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Original poster

Amtico flooring - but it's vinyl ?

39 replies

MissMilbanke · 30/06/2014 17:36

Please help me get an understanding of this as two kitchen designers have suggested this already.

I can't get my head around paying £££ for vinyl (always been a solid oak or limestone type of choice)

Is it really any good and would you expect it in a £££ house in a rather large kitchen / boot room ?

OP posts:
WeAllHaveWings · 30/06/2014 17:59

Only seen it in rl once, work colleague had it through ground floor of her new house, with bespoke edges/patterns etc.

Personally didn't like it as it looked and felt like wood effect vinyl. Expensive and well laid, but essentially can't hide the fact its vinyl, doesn't matter how many times she says amtico I still think vinyl.

I am not a wood flooring snob, I have b+q tile effect pretend slate laminate in my kitchen. Maybe its just me, I was brought up in the 70s and vinyl was really nasty brown back then.

RachelHRD · 30/06/2014 18:12

We have Karndean throughout downstairs which a slightly cheaper alternative to Amtico and i love it. Warm underfoot, easy to clean and doesn't damage easily - had it 3 years and have a small dent where something heavy fell out of a top cupboard (would have cracked stone) and it still looks great.
You need to make sure it is laid by an expert but it's well worth the money in the long term and doesn't look like vinyl - our looks like wood and is laid in small blocks and has a 'grain' to it - pic on my profile.

BikeRunSki · 30/06/2014 18:20

It is extremely hard wearing. You either like it (my mum does, she has dogs) or not (I'm a natural flooring person like you OP), but it does appear to be virtually indestructible.

cece · 30/06/2014 18:25

I have it. I wouldn't want real stone as it is too cold underfoot. Plus stuff breaks if you drop it. I wouldn't want wood as I would stress about water damage. I have it throughout my new kitchen extension.

I like it - it is the best of the options imo. Although I did drop a plate on it, which smashed, and made a small hole in it by my sink. Otherwise it is easy to clean and warm underfoot. I think it is practical and it has fooled a few people who have thought it is real stone tiles.

Original poster
MissMilbanke · 30/06/2014 18:38

Gah - mixed responses - I was hoping for an overwhelming oh it's the best thing ever don't hesitate.

I have that message ingrained in me too havewings

And that's the problem run I have a dog would you want her solves my problem

We have pressed the go button on our extension and we are spending an awful lot of money. The house is worth around 1.5 with the wow kitchen we are planning and I just don't want to get the floor wrong with vinyl

OP posts:
ogredownstairs · 30/06/2014 18:50

I don't like it. Some people swear by its durability, and I think it's fab if you have dogs ( I don't) but I can't otherwise see the attraction of something which is pretending to be something else. It would put me off a house, I think. We have a 'wow' kitchen with oiled oak engineered boards over ufloor heating; its true that it doesn't look exactly the same as when it went down 7 years ago, but in my view it has aged and mellowed in a good way.

hesterton · 30/06/2014 19:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SwedishEdith · 30/06/2014 19:08

We have it (put in by previous owners) and I am the same as you OP - I can never love it because it's fake and for the same price they could have put real wood in instead. Unfortunately it is indestructible so it's here for a while yet - although it is pretty scratched from moving furniture around

wonkylegs · 30/06/2014 19:51

The previous owners put it in our conservatory - it's not too bad looking but I'm hyper aware at the end of the day it's a plastic floor. It sounds plastic. I can't justify it yet but I want to replace it.

everythingsgoingsouth · 30/06/2014 20:08

i have camarro, cheaper version of amtico/karndean. I Love it!
hard wearing, not cold to walk on, not noisy like laminate, easy clean.i steam mop it,its great. have had lots of compliments from visitors too.i actually have it in hall, kitchen and living area!

burnishedsilver · 30/06/2014 20:14

I can't get my head around it either. I wouldn't expect to find it in a £££ house.

mandy214 · 30/06/2014 20:33

My parents have Karndean has lots of positives - fab with children (no damage from brum-brumming with scratchy cars / push along toys / sit on truck races with twin toddler grandchildren), easy to clean, comes with a long guarantee, its warm underfoot. My parents love it.

BUT Its posh lino. And in my view, looks like it (they have fake aged oak).

I really dont like it. It cost twice as much as my solid wood flooring. I think its a generation thing.

Mrsladybirdface · 30/06/2014 21:20

woah...generational I'm in my early 30s don't ya know Grin

We have Karndean in lounge diner and kitchen and I think it looks really good but more importantly it's really practical. I'm slowly starting to learn that practicality is more important than fashion/style (apart from my wood worktops which I love).

when we were in rented we had oak flooring and I literally couldn't cope with the scratches and the water damage we might have caused.

It's warm and easy maintain and best of all if you do manage to damage it you can easily pull and replace a tile.

it's not for everyone but it depends on your priorities

Mrsladybirdface · 30/06/2014 21:21

missing various words in above post but you get the point

Marmitelover55 · 30/06/2014 21:42

I don't like it and prefer engineered oak which is stable enough for a kitchen.

NotCitrus · 30/06/2014 21:48

It''s really durable and warm underfoot unlike tiles, can go over underfloor heating, doddle to clean, and you can get it with glitter in!

Agree some of the patterns try too hard to be something it's not, but as a covering it's ace. Just had 2 rooms of it done at the weekend.

mandy214 · 30/06/2014 22:28

Sorry mrs didnt mean it personally Blush. But I think you have hit the nail on the head though, if your main priority is practicality then its hard to beat (although still not worth the money imo) but if you want something a little more stylish (but still fairly practical) there are better options.

Only1scoop · 30/06/2014 22:31

We have a large area of Karndean art select love it. Actually went looking for Amtico but thought it looked more plasticky....

Only had it fitted 2 months....

Worth every penny
Love it

meadowquark · 01/07/2014 16:22

I do think that Amtico and Karndean is still vinyl albeit posh. By the way I have cheap thick vinyl off Ebay in my kitchen diner and several people on separate ocassions commented of my lovely "slate tile" floor. ha ha :)

I don't think Amtico or Karndean is worth the money. It is a brand [overpriced in my opinion] after all. If you after vinyl floor you can buy samples and get what you like much cheaper.

If the budget allows, for a smart looking kitchen I would go for tiles, for a smart looking kitchen diner - probably engineered wood or combination of tiles for kitchen area and wood for diner area.

wigglybeezer · 01/07/2014 18:28

I decided to really go for it and put in vinyl tiles, the old fashioned, non shiny, commercial grade, square ones. I will be doing a retro, pale grey and white checker board. I like all the advantages of vinyl but don't want it to look like fake natural flooring, I thought about solid single colour vinyl sheeting, as recommended by mumsnetters on another thread, but it is a bit too expensive. I have had them before and they are indestructible and much nicer than horrible shiny cushioned vinyl sheet but hard to find these days.

I do like hardwood floors but only for low traffic areas, a friend has beautiful lye and white soap treated Douglas fir, it is gorgeous but oh the maintenance!

apermanentheadache · 01/07/2014 21:11

MissMilbanke, I don't like plastic pretending to be other stuff no offence to those who have karndean etc Engineered would be a better choice IMO and can be resanded and finished in case of disaster.

scoobydosandwich · 01/07/2014 21:21

I love this stuff here - www.harveymaria.co.uk it's really good quality and they have some quirky stuff too - stuff which is not "pretending" to be wood or anything. I love the Kath Kidston spots and am negotiating with DH for a place to put the "cow hide"!

HermioneWeasley · 01/07/2014 21:25

We have the slate effect tiles. I have had proper tiles before and wouldn't have them again - too cold and anything you drop shatters. Hard wearing and easy to clean.

MrsTaraPlumbing · 01/07/2014 22:32

I like it.

Some people I know put it in the huge entrance hallway of their very grand £1.5m house.

zipzap · 01/07/2014 22:54

If properly fitted it can look nice and has all the advantages of being warm, stuff doesn't break as easily if dropped on it etc etc

My mum has some in her kitchen - they had to come back three times to sort it out as they didn't lay it properly and you could tell, despite the fact that they were approved fitters. But now it's finally right it looks good. She's not tried to go down the fake wood route, it's more fake sandstone mottled yellowy-beige tiles with bits of edging and bits between, so it's no more pretend than somebody having coloured tiles on their floor.

If I was going down the all natural route, I'd check out bamboo rather than oak or other woods. It's supposed to be a lot more reasonably priced and a lot stronger and more durable. Still probably likely to get stiletto / sharp point damage but not as much as wood, and it's naturally waterproof. I've even seen it used in car showrooms and they had no problems driving cars over it or keeping it looking nice despite lots of people in and out every day in all weathers. And has the added bonus of being much more eco friendly too.

The other one that's natural - that's always surprising - is old fashioned lino. Think it's made from hemp. However that's also warm underfoot, cushioned etc as with amtico and at least you can claim retro chic / environmentally friendly etc with it!