Flooring: how to choose laminate, vinyl or wood at a good price
The flooring depends on the room
There is no flooring that suits everything. For a living room and bedroom people often take laminate or wooden planks, for the kitchen and hallway vinyl or vitrified tiles, and for a child's room something warm and soft. Think separately about underfloor heating: not every flooring withstands it, and the maker states the allowed temperature. This should be in your request from the start.
Laminate, vinyl, wood: in brief
- Laminate — affordable and varied. The most important things are the wear class (32, 33, 34) and the thickness. There are moisture-resistant types, but standing water harms any of them.
- SPC/LVT vinyl — waterproof, thin and quiet. It suits a kitchen and bathroom and needs a level base.
- Wooden and engineered planks — a natural look, but they need care and stable humidity in the room.
- Linoleum and carpet — budget-friendly and practical for some areas. Load class and roll width matter.
- Cork — warm and springy, but sensitive to mechanical damage.
The base matters more than the price of the flooring
Any flooring “takes” the shape of the base. If the screed is uneven, it needs levelling, or the laminate locks will come apart and vinyl will show every bump. The underlay is not a small thing either: it dampens noise, evens out small differences and protects against moisture. Think also about skirting, thresholds and transitions between rooms, as they are usually bought separately.
What to put in your request
- What you need — laminate, vinyl, wooden planks, linoleum, carpet.
- Area — for example 750 sq ft (add an allowance for cutting).
- Class and thickness — class 33, 8 mm; for vinyl, the thickness of the wear layer.
- Moisture resistance — kitchen, bathroom, underfloor heating.
- Look and colour — light oak, herringbone, plank format.
- Brand — if you have a preference.
- Underlay and skirting, thresholds.
- Laying — needed or not.
- Address and budget.
Example: “I need moisture-resistant class 33 laminate, 8 mm, light oak, 750 sq ft with an allowance, plus underlay, skirting and thresholds. With laying. Auckland, budget up to $1.76 per sq ft.”
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
The same flooring has different prices in different showrooms, and the difference hides in offers, the underlay and the laying. You write one request, and flooring sellers answer in the chat: the collection, price per sq m, availability, and delivery and laying terms. Each seller sees where their offer ranks and can improve the terms. The best offer is shown first, with the seller's reviews next to it. Your phone number is not sent to all sellers. More in how it works.
How to compare, and where people go wrong
Compare the class, thickness, brand and lock system, not just the look. Ask whether the underlay, skirting and laying are included, and whether there is a warranty on the flooring. When buying in packs, make sure they are all from one batch. A typical mistake is buying “just enough” with no allowance, or forgetting that the base must be level.
For wet rooms, look separately at plumbing, for painting skirting and door frames — paints and varnishes, and for walls — finishing materials.
