Lino or tiles: which to choose?

Today, real lino has been replaced by PVC or vinyl flooring. So you won't hear the specialists using that word! Linoleum is in fact very different to modern PVC products.

PVC flooring is now popular around the world and is starting to compete in earnest with tiling, still the most common type of flooring in much of Europe. These two are very different products, and both have their strengths and weaknesses.

We're here to give you an objective comparison of the two flooring materials, to help you choose the best option for your house.

7 advantages of tiling

1. Tiling can be laid on any existing surface, so it's equally well suited to new-build and renovation.

1. Tiling works on floors and walls, and although finer ceramic is often used for wall tiles, enamelled or other floor tiles can also be used on the wall if you want an exact match.

1. Tiled floors are suitable for every room of the house! Since they're water-resistant, they're perfect for bathrooms!

1. Tiles are easy to maintain, just dust and run a wet cloth over them with some basic household detergent.

1. The greatest advantage of tiling is perhaps also its biggest drawback: the sheer variety! You'll find everything, since tile can easily imitate many other materials: marble, stone, wood, metal, concrete, etc. The quality of the effects is getting better and better, often to the point where you wouldn't notice the difference. Some types of wood effect tiling even have a tangible grain!

1. The same goes for format… You'll find 30 x 30cm right up to the huge 75 x 75cm models and beyond! Tile manufacturers are getting more and more ambitious.

4 disadvantages of tiling

1. Tiling is and always will be the coldest flooring to walk on. Not a problem if you stick some socks on!

1. Once damaged, scratched or cracked, tiles can't be repaired, only replaced.

1. Don't forget that installation is quite technical. It also takes a bit of elbow grease (the material itself is heavy; also think about protecting your knees!) Overall, putting in a tile floor can be an expensive project.

5 advantages of PVC flooring

1. PVC can be installed loose, glued or clipped depending on the exact product, and in any case installation is quick and easy and significantly cheaper than tile.

1. PVC flooring products can be very cheap to buy, although as with any product you get what you pay for.

1. There's an enormous range to choose from! Both in terms of formats and decorative finishes, almost rivalling the choice of tiles.

1. PVC flooring is typically of limited depth, so it's great in a renovation context when there isn't much clearance to play with.

2. PVC floors are very easy to maintain, just hoover and wipe down with a mild detergent.

3 disadvantages of PVC flooring

1. PVC floors can be installed on almost any surface - with the caveat that it must be perfectly flat. If not, you'll see the bumps through the PVC and it won't look great, trust me!

For example, if you put PVC down over an old tile floor, you'll see the joints between tiles through the new surface!

1. PVC flooring can give you some nasty surprises if you don't install it correctly. Just like with wood, it can perish and warp - especially modular PVC in strips or squares.

1. You can't repair a PVC floor, it just has to be entirely replaced.

Buying advice

Don't forget that choosing a floor material is first and foremost a question of taste - and remember you're not going to want to change your floors every couple of weeks… So think long-term when making your choice, as it's easy to fall out of love with something you chose on the spur of the moment!

To find out more about DIY topics, follow our editors' advice and check out their other guides:

Bathroom style guideHow to choose your tile grout?How to choose your flooring?How to choose your solid wood flooring?How to choose your vacuum cleaner?How to install a floating wood floor?How to decorate your bathroom on a budget?How to give your kitchen a makeover?How to decorate your bathroom on a budget?How to choose your sander?How to make a successful weld?How to choose your pneumatic tools?How to chooe your compressor?How to choose your shower set?How to choose your hose?How to choose your shower head?How to choose your screws?How to choose your chisel punch?How to choose your drill bits?How to choose your screwdriver bits?How to choose your shower tray?How to choose your circular saw blades?How to choose your angle grinder?How to choose your masonry tools?How to choose your mixer?/a>How to choose your drill?How to choose your spirit level?How to choose your measuring tape?How to choose your glue, mastic and resin?How to choose your pliers?How to choose your screwdrivers?How to choose your sandpaper?How to choose your hammer?How to choose your sealant gun?How to choose your shower outflow kit?How to choose your interior floor tiles?How to choose your rawlplugs?How to choose your kitchen waste bin?How to decorate your bathroom?How to connect your washing machine?How to choose your bathroom units?How to choose your kitchen sink accessories?How to choose your toilet?How to drill into a wall?How to choose your wall tiles?