How does Karndean Designflooring compare with other types of flooring?
Karndean vs hardwood flooring
- Karndean Designflooring gives you the unique grain and knot details, but without the practical difficulties.
- Real wood flooring products come in varying quality and can expand, warp and shrink in reaction to temperature changes and moisture. Karndean Designflooring maintains its shape throughout its lifetime and is water resistant.
- In order to keep real wood flooring looking like new it requires frequent maintenance including sanding, staining and lacquering. With Karndean, there's no sanding, staining or lacquering required - it's easy to maintain and keep clean. Learn more on our cleaning and maintenance page.
Karndean vs stone and ceramic tiles
- Natural stone and ceramic flooring can be hard to manage and weight is often a problem, especially if you're looking to install in a room upstairs. Karndean is much lighter, flexible and easier to install.
- The cold touch of stone and marble can be a bit off-putting first thing in the morning or in cold weather. Karndean flooring is much warmer underfoot and is also compatible with underfloor heating.
- Natural stone and ceramic tiles can be slippery when wet. Karndean flooring is fully slip tested and its textured surfaces are suitable for commercial and domestic use, even in areas which get wet, like the bathroom, kitchen, hall or utility room.
Karndean vs carpet
- Our floors do not harbour dust mites or bacteria - unlike carpets.
- Karndean is easy and simple to keep clean, especially if you are busy, have children or pets to clean up after.
- Our residential guarantee covers the lifetime of your floor for up to 35 years.
- Unlike carpets, Karndean can be laid over underfloor heating systems.
- In the unlikely event of damage it is possible to replace a plank or tile of Karndean, a huge advantage over carpet which would need to be completely replaced.
Karndean vs laminate and engineered wood
- Laminates and Engineered Woods are known for looking manufactured and unrealistic in comparison to real wood flooring. Karndean's product designers beautifully replicate the look and feel of real wood products using advanced manufacturing techniques giving you the look of natural timber without the practical difficulties of maintaining wood flooring.
- Many man made materials, including laminate, can curl or shrink whereas our floors maintain their shape throughout their lifetime.
- If water gets inside a Laminate or Engineered Hardwood floor, it can cause the top layer of the product to de-laminate and peel making it less suitable for wet areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. Karndean Designflooring is water resistant and perfect to use in any room of your home, including kitchens and bathrooms.
We should point out that Karndean Designflooring does take longer to fit than roll and sheet products such as carpet or linoleum. However, we believe the advantages outweigh this, and in comparison, it is quicker to lay than many other hard flooring products such as stone and timber.
If you're looking for a quicker installation and/or need to lay over a current hard subfloor, why not check out our latest innovation Karndean LooseLay?
