With a range of flooring options on the market to suit all kinds of needs and preferences it can be overwhelming trying to understand what flooring is right for which room.
The dining room is traditionally a room in which families and friends gather for meals and celebrations and is a veritable hub of activity. For such an important and frequented room, it becomes essential to choose a flooring option which not only wows with its aesthetic appeal but can live up to the hard wear, accidents and spillages that are bound to occur over time.
Today we’ll look at a variety of flooring available and see which one stacks up as the best flooring option for every dining room occasion.
Wood Flooring for Dining Rooms
Wood flooring is among the oldest flooring there is. A natural material that has been used for thousands of years from construction to carpentry and ornamentation. In the modern-day wood floorings either come in a solid option or in an engineered style.
Wood brings beauty, texture, aromas, and nature indoors, bringing an aged yet timeless appeal to any décor.
When maintained with the proper care, wood floors are a durable and lifelong companion for any flooring. However, the maintenance routines can be time-consuming and costly and require a professional touch to ensure the wood is properly sealed from moisture damage. It requires sanding and refinishing, with new coats being applied annually, and even with the proper care is vulnerable to impacts, damage, and moisture.
A solid choice that will suit any dining room, wood will go a long way if you have the time, money, and know-how to maintain its integrity.
Pros:
- Style and Aesthetics: Unmatched natural beauty adds sophistication and class to any room
- Longevity: Can be sanded down and refinished to expand its lifetime
- Adds Value: A real wood floor can increase the value of a property
- Durability: Withstands heavy foot traffic and minor scratches with ease
Cons:
- Maintenance: To maintain durability and beauty it requires regular and detailed upkeep
- Cost: Generally high costs upfront, plus maintenance costs over time
- Water Sensitive: Even with great maintenance and upkeep wood is still vulnerable to moisture damage
Laminate Flooring for Dining Rooms
Laminate flooring is a cheaper alternative to wood and works wonderfully in a dining room setting. It can mimic the look of wood, tile, and stone at a fraction of the cost and is highly durable and resistant to scratches, stains and fading. Maintenance for laminate flooring is simple and only requires the floor to be swept and mopped when needed.
Laminate flooring also benefits from an easier installation process that can be accomplished by DIY enthusiasts as well as professionals but is hampered slightly by requiring extra materials such as underlay.
Pros:
- Cost-Effective: Laminate comes in cheaper than wood and SPC but more expensive than LVT, though this can vary depending on manufacturer
- Durability: Resistant to stains and scratches and works well in high-traffic areas
- Easy Installation: A simple click-in-place system makes installation easy enough for DIY enthusiasts
- Variety: Has a wide range of aesthetic choices to suit your tastes
Cons:
- Authenticity: Whilst it has a range of styles, upon inspection it is easy to see the flooring is not natural or authentic
- Moisture Sensitivity: Not as resistant to water damage as SPC or Vinyl
Luxury Vinyl Flooring for Dining Rooms
Luxury vinyl flooring, or luxury vinyl tile (LVT) as it is also known, is a versatile, cheap, and practical choice for dining rooms. It resembles natural materials such as wood and stone and can provide a quality-looking finish without the upfront costs or associated maintenance. LVT is durable enough to handle daily wear and tear, water-resistant enough to resist accidents and spillages and easy to maintain with a sweeping brush and a mop.
Pros:
- Cost-Effective: LVT comes in as the cheapest option on this list
- Water Resistance: Naturally resistant to moisture and does not stain
- Variety: A large range of designs and styles available to suit every aesthetic
Cons:
- Authenticity: Whilst the images on LVT are high-resolution images upon close enough inspection the effect is compromised
- Durability: Less durable than SPC under high-traffic
- Longevity: Life span is shorter than SPC and wood and so requires replacing sooner
SPC Flooring for Dining Rooms
SPC flooring (Stone Polymer Composite) is a highly durable material that offers protection from moisture too. It is designed to handle high levels of foot traffic and is suitable for residential and commercial premises.
The combination of natural stone and PVC ensures SPC flooring is highly resistant to scratches, stains, and impact damage, it is safe to say under normal conditions SPC is virtually indestructible. It has an easy-to-use click-and-lock system for simple maintenance, and if installed correctly boasts the highest longevity in this list of around 25 years.
SPC flooring mimics the effects of stone and wood better than alternatives thanks to its ability to mimic the texture as well. This gives it a boost over LVT which can only use a high-resolution image.
SPC flooring is easy to maintain with a sweeping brush and a mop so its ongoing care is an easy part of your everyday routine.
Pros:
- Durability: SPC is able to withstand anything and everything modern life and dinner parties can throw at it and boasts the highest durability in this list
- Water Resistance: Being made of natural stone and plastic SPC is 100% waterproof making it simple to clean
- Easy maintenance: Armed with a brush and a pH-neutral cleaner, SPC flooring can keep looking new for years to come.
- Longevity: When installed correctly SPC flooring can carry a warranty of 25 years
- Installation: A simple click-and-lock system makes it easy for DIY enthusiasts to install themselves
- Natural Aesthetic: Barring wood, SPC flooring offers the most authentic and natural look on this list
Cons:
- Cost: A higher upfront cost than laminate or vinyl
- Hardness: Can feel harder underfoot compared to vinyl
Conclusion
When hosting a dinner party it is important that the dining room is able to handle any spills or accidents that occur throughout the evening, and that the room has a homely feel and an appealing aesthetic.
For us then, the best flooring option in this regard is easily SPC flooring. Whilst each flooring option has its positives and negatives, SPC flooring has the greatest durability, the best longevity, the easiest installation, and the simplest maintenance. All this included with a style that mimics natural stone and wood to retain and maintain a feeling of authenticity and class.
With Nütile’s high-quality Nüforest and Nüstone collections you’ll be sure to find the best flooring option for your dining room that’ll wow your guests the next time you play host for the evening.
