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Original poster

Karndean / Amtico tiles - do they ever look or feel real

36 replies

furryfriends57 · 17/11/2013 22:06

I've seen loads of threads on using Karndean / Amtico wood effect range and people seem happy with them and that they look convincingly like wood. I dont have underfloor heating and with two under two I would like tiles in the hall and open plan dining room / kitchen but worry about the bruising, the trips to a+e, breakages etc if I opt for porcelain. I've seen the Karndean tile range in a shop and like the look of it but wonder about what it would be like in real life - would people immediately know it was just expensive vinyl as soon as they'd see / walk on it. If anyone has an expanse of Karndean / Amtico tiles please please let me know what it looks and feels like and if its in any way convincing as a tile. Thank you thank you .....

OP posts:

ObtuseAngel · 17/11/2013 22:11

I have Karndean 'wood' in my hall and 'slate' in my kitchen and most visitors have assumed it's the real thing. Personally I think that the wood effect Karndean is more realistic than laminate because it feels more solid underfoot whereas laminate is usually a bit bouncy and clicky.

mineofuselessinformation · 17/11/2013 22:18

I have Karndean wood and slate effect tiles which have been down for about 13 years. People have to touch it to believe its not real. Still going strong....

MrsFlorrick · 17/11/2013 22:20

No. Doesn't look real and doesn't feel real. Even from a distance.

Previous owners had installed amtico fake dark wood in hall ways and Georgian wood panelled lounge . And fake yellowish tile amtico in kitchen diner.

Yuk. Looked fake horrid plasticky and downright nasty.

It wasn't nice to walk on and a nightmare to clean. And it scratched. Everything showed. It seemed to attract dust.

We moved in 4 weeks before DS was born. Had intended to wait a year before refurbing but that nasty plastic flooring was so bad I started when DS was 6 weeks old.

I now have oak plank oiled and brushed and parquet in the panelled lounge to match. It's a breeze to keep clean. Lovely to walk on and it looks fabulous rather than cheap and nasty.

Do not get plastic flooring. Please.

Original poster

furryfriends57 · 17/11/2013 22:23

Oh thanks for your replies, seeing as you both have the slate effect do you think they look vaguely realistic or does softness (compared to real tiles) and lack of sound immediately give them away. I'm thinking of a cream tile effect running through most of downstairs even though will be on bread and water its so ££££.

OP posts:

pepperrabbit · 17/11/2013 22:27

We have an expanse of Karndean, Wellington Oak I think. I've been very pleased with it, easy to keep clean, no permanent marks after 18 months and the 3DCs treat it with no respect!
I was a bit worried that such a lot would look false, but most people assume it's real and do actually touch it to check for themselves when we tell them it's karndean.
Going to get the hall done with the same when we can afford it

Sleepyfergus · 17/11/2013 22:28

Well I had the Amtico 'fake' dark wood in my old kitchen and loved it. It looked like wood, but yes if you studied it, you could tell it wasn't. But I didn't install it simply to try and pretend it was!

It was very cosy (ie. wasn't 'cold' like wood or slate etc can be) underfoot, gentle for my toddler and baby for crawling on and easy to clean. If you dropped something breaks able, it didn't exactly bounce but a lot of things didn't break where they would have done had it been a different surface. And it absorbed noise because it is cushioned, so no click clacking noise you get when you walk on wood etc.

lighthousesea · 17/11/2013 22:32

No and no

Original poster

furryfriends57 · 17/11/2013 22:39

More replies thanks ! Its interesting that most peoples experiences are with wood effect, seems that very few MNers have the tile option. My concerns aren't in relation to other peoples opinions its more for my own reasons because current house has an expanse of cheap vinyl that I have tolerated for a few years and I am loathe to end up with the same result but want to have something warm underfoot for DDS and as I am the coldest person on earth. Oh decisions decisions ..

OP posts:

Sam100 · 17/11/2013 22:45

We have had the kitchen done with karndean limestone Alderney. We had tiles before but found it very cold. Was not up for installing underfloor heating so had karndean put down instead. I have found it warmer underfoot, easy to clean. Does not seem to have marked, loving the fact that there is no grouting to clean!

MrsFlorrick · 18/11/2013 00:15

Furry. If you loathes your vinyl, you'll loathed karndean/amtico too. It's vinyl but with a higher price tag. Looks and feels exactly the same as vinyl.

And no, it isn't warm underfoot. Just plasticky.

Blankiefan · 18/11/2013 09:31

We have Polyflor (similar but cheaper version). Was fitted by a really good joiner. Looks great - much nicer to walk on on a cold morning than tiles. We had tiles in last house abne it made the room very cold.

If you do go for Karndean, etc - don't buy from a shop. Choose the one you want then price it up online. With us, it'd have been £22.50 per sq m in the shop but was £14 per sq m online. We saved a massive amount. Shop wouldn't negotiate either - which was ridiculous given the obvious margin involved!

Sleepyfergus · 18/11/2013 11:39

I have to disagree, it (Amtico) didn't feel plasticky to me at all.

pepperrabbit · 18/11/2013 12:18

blankiefan we did that too, bought online and then found a fitter. Much much cheaper than the local shop offer.
I love my karndean, we would never have been able to afford wood for this area, and while I have been pleasantly surprised by how realistic it is, as sleepyfergus says, there was never an intention that people would think it was solid oak.
furryfriends57 why don't you find a few local people with it fitted and go have a look and march around in your bare feet to test it and see what you think?

ObtuseAngel · 18/11/2013 16:08

I don't think it feels plasticky, and although it's not particularly warm underfoot it's much warmer than real slate would be.

The wood Karndean was here when we moved in, but we chose to have slate Karndean when we revamped the kitchen as I've never really liked standing on tiles.

Original poster

furryfriends57 · 18/11/2013 19:57

Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate your opinions in the sea of decisions I find myself in. Pepperabbit I think I'll do as you suggested and ask the shop to recommend local people who have an expanse of it and see if I can walk around on my bare feet to test it have a look at it. I'm afraid you might be right Mrs Florrick that I'll probably dislike it but feck sake without U/F heating a lifetime of freezing tiles awaits.

OP posts:

MrsFlorrick · 18/11/2013 20:10

Furry. I have problems with my SI hip joints have having the DC. No way could I stand I cook for long periods
On anything that hard.

I have wood flooring. In the kitchen too. This is the third house I have installed wood flooring in the kitchen. It's absolutely fine. The only thing it doesn't like too much is when you spill that really toxic oven cleaner (oven bright) on it. Then you have to get some floor oil and steel wool to sort the mark. Anything else it just deals with.

We live in a 200 year old house with leaded windows (brrrr). And no underfloor heating except in the bathrooms which are tiled.

It's fine.

Unless you install underfloor heating or have carpet nothing will feel toasty this time of year.

I have previously had lacquered oak that works well too. The brushed and oiled is more forgiving tho.

If you don't like your vinyl, you won't like karndean or amtico. I know lots of people absolutely love the stuff and amtico often costs more than wood flooring. I'm just not a fan.

You can get really good value engineered wood flooring. Engineered is a form of solid
Wood flooring which has a pressure treated wood backing which means its resistant to warping due to moisture and extreme temperature changes. Perfect for a kitchen. From
Circa £16p sqm. And yes you can also pay extortionate price upwards of £150 p sqm for something really special.

It's worth a look.

And I apologise to all the amtico and karndean lovers on this thread. I'm not slating your choice. The OP asked whether she'd like it if she didn't like vinyl. Answer is no to that one Furry.

bimbabirba · 18/11/2013 20:33

Totally agree with MrsFlorrick
Any type of vinyl is nasty stuff and would never ever have it in my house.
Also agree that you're not going to get a warm feeling under your feet unless you have underfloor heating or carpet. Real wood doesn't feel cold at all and definitely not any colder than plastic vinyl.
I had a Kahrs floor in my previous house and it was the best floor ever. It looked stunning, got better with age, didn't scratch or mark and felt good to walk on. It is absolutely fine in a kitchen too.

noddyholder · 19/11/2013 13:44

WildThong · 19/11/2013 13:54

I love my Karndean. I didn't buy it to imitate wood, I just preferred it for the kitchen and dining room instead of tiles as it's warm underfoot and easily wipeable. It's a wide style plank and it's got a 'grain' in it so some visitors have thought it's wood.

lalouche · 19/11/2013 14:02

With karndean and such I sometimes have to touch it to make sure it isn't wood. But i ever have to do that with real wood, which is indicative! Fake might look nearly right - enough to feel the need to check and make sure - but it is never indistinguishable from real wood IMO.

lalouche · 19/11/2013 14:06

*never have to do that

mabelbabel · 19/11/2013 15:01

Just want to point out that there can be quite a difference between different vinyl products. If you really don't like vinyl in and of itself, then of course you'll probably never be happy with "luxury" vinyl either. But there can be quite a vast difference in look and feel from one product to another. So it is definitely worth finding some in situ and having a look at it.

We'll shortly be putting down some wood-styled karndean. I started off definitely not wanting any type of "fake" anything, but have come through wanting stone, then porcelain, and finally settled on Karndean after a visit to a flooring shop. I'm not expecting it to look like wood exactly, I just want it to be practical and unobtrusive. I think it will look like karndean which is OK with me. It may or may not be OK with you (OP) you'll have to have a look-see.

noddyholder · 19/11/2013 16:21

I think vinyl is fine if its not pretending to be something else. There are lots of amazing colours and designs

cavell · 19/11/2013 17:11

We had Karndean wood effect flooring a couple of houses ago and I never thought it felt like vinyl. (It was replacing a horrible vinyl kitchen floor). And, like others have said, everyone who saw it assumed it was real wood.

I don't think you can compare it to the stuff that comes on a roll..
The big advantage of the tile effect is not having grout to keep clean. It looks pretty realistic, in my experience.
Amtico is more expensive than Karndean, but I think the quality is better.

lalouche · 19/11/2013 17:25

noddy I'm with you. I really like the brightly coloured vinyl - the stuff at www.colourflooring.co.uk/ for instance. We nearly went for that, but ended up with engineered oak in wide bleached boards which I love, and I suspect is rather more durable. Not cheap though:(

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