5 Best Flooring Options for Modern Homes and Apartments

Why does the same apartment feel so spacious on one floor and so cramped on another? Pale planks bounce the light around and make a small room appear much wider, whereas long planks laid in the direction of the window will stretch a very narrow room.

Do you want to experiment with your flooring, too? In this article, we’ll cover 5 options most guides simply don’t mention.

Luxury Vinyl Plank with Rigid Core

Rigid core planks are either SPC (stone plastic composite) or WPC (wood plastic composite). SPC is denser and stiffer, so it handles the slightly uneven concrete you’ll find in many condos.

It’s the prevalent style in North America and Europe and has become the norm in much of Southeast Asia where the constant heat and humidity make so many solid wood floors a non-starter. If you’re looking at suppliers of vinyl flooring Malaysia, be sure to check the wear layer. 12 mil is quite adequate for a bedroom; 20 mil is better for the living room and kitchen.

Many planks will already have a backing underlayer attached, and you can’t add a second one without voiding the warranty. Planks adjacent to large sunny windows will heat up and expand, so you do need to leave a proper gap at the walls.

Engineered Hardwood

The top veneer is what ultimately determines how long an engineered hardwood will last. A 2mm veneer allows only one light sanding; a 6mm veneer allows several sandings over the years. It’s a very popular floor in Europe and North America and is also common in South Korea (where heated floors are the norm in houses).

Click-lock boards are ideal for a floating floor, and glue-down is better for solid slabs when you want more stability underfoot. Wide planks are very attractive but do need a stable multi-ply core; otherwise you’ll get cupping at the edges when the air is humid.

Porcelain Tile in Large Format

Porcelain is the default in many countries where a cool surface is desirable in the warm climate. The 24×48 inch tiles with very fine grout lines give a clean, seamless appearance ideal for modern interiors and help the room feel wider.

Rectified edges help the tiles sit tightly, but lippage (the small height difference between adjacent tiles) is almost entirely a function of how flat the subfloor is. You can spend a lot on the tiles themselves, but it’s far better value to spend on levelling first.

Tiles are also quite noisy underfoot in an apartment, and a decoupling membrane can be used to dampen that. For kitchens, balconies and entryways the slip rating (DCOF) is important so you know that wet feet are safe.

Polished or Sealed Concrete

Polished concrete is a very common floor in homes and is widely used in loft conversions. If you have a rough slab with no finish at all, you can of course go in with a microtopping to give it a smooth, even surface without adding any real height.

Sealers come in two forms. Penetrating sealers go in and provide a natural-looking floor; topical sealers sit on the surface and add a degree of sheen but will need recoating every few years.

It works extremely well in a minimalist space, though it reflects sound, so rugs are very useful in a room with high ceilings. Fine hairline cracks are absolutely normal, and control joints are provided to allow the slab to move in the correct places.

Cork Flooring

Portugal produces most of the world’s cork, so it’s a familiar material in both Portuguese and Spanish homes. It’s a good sound-absorbing material and provides good insulation, so it is a sensible choice for upper floor properties where the people below are noise sensitive.

The floating cork planks are very quick to install, whereas the glued tiles give a more finished look but do require a dry, properly prepared base. Moisture is the main constraint, so keep it well away from wet areas and check with the installer about sealing the edges.

The colour will tend to fade over time with strong sun exposure, and curtains or UV window film will help to slow that down. It’s a renewable resource, but that’s just a bonus rather than a reason to choose it.

Conclusion

Rigid core vinyl tends to crack on uneven slabs and in humid conditions; engineered hardwood gives you real wood with a veneer you can sand, and it’s a strong option. Large porcelain tiles are great as long as you have a flat base. Polished concrete works well for very small rooms (you can always add a few rugs), cork is excellent at damping sound on upper floors, and modern laminate is a good option if you’re on a tight budget or renting.

Whatever you go for, get two or three samples and leave them in the room for a few days. Look at them in the morning light and then again under the evening lamps, as that’s when the actual winner will become apparent.