What flooring to choose for a hallway?

Flooring for the corridor – is it worth installing it?

The corridor, as well as the hallway, are the rooms that are the first to be exposed in a domestic space. In this type of room, functionality is more important than aesthetics, yet the flooring installed there can look really good. Adequately durable flooring will do the job. You can find the floor materials on the market that are resistant to abrasion and the negative effects of moisture. Sand under soles, soaked shoes or jackets do not pose a threat for them. What is more, the flooring for the hallway is highly decorative – it can imitate wood, stone, marble or ceramic tiles, if we choose composite flooring. It also has a very important advantage – it is easy to maintain and keep clean. Therefore, taking care of it is not very troublesome. It is enough to clean them once in a while with water and traditional detergent. In order to enhance the decorative effect, it is worth using a shining agent, easily available in every shop.

The flooring usage class

When choosing the flooring for the hallway, it should be taken into account that this is a heavily used space. In such areas, the flooring should be durable and abrasion-resistant. The usage class of this type of building materials is defined on 6 levels – from 21 to 31. The first digit indicates the type of room, and the second one – the level of floor use intensity. In the case of detached houses, it is recommended to choose the flooring marked as 23 (2 – residential use, 3 – heavy traffic area).

There is flooring on the market that is protected with special products to reduce the abrasion of the coating. Building materials to which aluminium or alumina have been added have a high resistance. Before making the final choice of the floor covering, it is worth checking its AC abrasion class in the product technical data sheet. It is indicated by a single digit. The higher it is, the greater the resistance of the flooring to abrasion and scratches. For detached houses, the flooring labelled as AC3 or AC4 is the most common choice.
Another criterion worth considering when choosing the flooring for the hallway is its resistance to impact and deformation. It is not uncommon that right after we come home, heavy shopping is placed on the floor or small children throw their toys on it, so it is important to use materials resistant to pressure and deformation. The parameter is determined by the impact class (IC) – the higher it is, the more durable the flooring is. In the corridor, it is worth using products with the IC2 symbol, as in these areas they are heavily used.

Waterproof and water-resistant flooring

Another important issue is the protection of the floor against moisture penetration. In winter, autumn or spring, household members often come in soaked shoes and wet outerwear. Before they dry, they leave puddles on the floor, which can lead to deformation of the individual elements, so the floor covering should be resistant to the negative effects of water. There is waterproof and water-resistant flooring available on the market. Waterproof products do not allow moisture to penetrate deep into the floor, thus preventing swelling and deformation of the individual elements. The surface of this types of building products is impregnated. Water spills on the floor can remain for up to 24 hours, and when wiped off, the flooring will look like new. In turn, it is the density of the HDF board that is responsible for water resistance. The term applies to the laminate flooring, as vinyl flooring is always characterised by this property.

Flooring style for the hallway – which one to choose?

The hallway can be an aesthetically finished room. Currently, there is the water-resistant flooring available on the market as well as fully waterproof products, equipped with Ceramin® core board, which successfully replaces traditional ceramic tiles. Below we present some options you should consider when planning your dream interior.

Laminate flooring

Laminate flooring come in many patterns and colours. The building materials imitate natural wood and can be found in both dark and lighter colours. They are among the products that are easy to install – in a small room, laying them will not take more than a day. Flooring equipped with modern connection systems do not require gluing or tapping. What’s more, the selected floor covering can have sound-absorbing, anti-static and anti-bacterial properties or V-groove built into the side edges. It is characterised by high resistance to sunlight, dents, abrasion or scratches. Laminate flooring is definitely more durable than its wooden counterparts – sand under soles, spilt water or dropping heavy objects do not have any adverse effect on it. There is flooring available on the market that is protected with water-resistant impregnate and special products to reduce the abrasion of the coating. Laminate flooring is a good, functional and relatively inexpensive choice that will last unchanged for many years.

Vinyl flooring

Vinyl flooring is another hit on the building market. The products have a layered structure with an HDF board as the core. The whole is protected by a vinyl coating, which is characterised by high resistance to scratches and abrasion. A very big advantage of vinyl flooring is the variety – the building materials are available in many patterns and colours. The products imitate natural wood, stone or marble. The flooring usually has V-groove, so that when laid, it forms a single whole rather than a series of distinctive elements. With its help, the hallway will be both practical and finished in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Vinyl flooring is characterised by high resistance to mechanical damage. It is resistant to deformation or scratching. Hard shoe soles or umbrellas left in the corridor have no negative impact on it. A floor composed of vinyl planks is relatively soft, pleasant to the touch, and also durable. The building materials are also waterproof – melted snow, puddles after downpour or soaked clothes have no effect on them. The top layer of polyvinyl chloride protects the flooring against water penetration into the deeper layers, so it remains in an unchanged condition. In addition, this type of flooring is easy to keep clean – all you need is lukewarm water and a traditional detergent.

interesting solution definitely worth considering is Ceramin® composite flooring. This is a group of building materials with a rigid core. It is currently the most durable water-resistant flooring on the market. It has anti-slip properties, and its top layer is in abrasion class A5 or A6. It comes in many patterns and colours. It is an ideal choice for high-traffic areas.