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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Karndean/Amtico and the like

26 replies

PagingDrFaggot · 11/05/2013 12:10

I am considering having this stuff fitted right through downstairs . How cold is it though ? The house is a little on the chilly side and heating bills were horrendous last year. I currently have carpet in the hall way and lounge with really cheap DIY vinyl tiles in the kitchen. The karndean stuff is a lot of money and I'm worrying that I have it put in then end up having to buy endless rugs as the house is freezing . Anyone got any experience of living with vinyl flooring in a cold house ? Was it worse than having carpet
Thanks

OP posts:

partystress · 11/05/2013 12:20

Hvae just completed the total Karndeaning of my downstairs. Love it. Not cold at all. Thought we would add some rugs, but actually we haven't because the floor is so beautiful, we don't want to cover it up. We have Spring Oak, which is a lovely warm colour. A lighter, stone effect might look cold, I suppose, but it won't feel it. BTW, have also had Amtico in the past and IMHO, Karndean is better - seems easier to clean and we have had no issues with 'curl', which we did with Amtico (two different fitters, so not a fitting issue).

RachelHRD · 11/05/2013 12:21

Our house is new build so not cold but we have Karndean throughout downstairs and in our wet areas and I personally find it warm underfoot in winter and cool in summer and I am barefoot at home as are the DC's.

We are very happy with it as it is hard wearing with kids - only mark on it is a dent where a heavy item fell out of a high cupboard - thanks DH

ScienceRocks · 11/05/2013 12:24

We have amtico in the living room and hall. It replaced some disgustingly stained carpets. I love it. It is much warmer than the slate we have in the kitchen and the tiles we have in the utility and toilet.

When we costed it out, it wasn't much more than having decent hard wearing carpet (including decent underlay) fitted. And so much easier to clean!

NoForkNKnife · 11/05/2013 13:09

I've had some samples delivered just this morning. I want it forte throughout the downstairs. I can't decide! I have samples from 'art select, 'da Vinci' and 'Van Gogh'. Anyone have any preferences or suggestions? My DH says he prefers te art select 'morning oak' which does look lovely, but I read somewhere that the textured vinyl looks more 'fake' compared to the smooth 'da Vinci'. .
I have 2 large dogs and 2 children. I'm hoping this stuff is the answer. I've decided against real wood as think the dogs will scratch it up. Has anyone had experience of large dog on it? Has it scratched?

It's going to cost a small fortune. My FIL knows someone who works at Karndean and they've said that he would be able to fit it. But I've read that the fitting is really important and makes a difference. I should pay someone to do it shouldn't I? How much were people quoted for fitting?

Sorry. Lots of questions there. I'm just do sick of the stained sabby carpet and wrecked sanded floorboards we have downstairs. But I want to make the right decision.

NoForkNKnife · 11/05/2013 13:11

Sorry for typos. On my phone. And to clarify-FIL thinks he can fit it, not his friend.

LL12 · 11/05/2013 13:50

Have you looked at Polyflor?
I have Polyflor Camaro in my hallway, it is warm under foot and looks great.

Stangirl · 11/05/2013 14:39

I have Karndean in my showerroom and don't find it cold at all.

RachelHRD · 11/05/2013 19:49

NoFork we have pitch pine textured Karndean throughout downstairs and I think it looks quite realistic and we foreclosed of compliments about it.

NoForkNKnife · 11/05/2013 20:11

Thanks, Rachel. I want to make a decision do we can get it done quickly! Might take a treck out to the Evesham showroom. I assume they have it all laid out?
LL haven't looked at it no. But thanks for the tip-will have a ganders .

MousyMouse · 11/05/2013 20:39

we have amtico in the kitchen.
it looks good (marble effect tiles), easy to clean, non-slip.
kitchen is very cold, though, don't think there is much insulating underneath...

Lioninthesun · 11/05/2013 20:52

Has anyone got the parquet? I was wondering if it looks realistic and if it is easy to clean with all of the extra grooves?

Lioninthesun · 11/05/2013 20:52

Sorry - Karndean parquet

MrsGrumps · 11/05/2013 22:36

I have Amtico in my kitchen and Dining room, it has been down about 8 years now and I laid it myself.

It still looks like new and cleans up really well with a Vax Steam mop and is defiantely not cold underfoot. This house is really draughty and the rooms that have carpet downstairs, well the carpet is often so cold underfoot it feels damp, whereas the Amtico is always a pleasure to walk on.

Lay it, you will not be disappointed.

partystress · 11/05/2013 22:40

One large and one small dog, 2DCs and a frequently mud-spattered DH. Karndean copes with all of them. V minor scratches, but from moving furniture rather than dogs' claws.

NoForkNKnife · 12/05/2013 07:51

Thanks, mrsGrumps and party.

Now I need to convince DH that we can afford to do the whole downstairs despite me being on mat leave!

Reastie · 12/05/2013 08:21

watching with interest as we're getting kardean in a few months.

My parents have amtico parquet and it looks really nice. It's more expensive to lay though so factor in extra fitting cost on top of the norm.

We are looking at the cheapest range of kadean - knight tiles, for a high traffic area - has anyone had this? is it durable for such areas?

AnneEyhtMeyer · 12/05/2013 08:41

We had Karndean (Van Gogh) laid throughout downstairs (except in the kitchen as I wanted porcelain tiles there) last summer and so have just gone through our first winter with it.

It hasn't been any colder than before, we mostly walk around barefoot. DD is 4 and plays on the floor all the time. Had loads of compliments on it too. It is one of the best things we've done to the house, and I would never go back to carpet downstairs.

RachelHRD · 12/05/2013 11:24

Sorry foreclosed = get lots....

Bloody Kindle!!

RachelHRD · 12/05/2013 11:26

Reastie the pitch pine we have throughout downstairs is the Knight Tile range and yes it's fine in heavy traffic areas.

YoniConnect · 12/05/2013 11:32

We've got this karndean in our kitchen / sitting room (that's not our house BTW, far too bloomin tidy!) We have underfloor heating. Can't remember exactly the breakdown between materials and fitting, but twas not cheap! That said it's been down 18 mths now, and looks great. There are a couple of scratches where furniture was dragged across it (some shenanigans trying to flush out a mouse from underneath the sofa) but you can only see them in a certain light. The stuff is dead easy to clean - I have used up all the karndean special cleaner, and now use soapy wood cleaner which seems to work fine. No probs with lifting or fading, even though it's got the underfloor heating and is in a south facing room with floor to ceiling windows, so gets lots of sunlight and heat.

I would thoroughly recommend!

RachelHRD · 12/05/2013 11:58

I've added some pics of the Karndean Knight Tile we have throughout downstairs to my profile

gobbin · 12/05/2013 13:36

We've had Karndean Knight Tile in the main bathroom and one bedroom. Fitting is crucial. Both were laid by different fitters who did an excellent job. You mustn't let it get soaked or the joins will 'blow'. The bathroom has been down 9 years and still looks great, the bedroom 6 years and is immaculate. The bedroom needed fine plyboarding first so it was being laid on a totally flat surface, the fitter did it all.

Warmer than porcelain tiles but I still think carpet is warmer. We have hard surfaces (mix of tile /wood parquet) downstairs apart from front room and this carpeted room is the warmest.

Original poster

PagingDrFaggot · 12/05/2013 13:47

Mine would be fitted on concrete and the cheap crappy vinyl tiles in the kitchen are actually painful to stand on in winter so flipping cold is the floor. Having said that carpet trashing toddler has a bug of some sorts today and has spectacularly vomited on the carpet at this morning . Methinks someone is trying to tell me something.
We were quoted pretty much the same for a good quality carpet and new rhino floor for the kitchen and hallway or the karndean throughout . It was actually cheaper than I expected. ! For those that have had it fitted can you walk on the screed stuff that they put down before the flooring? Fitted said he would come 24 hours before actual fitting , bring the planks to acclimatise and remove carpet etc then put a layer of something on the floor ready to lay over the following day . I can arrange DS to be at his childminder that day but I will have to have him home from 5.30pm so I will have to live that evening.
I'm really hoping this stuff makes my life simpler as am sick of trying to keep the carpet half way clean and I am that short of time in the first place . I just want to mop and go and for it to look clean

OP posts:

Reastie · 12/05/2013 16:44

Thanks for the piccies and info from me too . We are looking to get the York Stone I think it's called which is just like this one . We're having ours done on top of floorboards so need some kind of plywood or something underneath it before it's laid. The fitter is via our builder so hope he's good!

cloutiedumpling · 12/05/2013 22:57

We've had amtico fitted in our kitchen and karndean in a bathroom. I like both of them. The fitters laid something that looked like a layer of thin plaster the day before it was fitted. I think it was a dark colour when it was put down. It dried to a lighter colour within a few hours though when it was safe to walk on it.

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