House Renovation - designers or ala-carte?

[JGMum]

starlight1968sg:

Hello,

I need some advice on renovation matters.
For flooring in living/dining, kitchen and balcony, which type is the most durable: granite, marble or porcelain tiles?
For flooring in bedrooms, which type is the most durable:
granite or marble tiles, or timber?
For flooring in bathrooms, which type is the most durable:
granite, marble or porcelain tiles?
Thanks.

IMHO, for living/dining, marble looks really nice, but is hard to maintain (carbonated soft drinks, wine, vinegar leave stains and blur the marble surface). Granite is more hardy, but you need a really skilled tile-laying contractor, because unlike marble, any uneven joints cannot be \"polished away\". Marble, you can polish every couple of years to regain shine, but not granite. Homogeneous tiles are the easiest to maintain, but after a while, the adjoining grooves turn \"black\" with dirt.
For bedroom, I would choose timber too.
For bathrooms, I would not choose marble on the floor, because it is really difficult to maintain with the water-rich environment - the shine disappears very quickly, and the marble \"blurs\" fairly easily too. Marble on the bathroom walls, on the other hand, is ok (based on my mum's experience).

[hquek]

For kitchen and bathroom, remember non slip is king. I got beautiful marble looking ceramic tiles Long time ago. But these can be slippery, so quite regret.


For choice of flooring, it all boils down to budget. And there are certainly various grades of marble or granite to choose from.

On the groove colour, I faintly recollect that some contractors may be able to mix colour so the groove is not white. Not sure if this option still available

[Belle2011]

For stove, would a gas type be more economical than an electric stove?

Thank-you.

[hquek]

Depends on your cooking style. If there is slow cooking stuff like double boiling soup, I hear that electric stove can result in scary bills.


I didn’t calculate but think that generally electric type will be more ex to use. I use gas heater instead of electric. DH insists its cheaper.

[DesertWind]

My colleague recently renovated her flat and put in electric stove instead of the traditional gas stove. She said she regret since now the electricity bill has gone sky high. Electricity is definitely not cheap remember hor!

[Belle2011]

DesertWind:

My colleague recently renovated her flat and put in electric stove instead of the traditional gas stove. She said she regret since now the electricity bill has gone sky high. Electricity is definitely not cheap remember hor!

Oh dear, my newly bought condo unit also comes with an electric stove.

[blessed777]

DesertWind:

My colleague recently renovated her flat and put in electric stove instead of the traditional gas stove. She said she regret since now the electricity bill has gone sky high. Electricity is definitely not cheap remember hor!

Thanks fr yr info, dh suggest to replace our gas stove with electric one, he think that it is easier to clean as the surface is flat now im reconsidering.. My monthly gas bill actually less than $10 as i only use it fr light cooking but dont want to waste $ if using electric stove will shoot my electricity bill up. Anyone has recommendation fr gas stove n where to buy .

[blessed777]

Im also planning to change my kitchen countertop, any recommendation for material that easy to maintain, long lasting but no too expensive and where to buy thanks.

[hquek]

For kitchen countertop, again depends on use. Cheapest is laminate. But it will not stand well to heavy use, especially if there is a lot of water. Solid surface is popular and not THAT expensive but be aware, it is acrylic, a sort of plastic. Mine is pure white solid surface and I bitterly regret. Becos it is easily scratched and may be susceptible to mold and discoloration, even a tin can placed on top too long may leave a mark. If you choose those that have pattern, may not be so bad. White is just more hard work.


Marble and granite are other options. But they are porous and come with their own cons.

Best is silestone. At builders shop only. Very hardy, almost as strong as diamond. And it is anti bacterial, so can use it as cutting board. Salesman will ask you to slash at it with knife. BUT price is very very high. I dream of such a top, but at this time, dream only.

[blessed777]

hquek:

For kitchen countertop, again depends on use. Cheapest is laminate. But it will not stand well to heavy use, especially if there is a lot of water. Solid surface is popular and not THAT expensive but be aware, it is acrylic, a sort of plastic. Mine is pure white solid surface and I bitterly regret. Becos it is easily scratched and may be susceptible to mold and discoloration, even a tin can placed on top too long may leave a mark. If you choose those that have pattern, may not be so bad. White is just more hard work.


Marble and granite are other options. But they are porous and come with their own cons.

Best is siltstone. At builders shop only. Very hardy, almost as strong as diamond. And it is anti bacterial, so can use it as cutting board. Salesman will ask you to slash at it with knife. BUT price is very very high. I dream of such a top, but at this time, dream only.

So solid surface easily scratch even if its in dark colour right, hw abt heat n stain.. is the colour fading away.. tin can is a night mare, it also leave mark on tiles n other surface