Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Amtico versus other vinyl flooring

33 replies

Tinkjon · 30/12/2008 09:11

Following on from my earlier thread about vinyl flooring in a bathroom, can I get any old vinyl flooring instead of Amtico or are there any brands which are rubbish and should be avoided? A friend recommended Rhino flooring but I've no idea where to get any of it and was hoping to just go into a local carpet showroom and buy stuff there. Would that be a bad idea?

OP posts:
OHBollox · 30/12/2008 16:29

I don't think it would be a bad idea at all.
I am having any old vinyl in my bathroom, I don't see the point in paying more than you have to and tiles are cold.

Original poster
Tinkjon · 30/12/2008 22:43

I just wondered if it was a 'you get what you pay for' thing....

OP posts:
babypringle · 30/12/2008 23:01

We have Rhino flooring in our bathroom, and they stock it in carpetright. I think vinyl comes in different thicknesses, so it might be worth getting a slightly thicker one if you want it to last.

Original poster
Tinkjon · 01/01/2009 19:21

Oh, that's great ti know you can get it in a proper shop! I was dreading having to phone round countless installers and so on. Thanks, pringle, will have a trip out there tomorrow.

OP posts:
JHKE · 01/01/2009 19:31

You could try industrial floor companies for amtico floors and similar.. We used them for our kitchen and bathroom floor. It's the best floor we've had. They levelled the floor then stuck the floor down.

JHKE · 01/01/2009 19:32

sorry just wanted to add that I really wanted an amtico floor myself but was way out of our price budget..

motherofallmiracles · 02/01/2009 15:38

we had amtico in kitchen and bathroom and do really like it. as above they levelled the floor etc. whatever you do do try a chain store rather than a carpet shop- we saved a few hundred£££ by going to john Lewis for the amtico,(also savings at B+Q for wood flooring stuff and wickes for really cheap laminate). i know it's tough for independants at the moment but unless you're feeling generous it may be the best answer JL certainly enabled us to get Amtico. I think the next best thing is Karndean but not much cheaper as would have had to get from a flooring shop.

motherofallmiracles · 02/01/2009 15:40

oh yeah, i think i just looked in yellow pages for shops advertising that they sell the stuff then visited a few to get quotes ( certainly plenty on outskirts SE london)

bodiddly · 02/01/2009 15:44

hi we sell Amtico at work and it is obviously good quality but you are paying for the name ... have you considered Karndean or Polyflor .. .both good quality and not cheap but definitely less than Amtico!

IotasCat · 02/01/2009 15:55

We have karndean in our bathrooms. It's four years old and no signs of wear yet

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 02/01/2009 16:12

We have Karndean. Tis lovely.

Piffle · 02/01/2009 16:16

Another vote for karndean
They have super mosaic which looks fab in bathrooms
We have wood look karndean and I rate is v v highly

Charliebobsdad · 19/01/2009 12:08

I am an amtico fitter for John Lewis, I have Amtico in every room in my house, I only have 1 carpet and that is on the stairs. having worked with karndean many times, I can honestly say that Amtico is so much better than karndean, you can really tell the quality difference when fitting the materials, I know Amtico is more expensive, but it is definately worht the extra. I would always rcommend people to got for Amtico over karndean, and I would not say that just to make more money for myself as I get paid a day rate, so I get the same fitting charge whatever the product.

crumpet · 19/01/2009 12:10

We put amtico in the bathroom in our last house and it was nice. This time (for budget reasons) we went for near black tile strips from B&Q (think £14 per sq m), adn I have to say I like them just as much. 18 months in there is no sign of any wear

Charliebobsdad · 19/01/2009 12:16

Crumpet, out of interest, did you get the self adhesive ones? I only ask as I laid some from B and Q for a friend who wanted a cheap job, and the adhesive on the tiles was awful, I had to stick them in Amtico adhesive as well as the supposed self adhesive on them.

RachePache · 19/01/2009 12:27

My sister has just got some fabulous vinyl floor tiles from Harvey Maria - I like them so much I'm going to get some for my own bathroom. Cheaper than Amtico.

Charliebobsdad · 19/01/2009 12:37

Please everybody avoid a product called caralium, you will get nothing but problems a few weeks to months after installation, no matter how good the fitter is.

cactusbimpo · 21/01/2009 21:32

Is the fitting of amtico a joiners job or a floorlayers ?Are all amtico floors vinyl or do they do wood aswell?

cactusbimpo · 21/01/2009 21:35

could charliebobsdad advise me please.

Clayhead · 21/01/2009 21:36

My mum had Amtico laid 20 years ago and it still looks fantastic.

PippiCalzelunghe · 21/01/2009 21:39

is it a floorlayers job said my dh who is a flooring contractor manager.

he also said it is the most hardwearing and very well manufactured. highly recommended.

ask away more if you like...he's desperate to show that he is knowledged for once

crumpet · 21/01/2009 21:41

Sorry, have just seen the question. I don't think they were adhesive, they came in strips, with about 4 "tiles" to each strip. Must confess I didn't look closely at them so they could indeed have been adhesive! They came in at about £14 per sq m

Badpups · 21/01/2009 22:03

We've got wood effect Amtico in our hallway and it is very realistic. We bought it through Ebay so paid about half the retail price and then found an independent Amtico fitter to lay it. The fitting cost more than the flooring and we didn't go with the most expensive fitter!

However, 3 years on it still looks fantastic with no marks or scuffs. I'd definitely recommend it.

LolaLadybird · 22/01/2009 21:48

We have wood effect Karndean in our kitchen and it is lovely. We've had it 3 years and have a dog & plenty of people traffic and it still looks lovely - would definitly have it again and certainly recommend.

Tinker · 24/01/2009 19:51

Is this stuff easy to remove? We've got Amtico all over ground floor and hope to extend soon so will be damaged and need replacing.