Dr. Colorado

Anyone have experience with porcelain flooring? I'm renovating my home (replacing ceramic floor tiles, hardwood floor which is becoming loose and Pergo) and am deciding between these two materials. Would be using 24"x24" tiles in diagonal pattern with thin grout lines and perhaps diamond polishing.

nycACURA

Travertine is supposed to be too soft for flooring. The polished porcelian look likes marble.

Sarlacc

travertine is cheap and chips easily.

I personally think homes with porcelain/marble floors throughout feel cold and uninviting. Why not go wood again?

EL19

iTrader: (4)

hornyleprechaun

If you're doing a large area I would go with wood.. if it's just one room then I'd go with Porcelain

Dr. Colorado

Thanks for the advice. I've had problems with the wood floor getting scratched and marked up (i.e. dining room chairs) and wanted to go with something more durable. I thought travertine was more high end than porcelain?!? My supplier has polished porcelain flooring 24"x24" which looks plush and I'd be able to get it for about $3 per square foot which is reasonable considering I'd have to lay about 2500 sq feet to cover the entire home. Travertine would be in the same ball park or less. I was leaning towards travertine because I heard it was more solid. I'm surprised to hear it's fragile and cheaps easily? Even 3/4" slabs?

It gets pretty warm in my home so having a cool flooring is actually a bonus.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

I like travertine, but am more of fan of it outside the home (our pool has all travertine coping). As sarlacc said, it can be very cold inside of a house.

Go with a warmer porcelain or a harder hardwood IMO...

Dr. Colorado

My research shows that maintenance of porcelain is easier than natural stone. I still like the irregularities and patterns that natural stone provides, IMO polished porcelain looks very monotonous.

What do you think adds more value to the home, travertine or porcelain?

This is an example of the travertine I am looking at but with a little more detail. My particular example has less patterns going on. My home has a burnt orange monier tile roof, tan exterior paint. The interior paint is sand colored with tan accents on the moulding.



I'm using black galaxy granite for the countertops in the kitchen, washroom and both bathrooms



Gray large slabs of marble for the bathroom showers (currently has ceramic tile backsplash)

Sarlacc

I put adhesive felt on the bottom of all my furniture to prevent heavy scratches.

In the living room I put a nice carpet.

Sarlacc

I put adhesive felt on the bottom of all my furniture to prevent heavy scratches.

In the living room I put a nice carpet.

Dr. Colorado

Yea, I do the same now. Regardless of what type of material I lay, I'm going with large, Chinese style carpet for living room, family room, and kitchen by the sink and stove. Adds some warmth to the room and protects from spillage.

evilone

Rick I sent you my recs via P.m Please post pics when you are done. I think you will be VERY happy with your choice!

CLSter

I had two flooring shops recommend 'DuraCeramic'. Porcelain tile is the strongest material but it is best with some sort of underfloor heating.

evilone

He lives in Hawaii. I don't think he needs underfloor heating.

CLSter

Understatement there. Do they offer underfloor cooling then?

evilone

Actually I have heard about some rich fucker doing that here in FL, but I can't remember how it was set up.

Dr. Colorado

You my boy Ry

Lolz

evilone

Same goes for you man. Not to Hijack but Yesterday I learned how to wakesurf. ITs like surfing and endless wave. SOOOOO much fun man. We took some videos yesterday. As soon as my brother emails them to me Ill post it up. You would love it. Makes me miss living on the east coast and surfing all hurricane season.

Dr. Colorado

Suite. New south swell is filling in nicely. Surfed yesterday at high tide but still a little inconsistent and had some wind on it. Head high on the sets. Today after work should be more consistent

evilone

I hate you rick.. I sooo miss going out on double overhead glassy swells. When the inside closes out and you can only hit 2nd or 3rd brakes.

Dr. Colorado

Well I hope you end up in Indo or someplace exotic surfing empty barrels

NJ SHAWD

We just spent the past two months ripping out a load bearing wall and putting in a new kitchen and dining room. We wanted one floor between the two rooms to help bring the two together. With two large dogs, hard wood was out of the question due to the scratching. We started looking in to the new laminates that are available and ended up going that route. The floor we put down looks so much like a wide plank hard wood floor that no one can tell the difference. We looked at everything else from tile and marble to stained and polished concrete. Each board even has beveled edges giving it a more realistic look. It's been down for three weeks now, but I couldn't be happier. It almost can't be scratched (not easily anyway) and spills don't hurt it.

Dr. Colorado

I heard the new laminates look pretty good. One year before I bought my house, the original owner decided to rip out the carpets and put in Pergo. IMO, it cheapens the look of my house because it definitely looks like laminate, especially since I have a real hardwood floor in the foyer, hallway, and dining room. Glad you are happy with your upgrade

evilone

yeah heres hoping I end up in indo or Australia. Just a quick hop over to Fiji and Taverua from there! Man Bamboo hardwood floors are prob my fav hard woods. I KNOW your house is going to be on point rick.. you have good taste!

NJ SHAWD

Not talking pergo...high end laminates. Not your home depot stuff.

Dr. Colorado

Hells ya bamboo flooring is so tits especially when rocking the Balinese motif with all the dark woods and furniture. So hawt. Thanks man, I asked advice from you because of your experience

Gotcha. Post pics por favor.

NJ SHAWD