When it comes to choosing floor materials, surfaces for floor tilings and countertops, many would point you to vinyl. True enough, it’s highly durable, affordable, and you can trust that vinyl flooring will get the job done well. Such sentiments are attested by Gordon and LinLin, who forked out a steady $10k on vinyl flooring for their 4-room HDB that they moved into last year.
That said, their journey wasn’t a bed of roses. Since their HDB came bare, extensive flooring work was required before applying the vinyl, causing their overall costs to nearly double. Not to mention that they only realised their first choice of vinyl was out of stock a week before the renovation was planned to start.
Still, they can assure you that the entire process was a fruitful and worthwhile undertaking. Here’s a breakdown of their journey if you’re curious about what goes into vinyl flooring.
Choosing vinyl flooring over tiling
Prior to meeting their ID, the couple compiled a shared moodboard, which evoked a style that gravitated towards a cosy and wooden palette reminiscent of Japandi design. Since the wooden textures of vinyl can much better capture the light, Japandi-inspired essence they wanted, they decided to spring for that aesthetic for the floors in their HDB flat.
Initially, they explored wood-textured tiles from tile suppliers such as Hafary and Soon Bee Huat but were put off by the higher product and workmanship costs. Getting tiles would’ve burst their budget of $3.50 psf, and workmanship costs would be jacked up due to it requiring more labour.
While opting for the more affordable option meant compromising on durability, they knew that they weren’t living in their forever home. In that sense, having their vinyl flooring last them at least 10 years is already considered a blessing.
Procedures to install flooring
Image credit: LinLin on Lemon8
Gordon and LinLin’s vinyl installation process can be summed up in 3 steps:
1. Screed cement across living room and bedroom flooring: This was required as they didn’t opt in for HDB flooring, so their living room and bedroom flooring came bare.
Image credit: LinLin on Lemon8
2. Apply self-levelling compound throughout the house: While this step isn’t strictly necessary, it levels the total flooring of the house, or else it would result in a hollow feeling when you step on the vinyl pieces
Image credit: LinLin on Lemon8
3. Install vinyl planks
Image credit: LinLin on Lemon8
Price-wise, the couple spent $4,920 on vinyl and skirting, followed by $4,700 on the screed cement and self-levelling procedures.
Not securing their first choice of vinyl and opting for an alternative
Highs and lows are inevitable in every reno project, and Gordon and LinLin experienced their fair share of stress and anxieties in this process. The lows manifested most notably when they learnt that their first choice of vinyl went out of stock just a week before they were slated to start renovation as their ID forgot to reserve it.
Since they couldn’t afford to wait for it to be restocked, they went shopping in several showrooms to source for alternatives. They came across Xingfloor, selecting their Standard Floorlux Vinyl Click (Golden Oak).
Image credit: LinLin on Lemon8
In the end, all was well. Gordon and LinLin were really happy with the alternative from Xingfloor, adding that its light wooden texture blends in well with their laminated cabinetry and other furniture pieces.
Spending $10k on vinyl flooring
Many factors come into play when choosing vinyl. Between budget, aesthetics and durability, the couple both agree that you have to make your decision based on streamlining your priorities.
If you’re looking to upgrade to another home in the future, then it’s probably wiser to stick to more affordable options. But if it’s your forever home you’re talking about, then making the extra investment will definitely go a long way.
For more home perspectives:
- Renting a HDB room in Woodlands for $450/month
- Saving $1.5K by DIY wall painting
- Living in a co-sharing space in Singapore
Cover image credit: LinLin on Lemon8
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