To tile my living room floor?

[PinkSparkleUnicorns]

Wood effect tiles - what do you think?

We've been really unlucky house wise. Problem after problem after problem. After recent water damage I am considering tiling my living room floor. I prefer carpet or wooden flooring but both seem to get damaged by burst pipes, children spilling things etc.

Tiles are colder but less problematic...? Or would they look rubbish?

I think a lot depends on children's ages but I honestly wouldn't in a living room, to me it's meant to feel warm and comfortable. Plus tiles and young children, slipping or hitting themselves off it will hurt a lot more. I understand what you're saying about damage but could you add that onto your contents insurance. A lot of providers offer accidental cover for carpets/sofas etc for a small amount every month.

Some wood-look tiles look absolutely lovely IMO but I would worry about them feeling and looking cold. I would be adding rugs here or there to cosy it up. What is the layout? I imagine they'd look better in a house which has open plan living downstairs so the tiles stretched right through the downstairs space? Also, as I'm sure you already know you can get sample tiles to try before you buy.

Accidental eg wine spills/paint etc or water damage*

I've tiled my dining room floor and am very pleased with the result. It's very noisy though and clattery. I think it depends on how many people use the room. The tiler was concerned about the sub-floor ( Victorian semi) and did something to strengthen that.

Well I wouldn’t. Tiles are so cold and clinical. The living room is supposed to be a cosy space.

The burst pipe is an issue though, is that likely to happen again?

A friend has tiled floor throughout her downstairs and it doesn’t (to me anyway) feel that much colder or anything than my house which is wood flooring throughout. Some nicely placed rugs etc help. I would think anything big like a burst pipe would still give some damage. Spills have never damaged our floor when cleaned up straight away.

I'd not heard of them before and just googled. They look beautiful, but it could also look a bit cold and sterile. I think it would be lovely with some rugs though.

Wood effect porcelain tiles look gorgeous. It is possible to chip them but they are amazing at repelling water. If you get the styling right it shouldn't look like a kitchen. Although if you can (afford to) run the tiles through the hall and kitchen too, it could look really great.

You're right they can be pretty cold and hard to sit on, but you can get some rugs maybe, and some floor cushions?

I have limestone tiles everywhere downstairs with u/f heating and wood burners then rugs over the top. It’s warm and cosy and easy to keep clean.

I also have polished concrete in 3 holiday lets with rugs and it works well there too.

Unless you live in a warm country, I wouldn't do it unless you put in underfloor heating. DP's ex did this, was adamant that she doesn't feel the cold and it would be fine, it's now like the bloody arctic in the winter and she bitterly regrets it.

It's also very unforgiving if you drop things. A friend bought a house with terracotta tiles in the kitchen and after a couple of months said "I never thought we dropped much but I seem to have to buy new mugs and glasses every few weeks since we moved".

And they can be slippery if it gets wet. BIL puts Travertine floors in the houses he refurbs, and the slightest spillage turns them into a skid pan.

My parents have wood effect tiles and they look great. Practical for them because my mum's in a wheel chair. They are cold underfoot and for sitting on with the dc though, and if course hard for head bumps so I wouldn't with young kids. Doesn't make the room cold or anything though, just need slippers in winter.

Thanks all. It's a large living room but not open plan, it's boxed off. I would definitely add rugs and maybe even underfloor heating, which I've just googled.

We already have wood effect tiles in other rooms of the house and I love them. I am just not sure for a living room.

We've gutted and renovated the house over the last 5 years or so, a few cowboy builders and other disasters along the way and we've spent nearly everything we'd saved. had a really tough time during lockdown, the water damage almost pushed me over the edge. I want tiles for the ease, we have four children youngest is 2, oldest is 8.

But we've spent a fortune on the house and I don't want to look back in a few years and think 'why did I pick TILES for the LIVING ROOM?!?'

We have wood effect tiles through hallway and kitchen diner, utility and downstairs loo and any visitors always think that they are wood. I have been toying with changing the carpet in the lounge with wood or tiles for the fact that either is more damage and wear resistant than carpet and easier to clean.

The water came from the kitchen, through the hallway which both have tiled floors. They were fine. But the carpet is trashed even though it was the last room the water reached.

We have them throughout downstairs and even when people are standing on them they regularly mistake them for actual wood.

They are fantastic for all the reasons you mention. However, our house is new so has underfloor heating throughout and we have a thick wool rug in the living room section.

Things do break more easily, so far it has been mainly spice jars, or jars falling from the fridge. Bigger things have been dropped and survived.

Really grateful for every reply, it's made my mind up to go for tiles (even when people have rightly pointed out the downsides, in my head I've instantly though 'yeah, but....' ) so I think tiles it is!! Xx

If you have underfloor heating sure for it - I can see the appeal and in lots of warm European countries it's normal to have tiled floors throughout the house

I would be careful on the choice of tiles - don't go for the shiny porcelain ones that are like a skating rink

Don't go for white where every speck of dust is visible. Even the wood effect can be difficult to keep clean as they are usually textured so over time you'll find the ridges darken as dirt settles in the grooves

Good quality lino.

Why dint you just get cheap carpet and resolve to changing it frequently ?

It's standard practice to tile every room in Australia but I'm still not keen! We have carpet in our sitting room here in Brisbane