8 hallway flooring materials

Hallway in the apartment plays the role of a kind of barrier between the street and the house. IN this room often go in dirty wet shoes, leaving traces, so the floor must withstand all negative influences. Preferably the hallway floor was wear-resistant, easy to care, moisture resistant, could tolerate shock, was resistant to household chemicals, while being environmentally friendly and pleasant to look atbecause the entrance hall is the first thing any guest sees when they get to your home. Given all these requirements, sometimes choosing the right finish it is difficult. What materials are most suitable?

No. 1. Linoleum

Linoleum was and remains the most popular material for finishing the floor in the hallway. This is due to its cheapness along with a lot of positive qualities: moisture resistance, durability, ease of care, a huge variety of colors.

Linoleum can be one of the following types:

• synthetic linoleum familiar to each of us, and it is in 99% of cases that they mean when they talk about linoleum. The main advantage is the widest choice of design, the material can imitate wood, tile or the seabed, and quite accurately. It is inexpensive, but dents from heavy furniture will remain, as well as black marks from shoes. For a hall with heavy loads, you can choose semi-commercial or commercial linoleum - such material will last longer than household;
• natural linoleum, or marmoleum. Such a coating is ahead of synthetic linoleum in naturalness and environmental friendliness, as it is made from wood chips, resin, chalk, linseed oil. The material is durable, has antibacterial and fire-fighting properties, but costs more than its artificial counterpart, and the process of its installation is more time-consuming;
• piece linoleumalso called vinyl tile. It has all the same properties as synthetic linoleum, but with the help of separate squares you can lay out interesting drawings, create a mosaic, and in which case it will not be difficult to replace one damaged element. So, if somewhere the coating is torn or sold under the influence of the legs from furniture or heel, you will have to replace only one square, and the hallway will again have a neat appearance.

No. 2. Ceramic tile

Ceramic tile - this is another hallway flooring leader. Material gained wide popularity thanks a host of benefitspriceless in the hallway condition:

• high strength, wear resistance, moisture resistance, abrasion resistance;
• ease of care, resistance to various detergents;
• durability;
• environmental friendliness;
• a huge range of colors, patterns and sizes, so the hallway can be equipped in any style. In addition, tiles can mimic the surface of other materials.

Among the minuses of ceramic tiles it is worth noting only that its surface is cold, but for the hallway it is not such a drawback. A more serious minus is fragility. If a heavy object falls on the floor, there is a high probability that the tile will be damaged.

It is worth noting that for the hallway not any tile is suitable. So, you need to pay attention to the strength, which is determined by classes from I to V.The most durable tiles of the V-th class are used in public areas with huge traffic of people, and for the hallway, material with the strength of III-IV is perfect. An important indicator will be the resistance of the material to chemical influences: according to this indicator, the tile is divided into classes A, C and D. The AA tile is the most resistant to chemicals, but it is quite expensive, and the class AC material is optimal for the hallway. And another requirement for tiles in the hallway is a non-slip surface, so it is better to pay attention to products with a matte or corrugated surface.

No. 3. Porcelain Tiles

This material has recently gained distribution, and today, by a combination of indicators, it is considered a unique way of finishing floors. For most properties porcelain tile resembles ceramic tiles, but the features of manufacturing technology allow you to get even more durable material, which surpasses the characteristics of tile and even stone.

The main advantages of porcelain tile are:

• high strength;
• resistance to abrasion, moisture and fire;
• durability;
• security;
• simplicity in leaving;
• sufficient range. Porcelain tile can imitate any other material, have any color and pattern, and the surface can be embossed.

Among the minuses It is worth noting the cold surface and high price. Porcelain tile will serve you faithfully for many years, and any impact in the hallway, whether it’s a dog’s paws or dirty shoes after walking in the rain, will not be worth such coverage. On the other hand, some experts express their doubt about the advisability of using such expensive and so durable material in a residential building. The decision must be made in each specific situation, taking into account individual requirements and preferences.

Number 4. Laminate

Laminate infrequently but still used to decorate the hallway. This is a multilayer coatingwhich becomes budget alternative to parquet, and at the same time can imitate not only any kind of wood, but also tile or stone. Among other advantages of the laminate, it is worth highlighting:

• ease of installation and care;
• strength;
• security;
• good wear resistance;
• acceptable price.

Naturally, for a hall it is better to choose moisture resistant laminate, as well as provide reliable waterproofing, treat the joints with moisture-resistant impregnation. Under these conditions, the moisture will be practically fearless to the coating, but it is still better to wipe it immediately when it gets on the floor. For the hallway, a laminate of class 31 and 32 is excellent, which can withstand the prevailing loads. If the installation is done correctly, the laminate will turn into a durable coating. Nonetheless, laminate is recommended to be combined with stronger coatingsand. So, for example, the area near the threshold can be tiled, and in the rest of the hallway use laminate.

No. 5. Parquet board

If one person lives in the apartment or a small family without animals and children, then in the hallway you can use less durable materials, which include parquet board. This material consists of three layers: the lower two are inexpensive wood, and the upper is made of valuable species, it determines the appearance of the coating. Exactly appearance and is the main advantage parquet board, among its other advantages, it is worth noting naturalness, environmental friendliness, many styling options, thanks to which interesting solutions are achieved.

The three-layer structure of the material and the different direction of the fibers of the layers can increase resistance to moisture and temperature extremes, and the protective coating and the varnish layer protect the parquet board from negative influences. On the other hand, the parquet board is not the cheapest material, it will require careful care, which will not help if there are scratches from shoes, dirt and sand. Sand the parquet board can be several times, after which the coating will not lend itself to restoration.

Parquet It has similar properties, but consists of solid wood. Hence the higher price, but also the ability to remove the top layer many times to update the coating and give it a flawless look.

With frequent contact with dirt, both parquet floors quickly lose their appearance, so they are rarely used in hallways. If the hallway is not the most miniature, and in it you want to create a cozy classic interior using wooden floors, then it will be durable if parquet combined with tiles near the threshold. Given the variety of these types of coatings, as well as the ability to find tiles that mimic parquet, there should not be any difficulties.

No. 6. Carpet

Earlier carpeting decorated many apartments, and the place was not only for them on the living room floor and the bedroom, but also on the walls and even in the hallway. It is clear that a fleecy carpet and such a room as a hallway are incompatible things, but carpet is quite suitable. We are talking about faux carpet, because natural will absorb moisture too well and hold it, deteriorate and wrinkle.

The artificial carpet does not crease, it is easy to clean, insects will not live in it. This coating makes the hallway cozy and soft. For these purposes it is better to choose the most dense carpet, while the height of the pile should be minimal. The best option for the hallway – nylon carpet, but analogues from polyester, acrylic and polypropylene also show themselves well. There are several ways to make a carpet, but for a hallway a woven carpet is better - it is the most reliable, but it is not so much on the market. Needle-stitched carpet is inferior in performance, but also not afraid of dirt and water.

Number 7. Golden Tile

Material with a rather curious name appeared recently, and so far it is only made in South Korea. The material is unique in all its properties, and all its characteristics are explained by a six-layer structure: it is based on PVC, and on top of it are layers of crushed natural stone with resin, fiberglass, wear layer, the top layer is a protective film.

Among the main advantages of this material is worth noting:

• durability;
• wear resistance, which in the country of origin of this finishing material is determined by the number of steps. So, the “golden” tile will withstand 10 million steps, which means that the average family can walk on the material 24 hours a day for 10 years;
• resistance to moisture and fire, to household chemicals;
• comfortable to the touch and non-slippery surface;
• simplicity in leaving;
• the presence of a decent amount of design solutions, up to the most accurate imitation of other finishing materials.

The price of such finishing material is average, and the only minus is that while it is not so easy to find in stores.

Number 8. Bulk floor

Bulk floor - This is a great option for any room, including and for the living room. The material can have any color and pattern: it can be either plain or with the image of any pattern, imitate wood, the seabed, etc. In terms of performance the bulk floor is a real find for the hallway. It is distinguished by such advantages as:

• wear resistance, resistance to moisture, mechanical influences, chemicals;
• simplicity in leaving;
• solidity;
• durability.

In all respects, this is an excellent coating for the entrance hall, which, despite many negative influences, will remain in its original form after many years. The cost of bulk floors is high, professionals must perform all the work, but such costs are offset by operational qualities.

Finally

Before choosing a flooring in the hallway, it is important to clearly define your requirements for it and assess the scale of the permanent negative influences on it. In addition, it is important that the material fits into the overall style, but a huge modern selection of possible options will allow you to choose the most suitable. The ability to combine two types of finishing materials expands the possibilities and allows you to make the hallway both functional and cozy.