If you have Karndean flooring, would you recommend it?

[eleflump]

Just about to have a new kitchen fitted and we are considering Karndean, but reviews that I have seen are mixed.

The colour that we like the most is in the cheapest range (Knight Tile) and only has a 2mm wear layer - can anyone who has had this fitted advise on its durability and whether it scratches easily?

Or if you have had any of the other Karndean ranges, would you recommend them?

We've got the loose lay in our bathroom and I'm very underwhelmed with it. It's come up a few times, and it's nowhere near as water resistant as we'd been promised. It was professionally fitted on top of plywood too.

We have loose lay but the fitter glued it round the edges. Love it! We were flooded, but the flooring survived. We were able to lift it, replace the plywood and relay it. It’s very hard wearing too.

We also have Moduleo in another room and are equally happy with it.

I've got Knight Tile in Onyx Slate in my kitchen and 2 bathrooms. Been down for 5 yrs, gets washed once a year (!!) and still looks as good as new. Had similar in my previous house kitchen for about 14 yrs and it had absolutely no discernible damage when I moved out. Yes you can stick a knife point into it but it's nigh-on impossible to actually slice it to the point at which it would split.

ExDH has wood plank effect Karndean in his kitchen and again it's been down 4 yrs and no cracks or edge damage etc.

I would advise using an experienced floor fitter and having a latex screed laid underneath for best adhesion and smoothest surface. Don't try sticking it to an existing floor!

We have Amtico which is similar and I love it! It’s been puppy proof so far including him dragging his crate across the floor while trying to pull the blanket off the top of it.

We’ve had knight tile in the hall & kitchen for 15 years - still looks good, one small chip in the hall floor that no one but me notices. We are having a new kitchen fitted at the moment so needs to come up, but we’ll be replacing with more of the same, just a different pattern.
Definitely get the floor properly prepared by a karndean fitter.

I've got the van Gogh, so next up from knight tile. Really pleased with it.

I think it's key to get it from somewhere that's very experienced in laying it though. I chose a local place that's a Karndean specialist, so the guys who laid the stuff do this nearly every day.

Yes, but not sure what it is now. No issues

I got the most expensive range for my hall and kitchen. Ten years later it’s still perfect.

Yes. Have it in my kitchen and bathrooms - very happy with it. Looks like wood, seems totally waterproof (kitchen floor survived a washing machine flood with no issues), easy to clean. I think the main thing is making sure that whatever it is laid on is totally flat (plywood in bathrooms, very flat concrete in kitchen here). I much prefer it to the laminate the previous owners put in the kitchen.

My friend has the cheapest karndean in her kitchen, it is full of chips and scratches, on a dark colour they wouldn't be so noticeable, but she has a very pale wood colour. She and her kids are not particularly clumsy, but it seems that anything heavy dropped or dragged marks it.

Yes and no. I had van gogh wood patterned and it was excellent, really forgiving.

Replaced it with a black slate effect (from same range) and it scratches really easily, and the scratches show up readily. Wish I'd gone for the wooden board effect again.

(it's been a while so I can't remember exactly which type I had, but Van Gogh sounds familiar - or do they have a da Vinci range?)

Yes I have abs love it - hall kitchen and dinner all the same flooring

Easy to maintain and still looks new

I had it and hated it. Definitely wasn’t as hard wearing as promised. I’ve now lifted it (due to water damage) and fitted Quickstep laminate instead. It looks far better.

Yes I would, although ours is they type with the thickest wear layer. These are individual bevelled pieces that are glued down. Four years old and no signs of wear or marks at all. Very easy to maintain and clean tool

Yes the ranges are named after artists so there is da Vinci and van Gogh I think!

@toomanydicksonthedancefloor1 - yours looks lovely- do you know what colour it us please?

@eleflump aw thanks. The internet tells me it's this one:-

Da Vinci Limed Silk Oak RP96

The pic probably makes it a look a little darker than in real life. Each panel has a slightly bevelled edge which looks really nice.

I'm rubbish at design stuff and picking colours etc. So this has been one of my few successes!!

Absolutely - we have grey slate tile effect in the kitchen and plank effect macrocapra in the rest of the downstairs. We've had it 12 years now, and the kitchen is pretty immaculate - there are some chips in the hall where the dog dropped a heavy bone down the stairs and dented scratches in the sitting room. But we take no care of it at all, and the scratches clean out with a proper scrub and if I ever get round to doing the dim glow stuff I'm sure they would fill in.
In a previous house we had engineered wood and it looked worse in a year of use than after 10 years of very heavy use in this house

@toomanydicksonthedancefloor1 thank you- am back at the flooring shop again tomorrow so will check that out!

Thanks everyone - Google seems to suggest that Karndean production has been sent abroad in the last few years and that the quality has dropped since then, so its interesting to hear views from those who have had it fitted in the last few years.

We’ve had Karndean Opus range (the range above knight) concrete effect Urbus tiles in the kitchen for 7 years and they’re wearing well. Slight scuffs where heavy barstools have been dragged but not noticeable due to tile pattern and colour (mottled grey).

We also had Van Gogh distressed oak laid in the hall at the same time and it still looks perfect.

I've got Amtico tiles and they still look as good as new in my kitchen after 4 years.

We've had Karndean tiles throughout our ground floor for the last 26 years. it's been amazing, so hard wearing, very easy to clean and totally bomb proof through 2 DC and several pets.

Just replacing it this year as part of a major refurb project and now have phase 1 complete - Amtico canopy oak planks in lounge and dining hall, up the staircase and around the gallery landing. Phase 2 will be Karndean Opus tiles in the kitchen, scullery, cloakroom and hallway.

My mum has Amtico in her bathroom, she had had it down probably 10 years & it still looks like new.

We have it in our hallway and again in the kitchen, it's worn really well and v easy to clean etc.

@Oliack1417 - is your kitchen floor the lime washed oak colour?

It looks very similar to the one we like - if not, please could you tell me what colour it is?

It looks lovely!