Vinyl, Marble, Laminate… Which is the Best Flooring for Singapore Homes?

When you think about renovating or remodelling your home, flooring is one of the first few things that comes to mind. This is unsurprising as the floor is one of the largest surfaces in your home! Whether you are hacking to make way for new tiles, overlaying the old flooring with new ones, or starting a new floor from a blank cement base – you need to choose the right flooring. 

But where do you start? 

There are practical considerations, and aesthetics too. Yes, how your floor looks is important as you wouldn’t want to be walking around on a floor that gives you a massive headache.

This guide aims to give you a breakdown of some of the more popular types of flooring offered in Singapore, its practicality and suitability for your home. Hopefully by the end of this, you will find one that suits not just your lifestyle, but your personality and style too.

Popular Floor Types in Singapore: Price breakdown

You might wonder why some of these floor types have such a wide price range. The quality and cut of the material is taken into consideration when pricing these items. (There is a difference between good quality wood for parquet flooring vs cheap wood!)

Floor Types in Singapore Homes

There are dozens of different floor types, and it is difficult to go through all of them. To ease your decision making process, we will be highlighting the more popular floor types in Singapore.

1. Vinyl flooring

Vinyl is a durable material that stands up well to heavy foot traffic. Sheet vinyl (vinyl that is laid in one flat sheet as opposed to cutting it into strips) is water-resistant and can dampen the sound of your pets’ claws as they walk over the floor. 

Apart from its affordability, vinyl flooring comes in many different styles and designs (you can mimic the look of an expensive ‘wooden’ flooring at a fraction of the cost). 

It is probably also important to note that the style of vinyl matters, as cheaper vinyls will show their difference in price when they are walked on, as poorly laid vinyl has a tendency to ‘bounce’. 

The biggest drawback to vinyl flooring is that it is not friendly to the environment. This is because it is made out of PVC, which produces toxic substances in its production. For those who are more conscious about the environment, you might reconsider having vinyl as your flooring.

What homes are vinyl floorings suitable for?

Vinyl flooring is suitable for homeowners who want to keep pets, as it is resistant to moisture. As any dog owner knows, dogs are prone to drooling, and it might prove troublesome if you have a more porous type of flooring. Pets that have yet to undergo potty training may also stain porous flooring with urine stains, resulting in an unsightly mark.

Pros:

• Wallet-friendly
• Waterproof, scratch-proof, highly durable
• Quick and easy to install
• Available in many different colours and designs

Cons: 

• May feel cheap (plastic-like texture) to touch
• Not eco-friendly

2. Parquet flooring

Parquet floors are made from wood pieces, arranged in a geometric way to give a decorative effect. Most parquet floors are angular, but some owners may want to opt for shapes such as squares, triangles, lozenges, and even curves. 

A benefit of parquet flooring is that it’s more stable than ordinary wood flooring. Since the wood chips are locked in place by each other, it’s a lot harder for them to shift around within the floor. 

Unfortunately, parquet flooring is not particularly resistant to moisture and humidity. To maintain it, sanding it down or varnishing it is recommended.

What homes are parquet floorings suitable for?

As with most types of wood-based flooring, parquet evokes a sense of warmth in its design, and will fit well with many types of design choices. This is great if you are fickle on your choice of style and tend to frequently change your furniture – parquet flooring goes well with almost every look!

Pros:

• Warm-look that goes well with many styles
• A good range of designs to choose from (size, dimensions, laying)
• Hardy material, provides noise absorption 

Cons:

• Not resistant to moisture and humidity 
• Maintenance is required 
• Not scratch-proof

3. Marble flooring

Marble looks elegant in any home, and can increase the value of your house if you intend to put it up for resale in the future. 

As marble is a natural stone, the patterns are different and unique. You will be assured to know that your floor is one-of-a-kind! 

Marble is also cool to touch, making it perfect as a flooring in hot and humid Singapore. 

Its main drawbacks would be its high price, and that if it does get scratches, they will be very noticeable. Hence, maintenance is absolutely necessary.

What homes are marble floorings suitable for?

Despite its higher price tag, marble flooring has been a favourite design amongst Singaporean homeowners for a long time, and for good reason. Its smooth, polished surface gives off a classy air, and automatically cools down the house on a sweltering day.

Marble is also timeless and ethereal in appearance, which means that it is likely to match any renovation designs you may have in mind. This can also help to improve the resale value of your home.

Pros:

• Classy and elegant
• Cool to touch
• One-of-a-kind due to its naturally-formed patterns
• May elevate your house’s value in the future

Cons:

• Expensive
• Maintenance is required 
• Not scratch-proof

4. Laminate flooring

Laminate flooring is a combination of wood and plastic, providing your house with an appearance similar to hardwood or tiles, while still remaining more affordable compared to other flooring options.

Laminate is a popular material around the world due to its artificial renditions of wood, stone and ceramic. This means that you will have a big sea of designs to choose from.

It is also easy to install, and requires little maintenance.

The drawback of laminate flooring is that certain laminate types can be toxic. Tests have found that some laminate variants emit formaldehyde over time, which are well-known carcinogens. 

What homes are laminate floorings suitable for?

Laminate flooring might be suitable for investors who are looking to improve the resale value of their home without having to sink in a large amount of money for their flooring. 

Laminate flooring is highly durable, resistant to stains, and capable of retaining its appearance even in sunlit environments. It is also more resistant to water and easier to clean compared to hardwood floors, although liquids should not be allowed to sit on it for too long.

Pros:

• Wallet-friendly, without compromising on its look and feel
• Quick and easy to install
• Available in many different colours and designs
• Easy to maintain

Cons:

• Liquids/moisture may cause it to swell
• Material can be toxic

5. Cement Screed

Cement screed flooring has been a popular choice in Singapore homes in recent years. This is due to the gaining popularity in the industrial look that many young Singaporeans are opting for. 

The rawness of its look is appealing to those who’d prefer a simple seamless look. Just like marble, cement screed is also cool to touch, which is a delight to walk on, especially in Singapore.

However, cement screed flooring requires maintenance. Its porous nature makes it susceptible to moisture and can be stained very easily. Hairline cracks in the floor may appear if it is not maintained properly.

A mixture of sand and cement, cement screed flooring may feel sandy or dusty at times as it accumulates dirt more easily than the other types of flooring. 

What homes are cement screed floorings suitable for?

If you’re going for the edgy, on-trend industrial look, cement screed flooring is definitely the first thing you should have. Sure, this flooring’s stains and cracks may be increasingly visible over time, but that could be a look in itself. 

A few years in and you decide to have a different type of flooring – good news! It is very easy to change up your floor with a cement screed flooring, unlike marble or tiles.

Pros:

• Raw and seamless look
• Scratch-proof
• Cool to touch

Cons:

• May stain easily
• Accumulates dirt and dust quicker
• Visible hairline cracks if not maintained properly

6. Floor tiles

Depending on the material they are made of, such as ceramic, porcelain, and mosaic, floor tiles can be very resistant to moisture and scratches. They’re also relatively easy to maintain, and thanks to their varied nature, you can have almost any kind of design you want.

Due to their hardness, they have a tendency to chip when subjected to heavy impact. Homeowners should make sure that they don’t slam heavy objects – like sofa legs – onto tiles. 

What homes are floor tiles suitable for?

Floor tiles are suitable for houses with elderly people, as they are non-slip and easier to clean. Their lower price tag makes them favourable for budget homeowners, and have the bonus of being easy to clean. Floor tiles also come in a great assortment of colours and designs, which means that you’ll be able to find a floor tile that fits your purposes no matter what aesthetic you are going for.

Pros:

• Waterproof, scratch-proof, highly durable
• A good range of designs to choose from (size, dimensions, laying)
• Can make your house look very unique, depending on your choice(s)

Cons:

• Regular cleaning is required as dirt may get trapped within the grout lines

Does choice of flooring affect your home’s resale value?

The short answer is yes, the type of flooring might affect your home’s value. This is because the floor is a big part of the house and having it redone can cost a lot of money. With that as part of the buyer’s consideration, they may request for a lower asking price. 

If you’ve chosen…

Flooring that is not durable,

the probability of the new homeowners needing to replace the flooring is much higher. Be very careful, especially so if the floor looks weathered at the point of house viewing as it may turn potential buyers away.

Flooring that requires high maintenance,

potential buyers with pets or children may not be too keen even if the floor looks great under your care, as they may need to replace the floor to suit their lifestyle.  

Patterned flooring,

well, style is subjective. If you have a beautiful selection of floor tiles as part of your aesthetics, the unfortunate case is that the same appreciation may not be shared with your potential buyer. This may deter them from buying as they will need to change the floor, and the hassle becomes bigger if it’s floor tiles as they require hacking. The cost of removing the flooring is also part of their renovation cost. 

At the end of the day, you will not be able to please every potential buyer as their expectations will be different from yours. With that in mind, choose the flooring based on your own lifestyle instead of its resale value, as you will need to live with it for a while. 

If you are renovating for investment purposes, the general rule of thumb is to keep it simple with a neutral design, using highly durable material.

More FAQs related to flooring for Singapore homes

Which type of flooring is the best

You will find vinyl flooring, laminate flooring and floor tiles in most Singapore homes. This is partly due to how durable these materials are against Singapore’s humid climate.

What kind of flooring is best for resale?

Vinyl and laminate flooring are the easiest to remove should the new homeowners decide to change the floor. Hence, they may lean towards these floor types. 

Is it cheaper to do tiles or laminate?

Generally, laminate flooring is cheaper, but this is also dependent on the quality and cut of the pieces. 

Is it ok to put different types of floorings in different rooms?

Most certainly! In fact, floor tiles are recommended to be placed in kitchens and bathrooms as they are non-slip and waterproof. For a homelier feel in the living rooms and bedrooms, you may consider parquet, laminate or vinyl flooring. 

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