Materials Brands

Finding the right flooring material for your home

Choosing the right flooring material for your home begins with knowing their properties!

There are plenty of flooring stores in Singapore, and while some of them like The Floor Gallery carry several options like vinyl flooring, laminate flooring and engineered wood flooring, there are also specialised merchants like MuFlooring that sell premium wood flooring made of Chengal timber and Burmese teak.

The most common types of flooring found in Singapore homes are vinyl flooring, wood flooring and homogeneous ceramic tiles -- each of these options has its own pros and cons.

Vinyl flooring is an affordable option and its moisture resistant but can be punctured by sharp objects. On the other hand, hardwood flooring looks great and feels great underfoot, but is costly and prone to scratching. Finally, while homogeneous floor tiles are great for heavy-duty use, they can feel hard and cold to the touch.

What are your options for countertop materials?

Two of the most popular countertop materials in Singapore homes are laminates and quartz, and just like their flooring counterparts, each of these options has its own selling points.

High-pressure laminates from brands -- such as Admira, Arova, Formica, Lamitak, and Greenlam -- come in all sorts of patterns, from wood to metal, and that makes them suitable for all sorts of homes, regardless of interior design style. Moreover, there are laminates with built-in antimicrobial surface protection that stop bacteria, mildew and fungal growth, making them ideal for easy home maintenance.

On the other hand, quartz countertops (like those sold by Aurastone and Silestone by Cosentino) possess outstanding resistance, which means that they'll provide the outstanding durability necessary for a hardworking kitchen or a busy bathroom.

Wallpaper or paint -- which should you choose?

Both wallpaper and paint come in a wide range of colours, patterns as well as textures, so choosing between the two ultimately boils down to what you need, or if not, your personal preferences.

Generally, it takes a longer time to apply (and also to remove) wallpaper compared to paint, but there's the advantage of easy maintenance -- according to local wallpaper retailer Wallhub, "all you really need is a moist washcloth" to get rid of deposited dirt.

Otherwise, if you prefer a healthy, environmentally-friendly option, you might wish to choose to paint your walls in eco-paints from brands, such as gush and Raffles Paint, which emit near zero Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), thus making your home even safer for your loved ones.