Floor covering for the children's room - which is better? How to choose a floor covering for a children's playroom

How to choose the right floor for the children's room? What is better - cork, parquet or laminate? Or maybe it's worth putting a practical linoleum or a soft and comfortable carpet? We will answer these and many other questions.

Floor covering for a children's playroom: what should be the material

When choosing a floor covering for children, parents should forget about evaluation criteria such as price and ease of installation. You need to focus on other characteristics, namely:

1. Ecological compatibility. The material should be natural or, at least, not to release toxins and carcinogens.
2. Security. The coating should not be too hard or slippery, have irregularities, metal protruding elements (corners, screws, nails).
3. Hypoallergenicity.
4. High wear-resistant qualities. Children not only crawl and run on the floor, but also roll on it cars with metal wheels, scratching with different toys.
5. Moisture resistance. The floor covering for the children's playroom should not have absolute protection from water, as, for example, it is required in the bathroom, but still the children always spill something, which means that the child's oversight should not become a catastrophe.
6. Resistant to sunburn. Children's room, as a rule, trying to make the most light, and therefore, exposure to ultraviolet will be exposed and floors.
7. Easy to clean and resistant to coloring agents. These characteristics are more important for parents, since children often paint with paint and felt-tip pens on the floor, and moms have to clean the room several times a day.

Laminate

Although it contains synthetic components, it is considered an environmentally friendly and safe coating. It is resistant to damage, easy to clean and keeps heat well. To pluses it is still necessary to attribute the fact that recently the price for quality laminate has somewhat decreased due to high competition, yet it looks quite modern.

This flooring for the children's room is an ideal option for those who want to install a "warm floor" system.

There are also disadvantages: the laminate can be very "noisy" if it is incorrectly put or use a too thin substrate, in addition, it is poorly cleaned plasticine, it is quite slippery and often burns in the sun. A substandard laminate gives off formaldehyde and harmful resins, so you must always require a certificate of quality in the store.

PVC tiles

The floor covering for the children's room should not be made of PVC-tiles. This simple rule was previously based on the characteristics of the material: the floor was slippery, cold, and besides, synthetics was a source of concern for the safety and health of children.

Today everything has changed. Modern PVC tile is a high-quality, comfortable, warm, wear-resistant material with cushioning properties, impervious to high humidity and temperature changes. Despite the fact that the coating is 100% synthetic, it has a special hygienic certificate. It does not deform under the weight of heavy furniture, it is easy to clean and clean, and any spoiled tile is easy to replace.

Initially PVC-tiles were intended exclusively for the kitchen and corridor, but in some houses it was also laid in children's rooms.

Linoleum

This floor covering for a children's room of economy class is inexpensive and practical. This material is not afraid of water, it has good durability, especially in semi-commercial or commercial, and with good layout it will last for several decades. Washing linoleum is very easy, you can do a wet cleaning in the nursery several times a day.

However, many parents do not even consider this option, since such material is considered not environmentally friendly. In addition, wet linoleum can lead to falls, injuries and bruises. Another unpleasant moment is the smell. Cheap low-quality linoleum smells very much even in a huge sales room, and if you put it in a small room, the smell becomes simply unbearable. But this drawback can be found in other coatings, whose manufacturers have neglected quality standards. For example, carpet or PVC-tile can also have a specific flavor. It is better to refuse such a purchase right away.

Today in the markets you can find a marmoleum or an environmentally friendly linoleum. It consists 95-97% of natural substances, it is more difficult to take care of it, and it is not as durable as other materials. But this coating is safe, and its wear resistance is increased by manufacturers from year to year.

Carpet cover

Many parents choose a soft floor covering for the children's room, namely - carpet. With him, the room seems cozy and comfortable, and given that the kids spend the most time on the floor, this option seems quite logical. But the carpet has many shortcomings: it accumulates electricity, because it is made of synthetics; It collects a lot of dust, because of what it is unsafe for children, even if it was made from hypoallergenic materials. Still this cover does not like the raised humidity in a room, and to kids, on the contrary, doctors recommend to breathe damp cool air. Carpet is very easy to spoil or stain, there are stains from plasticine and other substances, so there is a possibility that it will quickly lose its original appearance.

Currently, more and more families are giving up carpet in favor of other materials or are making a combined floor (laminate + carpet) with separate functional areas. In addition, it is useful for customers to know that, in addition to hypoallergenic, there is also antistatic synthetics.

Cork floor

Cork is the best floor covering for a children's room. The photo below shows how good this material looks, but appreciate it not only for its attractive appearance. Cork floor is warm, elastic, with high cushioning properties, which means that children will have less stress on the spine. It is 100% natural, and therefore, safe. The disadvantages of this material include the intolerance of high humidity.

However, there is a lot of negative feedback about this floor covering. The thing is that under the guise of a full-fledged material, unscrupulous sellers (producers) give the buyer a usual screed under the laminate, the so-called technical plug. Such a floor will not last for a year, since it has low wear resistance, it quickly deforms.

Parquet

Which flooring is best for a children's room? Of course, the one that is made of natural materials. Parquet in this respect has only advantages - it is safe, eco-friendly, warm, not noisy (compared to laminate). By the disadvantages can be attributed to the fact that the parquet is easily damaged (scratches and small irregularities can be easily eliminated). In addition, this material does not like changes in humidity and temperature. And, of course, the cost of finishing is important for parents, and good parquet is expensive.

Warm floors and soft puzzles

The floor covering in the children's room is often supplemented with a "warm floor" system. But it can not be mounted under each material, and in some cases it is simply impossible. In addition, in the nursery is not recommended to lay electric warm floor. This is due to the fact that the child will be affected by electromagnetic radiation. Therefore, in rooms where the kids spend a lot of time, it is better to install a water-heated floor.

Recently, more often in the rooms you can see light colored tiles made of foamed polymer, assembled, like a puzzle, in a large canvas. It is unlikely that this can be called a full-fledged floor covering, rather an alternative to carpet and palas. This material is good in all respects - it is soft, safe, well cleaned, and children are interested in playing with it. In addition, any spoiled piece of this puzzle can be removed or replaced.