Help needed - tiles or wood floor?

[PointyDogs]

Our building work will be starting in a few weeks, so I need to stop dithering and make some decisions. Advice and experience! We are doing a large open plan kitchen/diner/seating area, about 45sqm all together. Bifolds into garden (dogs, cat and child (dd age 4) in residence so mucky paws expected). The area will be in constant use.

Should we go with tiles with electric underfloor heating (wet not an option, the boiler is too old but won't be replaced for a couple of years). Or engineered wood, with tiles in the kitchen area (wouldn't bother with ufh just for the kitchen), and some radiators. I love the look of tiles, and the easy cleaning. But not so comfy to sit on the floor playing games with young child, and aware that things will shatter into a million pieces when dropped. Wood, not so easy to clean, and will scratch from dog claws, but warmer under foot, and less likely to break things.

What decision did you make, and did you regret it?

[wowfudge]

What about luxury vinyl tiles instead? Such as Amtico, Karndean and Polyflor. You can have the look of wood down to the graining and texture, not cold to the touch/underfoot and easy to keep clean.

[LizzieMacQueen]

I would go with tiles in kitchen area and wood in living/dining space.

If you are sweeping daily then I don't think wood is any more difficult to maintain than tiles.

We have tiles but then we have wet UFH, in your position I wouldn't get electric UFH. Everyone I know that did that now have heating systems that don't work.

[Cakescakescakes]

Get wooden in living area and tiles in kitchen. Tiles are so cold and unhomely for a living space.

[saltwiththat]

Its a big space, I'd go for large Limestone Slabs
www.mandarinstone.com/product/_/24/bayonne-provence-limestone-tile/?cid=11#.VzxzfWNDekg. Matt not shiny through.

[shovetheholly]

I would worry about engineered flooring and a dog. I have a cat and I notice scratches!

I think tiles with underfloor heating can be amazing - my friend has this and the children love lying flat on the lovely warm floor. You might want some floor cushions to sit on, though! Is there any chance at all you can eke out a bit more money to replace the boiler and install a wet system now? I think I would be tempted to compromise on other things in the space to have that instead. But it's down to personal preference, isn't it?

[Bails2014]

We live in the country, I have dog/horse/man/toddler to contend with so our floors get a lot of wear!

We have travatine tiles in the kitchen and they are LOVELY, super easy to keep clean and I've dropped huge Le Creuset cast iron pans on them without any bother what so ever, very easy to sweep and keep clean. My only regret is that we didn't install underfloor heating as they can be a little chilly in winter.

The rest of the downstairs we have wooden floors, now I am p!$$ed off about these, we had them fitted by a new neighbour when we moved in (new to the village, being polite we thought we would try them) and what they described as 'wooden floor' is actually real wood fecking laminate. I'm not happy with it, it looks cheaper and it isn't hard wearning, I wanted solid oak floors. In fact I probably prefer the woodeffect laminate that we had in the last house (which probably cost more anyway!).

[HereIAm20]

I currently have tilers here laying wood effect tiles (we already have underfloor heating) in our kitchen diner. They are large tiles 1200mm x 230mm and look great. I can have pictures tomorrow if you want to see...

[namechangedtoday15]

We're in a similar position (no dog though) and we're going for engineering wood throughout (no issue with using it in kitchen area) and column radiators. Had tiles in a previous kitchen (admittedly without underfloor heating) so they were always cold but never, ever looked clean. I think grout becomes grubby-looking within weeks and they are too hard (imo) for a living area when you have children.

[PointyDogs]

Thanks for the replies! We have looked at amtico/karndean types, and while they can look lovely, I have a strong preference for more natural products, and dislike something that is pretending to be something else (like vinyl designed to look like stone tiles) - just a personal preference

Sweeping daily...mmm...its never happened so far, not likely to happen in the new extension! I'm more of a "oh my god the floor is filthy, lets clean it before the visitors arrive" type person Which is one reason I like the idea of tiles, combined with a steam cleaner - I might actually clean a bit more often. And grout would be grey or off-white, never white on a floor. We have ufh in the bathroom, and dd does like to lie on it, I'm sometimes tempted to join her

Ooh I like those limestone tiles - that's exactly the kind of thing I'd be looking at if we go with tiles.

Bit concerned now about reliability of electric ufh - is it known to be very temperamental?

[Bails2014]

In regards to sweeping I have a massive wide soft broom so it takes about 30 seconds, it's the same width as the one I use in my stable!