View Full Version : Discussion on Finishing
Since there are no thread on this area, lets all post here your experience with different materials for table tops, flooring, toilet finishing, kitchen cabinet systems, etc. Do share your lobang with contractors too.
i will get the ball started. Since i was on the other thread wit teddybear. So you guys feel different when u step on laminates flooring and parque? PPle tell me parque feels more comfortable and "softer". I can never tell the difference.
devilplate
05-06-11, 11:41
i will get the ball started. Since i was on the other thread wit teddybear. So you guys feel different when u step on laminates flooring and parque? PPle tell me parque feels more comfortable and "softer". I can never tell the difference.
laminates got popping sound and feels hollow.....can nvr compare....NO laminates for me!:tsk-tsk:
those big big piece engineered timber flooring is da best.....gd for humid weather
it falls under timber strip category since its big big piece?
laminates got popping sound and feels hollow.....can nvr compare....NO laminates for me!:tsk-tsk:
timber strips seems to be more popular now even for living room flooring. I got a friend whom timber strip the whole house.
devilplate
05-06-11, 11:49
engineered wood is da best!
http://www.diydata.com/planning/timber-flooring/engineered-timber-flooring.php
Is engineered wood suitable for the balcony?
devilplate
05-06-11, 12:17
Is engineered wood suitable for the balcony?
chengai is da best
Balcony needs wood that can withstand rain and water, so usually use Chengai.
Is engineered wood suitable for the balcony?
Laminates: can have hollows, slippery when wet, feel artificial and too smooth and slippery.
No such problem with timber strips & parquets, where both can have matt & semi-matt finish.
i will get the ball started. Since i was on the other thread wit teddybear. So you guys feel different when u step on laminates flooring and parque? PPle tell me parque feels more comfortable and "softer". I can never tell the difference.
Living and dinning room - Marbles is the best! More beautiful & more variety than granites!
Bedrooms - large pieces of timber strips made of solid woods are the best!
Bathrooms and kitchens - Granites is the best! can withstand water and can can last.
Table tops - Don't need to think, Granites is the best! No solid tops please! get stained so easily!
Bathroom equipment & accessories (bath shower mixers, taps etc) : If you don't want water spots appearing within 3-6 months (seen that from other people's house, appearing 3-6 months after renovation), Hansgrohe and AXOR are the best bet! Other brands that can be considered are NewForm, etc.
Sanitary wares & lavatory tops : Personal preference, but I like TOTO! Other brands to consider are Ideal Standard, Duravit, etc. Never ever use those brandless ones! WCs can crack and shake when you sit on it (Yes, I have seen it before!).
Electrical appliances : Well, seem like the best and most well known is MIELE! Their equipment are very famous for their reliability (but unfortunately also notorious for their price!).
Since there are no thread on this area, lets all post here your experience with different materials for table tops, flooring, toilet finishing, kitchen cabinet systems, etc. Do share your lobang with contractors too.
Reposted here:
Don't think so. Do you see those solid wood table surface warp? No right? Good solid wood won't warp. I never see any solid wood flooring warp. Those you see are the compressed or engineered wood?
For sure small piece parquet can pop easily. I have seen that too often in landed properties where they used to use small pieces parquet for flooring of bedrooms.
These are not marketing difference but advantages in bigger piece timber woods vs small piece parquets.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaytonaSS
bro, i not sure about parque..... but doesnt larger piece of wood warp easlier? That what contractors tell me..... the difference here is minute issnt it. Just that 10cm longer will be so much difference? Wood dont expand much ba, its a bad conductor of heat. Any bros here have them on your properties? I think the pricing is just marketing difference or positioning strategies.
I think quality of wood, perhaps teak will be preferred perhaps.
proud owner
05-06-11, 13:38
Living and dinning room - Marbles is the best! More beautiful & more variety than granites!
Bedrooms - large pieces of timber strips made of solid woods are the best!
Bathrooms and kitchens - Granites is the best! can withstand water and can can last.
Table tops - Don't need to think, Granites is the best! No solid tops please! get stained so easily!
Bathroom equipment & accessories (bath shower mixers, taps etc) : If you don't want water spots appearing within 3-6 months (seen that from other people's house, appearing 3-6 months after renovation), Hansgrohe and AXOR are the best bet! Other brands that can be considered are NewForm, etc.
Sanitary wares & lavatory tops : Personal preference, but I like TOTO! Other brands to consider are Ideal Standard, Duravit, etc. Never ever use those brandless ones! WCs can crack and shake when you sit on it (Yes, I have seen it before!).
Electrical appliances : Well, seem like the best and most well known is MIELE! Their equipment are very famous for their reliability (but unfortunately also notorious for their price!).
granite for table tops look damn good
but i was told that its not suitable to be used for kitchen top as they are porous ( true ?)
solid surface ...yes stain easily but if diligently wipe them ...they can last very long
but dont use black solid surface ... they turn whitish over time
i use burmese teak for flooring.. long wide pieces .. durable, looks good and dont warp ...
Miele very ex ..but yes they are good
Quartz is suitable for kitchen tops. Has the looks of granite but is non-porous (eg Caesarstone or Stone Italiano). Safe from abuse by the maid. Cannot scratch. Cannot stain.
i use burmese teak for flooring.. long wide pieces .. durable, looks good and dont warp ...
This is top of the range right!! i just read somewhere
proud owner
05-06-11, 14:52
This is top of the range right!! i just read somewhere
yes it is expensive
you can go for the next best ...indonesian teak
cheaper than burmese
also to add to the discussion
for kitchen top ....granite is very heavy
and if your loer cabinets are wall hung ..it is not recommended ..
if they are legged ... then still can support the weight
i wanted to use it for my master bath room sink ... 1m width and 2m long ... it was to be attached on one wall along the length ... but architect said not possible ...cos too heavy ... unless can attach along its length and one side of the width ...
otherwise i would have to have 4 legs for the cabinet below to support it ..
as we didnt want legged cabinet ...so we forgo granite sink top
Not true lah. Granites also many types, some relative non-porous and can withstand water but more ex. Some people said must do "sealing" on top of granite so that it is water-proof, my ID say don't need lah as "sealing" masked the natural surface texture and in future need to do re-"sealing" very often. True or not? Granite can withstand abuse, as long as no acid pour on it can already. Got acid need to do polish liao (but very ex!).
granite for table tops look damn good
but i was told that its not suitable to be used for kitchen top as they are porous ( true ?)
solid surface ...yes stain easily but if diligently wipe them ...they can last very long
but dont use black solid surface ... they turn whitish over time
i use burmese teak for flooring.. long wide pieces .. durable, looks good and dont warp ...
Miele very ex ..but yes they are good
Mine uses granite top for bathroom sink area, attached to wall on length and width, suspended. Asked ID will fall in future or not, they say won't lah as the lower cabinet got steel bracket support attached to wall.
yes it is expensive
you can go for the next best ...indonesian teak
cheaper than burmese
also to add to the discussion
for kitchen top ....granite is very heavy
and if your loer cabinets are wall hung ..it is not recommended ..
if they are legged ... then still can support the weight
i wanted to use it for my master bath room sink ... 1m width and 2m long ... it was to be attached on one wall along the length ... but architect said not possible ...cos too heavy ... unless can attach along its length and one side of the width ...
otherwise i would have to have 4 legs for the cabinet below to support it ..
as we didnt want legged cabinet ...so we forgo granite sink top
yes it is expensive
you can go for the next best ...indonesian teak
cheaper than burmese
also to add to the discussion
for kitchen top ....granite is very heavy
and if your loer cabinets are wall hung ..it is not recommended ..
if they are legged ... then still can support the weight
i wanted to use it for my master bath room sink ... 1m width and 2m long ... it was to be attached on one wall along the length ... but architect said not possible ...cos too heavy ... unless can attach along its length and one side of the width ...
otherwise i would have to have 4 legs for the cabinet below to support it ..
as we didnt want legged cabinet ...so we forgo granite sink top
power!! 2m x 1m! this kind then call bathroom!! hahah
Anyone uses quartz for their kitchen top, it's suppose to be as tough as granite and not as porous as granite.
chengai is da best
chengai do check with supplier if it's from matured tree or young tree, expect to pay more for "old wood" :D . I ended up using Ironwood instead.
Marble my favourite Volakas...drool...:cheers6:
proud owner
05-06-11, 22:09
Mine uses granite top for bathroom sink area, attached to wall on length and width, suspended. Asked ID will fall in future or not, they say won't lah as the lower cabinet got steel bracket support attached to wall.
yes my archi did say if attached on one length and one width then its possible to be suspended
however mine does not ... only to be attached along the length ,,and 2m long ..too heavy ...
hence i changed material but maintained the design n dimension
Owners with marble flooring: how often do you polish your marble?
Owners with marble flooring: how often do you polish your marble?
whenever tenant changed:D :D
proud owner
05-06-11, 22:38
whenever tenant changed:D :D
hahha
true
my tenant asks to have the outdoor timber wood polished / vanished
How to make $ like that? I was referring to those self-stay owners. I notice not many people bother to polish. Dull marbles look bad.
proud owner
05-06-11, 23:03
How to make $ like that? I was referring to those self-stay owners. I notice not many people bother to polish. Dull marbles look bad.
for marble flooring ....
its good practise to charge your furniture arrangement every 6 mths..
ever notice the marble under your sofa is 'whiter' than the rest of the floor ?
devilplate
05-06-11, 23:53
How to make $ like that? I was referring to those self-stay owners. I notice not many people bother to polish. Dull marbles look bad.
When i repaint, i will polish marles n varnish the timber tgt...oh ya, change curtains at the same time....:D
for marble flooring ....
its good practise to charge your furniture arrangement every 6 mths..
ever notice the marble under your sofa is 'whiter' than the rest of the floor ?
I'm comtemplating marble flooring but it sounds tedious and expensive to maintain.
chengai do check with supplier if it's from matured tree or young tree, expect to pay more for "old wood" :D . I ended up using Ironwood instead.
Marble my favourite Volakas...drool...:cheers6:
Not good to use wood because most of them are illegally logged. This speeds up climate change and worsen the weather in Singapore. Soon, those low lying areas may be permanently water-logged and cause tropical dieseases to flourish.
Not good to use wood because most of them are illegally logged. This speeds up climate change and worsen the weather in Singapore.
i don't have green fingers & empty planters box rather eyesore :o. Newer projects are doing away with planters so good news?
devilplate
06-06-11, 11:40
i don't have green fingers & empty planters box rather eyesore :o. Newer projects are doing away with planters so good news?
no baywindows+planters very good news for me:D
but new projects so ex now....haha
but you get another 10% space allocated to the balcony and possibly almost 10% space allocated to the air-con ledge areas (this is the killer because is by far the worst useless space compared to baywindows and planter areas as you can't even access these air-con ledge areas other than to put your compressors)! :doh:
no baywindows+planters very good news for me:D
but new projects so ex now....haha
devilplate
06-06-11, 12:42
but you get another 10% space allocated to the balcony and possibly almost 10% space allocated to the air-con ledge areas (this is the killer because is by far the worst useless space compared to baywindows and planter areas as you can't even access these air-con ledge areas other than to put your compressors)! :doh:
prior to tat, aso got big balconies....balcony size abt 10% is just right....too small is useless, too big u goto pay for it
so far only those mm projects got big a/c ledge....
Anyone uses quartz for their kitchen top, it's suppose to be as tough as granite and not as porous as granite.
In my previous HDB flat, I used it for my vainity top in my mater bathroom and my kitchen top.
It is really tough! You can actually leave a kettle of boiling water on top without worried about melting the top like solid surface and you can also cut your food with a knife on it without getting scratches! ;) It is cool to touch and has the same feel of a polish piece of stone. Over time, it may lose it's shine like other natural stone. So if you want it to shine again, you have to get it polished. But it doesn't come cheap though. See link below for more info.
http://www.silestone.com/in/quartz/what-is-silestone.asp
That 10% size in balconies started only some time in 2004 onwards (together with super big size bay windows and planter areas)? Before that, we seldom see so big as 10% balconies, big bay windows & planter areas.
Now, those another 10% allocated for baywindows + Planter areas shifted to air-con ledges (regardless of MM or not. Saw Trilight very bad space usage!)! Gosh! :banghead:
prior to tat, aso got big balconies....balcony size abt 10% is just right....too small is useless, too big u goto pay for it
so far only those mm projects got big a/c ledge....
proud owner
06-06-11, 17:25
In my previous HDB flat, I used it for my vainity top in my mater bathroom and my kitchen top.
It is really tough! You can actually leave a kettle of boiling water on top without worried about melting the top like solid surface and you can also cut your food with a knife on it without getting scratches! ;) It is cool to touch and has the same feel of a polish piece of stone. Over time, it may lose it's shine like other natural stone. So if you want it to shine again, you have to get it polished. But it doesn't come cheap though. See link below for more info.
http://www.silestone.com/in/quartz/what-is-silestone.asp
granite top is very popular in US ...
and houses here are huge so a big slab used as island top is very grand and nice
but in small kitchen like in spore ... the space constraint results in smaller scale type and that doesnt bring out as much how gorgoeus granite can be ...
even if you can afford the space for a big piece .. unless you stay landed ... being in condos... i pity the workers transporting a big piece ...
very heay
i actually use it as my bathroom shower floor ... i lay a piece on the floor with a draining around it ... feels good stepping on it ...and it looks good...
kingkong1984
06-06-11, 21:36
Granite very slippery when wet unless it is the coarse type.
proud owner
06-06-11, 21:39
Granite very slippery when wet unless it is the coarse type.
yes
i was the slightly coarse one ... feels a bit like what they call pebble wash ....
kingkong1984
06-06-11, 21:46
yes
i was the slightly coarse one ... feels a bit like what they call pebble wash ....
Good choice, best anti slip.
it's called "flamed" finish....
Granite very slippery when wet unless it is the coarse type.
think its possible to cut groves. I saw it on Reflections showflat bathroom floor. Dont know if its marble or granite , but marble is porous so i dont think it is. Anyway there were groves cut so it became anti sleep n looks very nice.
I'm considering marble for floor renovation. Is it really slippery and scratches easily? Will it crack years later?
devilplate
20-06-11, 08:41
I'm considering marble for floor renovation. Is it really slippery and scratches easily? Will it crack years later?
for living rm marble best...can consider compressed marble too
but dun use marble in bathrooms....easily stained n definitely turn yellowish if u use light colored marbles.....use tiles or granite
but you get another 10% space allocated to the balcony and possibly almost 10% space allocated to the air-con ledge areas (this is the killer because is by far the worst useless space compared to baywindows and planter areas as you can't even access these air-con ledge areas other than to put your compressors)! :doh:
Can store your brooms, mop and rugs at aircon ledge :D
devilplate
20-06-11, 09:42
Can store your brooms, mop and rugs at aircon ledge :D
den u everytime climb in and out to retrieve it?:scared-4:
den u everytime climb in and out to retrieve it?:scared-4:
Haha, thats funny the way u put it haha, but i tot Just open the bathroom windows can reach already what?
devilplate
20-06-11, 09:59
Haha, thats funny the way u put it haha, but i tot Just open the bathroom windows can reach already what?
i tink only can put mop lor....raining get wet aso nvm....
for living rm marble best...can consider compressed marble too
but dun use marble in bathrooms....easily stained n definitely turn yellowish if u use light colored marbles.....use tiles or granite
Thx. Dunno whether it is worth e cost. I dislike e homogeneous tiled grout lines.
Thx. Dunno whether it is worth e cost. I dislike e homogeneous tiled grout lines.
Have you seen the big homogeneous tiles (600mm x 600mm). The grout lines are less obvious. And they are definitely easier to maintain than marble (non-porous therefore will not stain/discolour nor need polishing).
There are also homogenous tiles that look like timber strips.
Have you seen the big homogeneous tiles (600mm x 600mm). The grout lines are less obvious. And they are definitely easier to maintain than marble (non-porous therefore will not stain/discolour nor need polishing).
There are also homogenous tiles that look like timber strips.If I don't remember wrongly, think homogenous tiles even have 800mm by 800mm but those tiles, though better would require more skilled workers to lay them for a better finishing. Well here is the dillemma. While I prefer easy maintenance so go for homogenous tiles if I do reno myself but if I buy from developer, I'd not want to get homogenous tiles for all the money I put in and let developers tai me.... :doh: How???
If I don't remember wrongly, think homogenous tiles even have 800mm by 800mm but those tiles, though better would require more skilled workers to lay them for a better finishing. Well here is the dillemma. While I prefer easy maintenance so go for homogenous tiles if I do reno myself but if I buy from developer, I'd not want to get homogenous tiles for all the money I put in and let developers tai me.... :doh: How???
800x800 mm requires skilled workers to lay and is more expensive. In terms of labour it needs 2 guys to carry the tile and position it carefully. You also need the contractor to use proper tile adhesive as a lot of contractors "cheat" on the adhesive since it is very expensive (they tend to mix the adhesive to dilute it out). The quotation for laying 800x800 mm will definitely be a lot more than 600x600mm. And the chance of the contractor not doing it properly is also higher.
If you buy from developer, you have to go with whatever is stated in the brochure. Or else ask the developer's representative if you can pay extra to upgrade to marble. If the developer uses cheap marble and doesn't lay it well, it can also turn out to be ugly. The marble bought by developers is generic and brought in a mass purchase. You don't get to select the pieces in order to get the best colour/veining pattern. That's the downside of buying from developer.
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