When it comes to decorating and tiling your conservatory, one of the hardest decisions to make is what type of flooring to put in. With so many options on the market, it is important to consider how you intend to use your conservatory as well as the practicalities of the different types before choosing the flooring that best suits your needs.
ACCESS
If your conservatory leads directly into your garden then there is a very good chance that you will be using that as an access route on a frequent basis; especially in the summer. This inevitably means that mud will be trekked inside. When tiling your conservatory, consider using a flooring that is easy to clean and maintain otherwise it will begin to look shabby really quickly. This is one of the main reasons why carpet is not a popular choice when it comes to conservatory flooring. Vacuuming is often not enough to keep it clean and using a carpet cleaning machine is both time consuming and, if used on a frequent basis, can shorten the life of your carpet.
TEMPERATURE
Conservatories are subjected to all kinds of temperatures from one extreme to the other, this can have an effect on a number of flooring types. Natural wood and laminate flooring simply do not react well to these types of extremes in temperature. Laminate, whilst inexpensive, is prone to buckling and warping leading to the need to replace it more frequently. Whilst this could be a short term solution on a budget it could be something of a false economy. Natural wood may not react quite as badly but it is worth considering if it is a risk worth taking when tiling your conservatory; especially if you have a south facing conservatory.
PRACTICALITY
Lino is a very practical and hardwearing eco-friendly product, it doesn’t react to temperature changes, it is certainly easy to clean and is even very good value for money. When teamed with retractable insect screens, you can enjoy comfortable living in your conservatory without spending a lot. But if you are looking to give your conservatory something of a wow factor then this is probably not the flooring for you.
ELEGANCE
If you are looking for a flooring that is easy to clean, reacts well to changes in temperature and will add a real touch of elegance to your conservatory then it is worth considering tile flooring. Porcelain tiles are incredibly elegant yet practical. They are easy to clean and do not need sealing or resealing. They do not react to the extremes of temperature you can often get in a conservatory either which makes them a great choice.
One thing that perhaps puts people off a tile floor in a conservatory is the that tiles can of course be cool under foot, whilst this is pleasant in the summer it is not so great in the winter. Perhaps consider installing some form of underfloor heating before the tiles, like electric matting, which is inexpensive and easy to install. Alternatively, why not make a bold fashion statement by using block coloured rugs against a dark floor tile for maximum impact.
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This has been a collaborative post. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are not my own
