. This makes them suited for indoor-outdoor use as well as light- or medium-duty commercial applications.

Best suited: Bathroom, kitchen, porch, balcony

Price: RM8RM12 per sq ft for labour. Tiles start from RM5 per sq ft

Solid hardwood

Solid hardwood flooring is, as its name suggests, made of 100% solid wood pieces.

The wood can come from balau, nyatoh, merbau, kempas, chengal, Burmese teak and belian, as well as imported ash, beech, white oak, Tasmanian oak, Russian pine and walnut.

Some of these species, such as merbau, Burmese teak, and belian are well known for being termite-resistant, which makes them highly valuable.

Best suited: All rooms except bathrooms

Price: From RM22 per sq ft for supply and installation. This may vary depending on the type of wood used.

Laminate

Laminate flooring is made of compressed wood fibres and a resin to form the core.

The top layer is the design layer, and is made of a printed image, covered with a clear layer to protect it. The printed image is carefully chosen to look like wood, marble, or stone; anything you like.

Homeowners can choose from a myriad of designs ranging from natural hardwood appearances to natural stones and ceramics.

Best suited: living room bedroom, dining, bathroom, kitchen, laundry

Price: From RM6.50 per sq ft for supply and installation depending on the design.

Carpet

Generally, there are two types of carpet flooring roll carpets and carpet tiles.

Roll carpets normally come in a width of 3.5 metres and can be rolled out to cover the entire length of a room. However, they require professional installation and the process can be very time-consuming.

On the other hand, carpet tiles are available in squares of approximately 45 cm, 60 cm or 91 cm, which can fit perfectly on most floor spaces.

Best suited: Office, bedroom

Price: From RM4 per sq ft for supply and installation for carpet tiles. From RM3 per sq ft for roll carpet.

Marble

Quarried from mountains around the world, marble is considered a soft rock that is easily scratched, scraped and chipped.

Since it is a natural product, each piece of marble is unique. It is available in multiple colours or even in a mix of different colours and can be cut into rectangular or triangular shapes of different dimensions.

Best suited: Living room and bedrooms.

Price: From RM15 per sq ft plus RM1015 per sq ft for labour.

This article originally appeared on Recommend.my Malaysias #1 Home Improvement Services Platform. Recommend.my offers a safer and more convenient way to hire the best home improvement and home maintenance professionals. From flooring to interior design to air-conditioner servicing, get access to thousands of the best local contractors and professionals at your fingertips.

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Choosing the right flooring for every room in your home - Free Malaysia Today