lino or tiled laminate flooring?

Im having a new kitchen, downstairs toilet. There is also a small room leading off the kitchen with an archway in between. Ive seen tiled laminate flooring which I thought would be great but have been told I may have problems with fitting due to the kitchen floor being higher than the small room and the floor sloping in between the two rooms (any advice on this would be great) Ive also seen vinyl lino - something I wouldnt have considered but there was this really great style similar to the tiled laminate in dark grey/black. Is Lino too cheap looking though? Lino or laminate?

Public Comments

1. The vinyl you can buy nowadays is leagues ahead of the stuff you got years ago. There's much better designs and better quality. The laminate/tiles look ok, but I know someone who's washing machine had a leak and poured a reasonably small amount of water onto the laminate which completely ruined the entire floor (Its was a kitchen grade laminate as well) So I would opt for vinyl personally.
2. i think that some types of lino look well cheap, but there are some nice sophisticated ones out there...if you would have problems putting laminate flooring down it may be easier for you in the long run to put lino down, plus i imagine it would be a lot cheaper. also, you have to be careful in case you spill any liquids on laminate flooring because sometimes it can run in between the joins and this can cause the wood to swell and therefore alter its shape...not pretty! on the other hand, laminate flooring suits all decor whereas if you chose lino you may be limiting your options for colour schemes etc. in my opinion, id go for laminate as i think it looks sleek and contemporary but it does seem that in your case it may be more feasable to go for the lino. good luck!!
3. sounds like my kitchen go for lino unless you want to get the floor leveled out which will be exspensive.
4. I had a similar dilemma when I remodeled my kitchen / dining room... I prefer the look of laminate or tile, but there was a slope where the original floor of the kitchen met with the (formerly carpeted) dining room. In order to do it right, I found myself hearing that I would have do use some leveling agent to lessen the slope and that this would create other problems with thresholds to adjoining rooms.... Ultimately the owner of the flooring company suggested that I consider linoleum - it was the best decision that I could have made. I opted for a design that looked like stone tiles (browns, tans, greys) with a white grout line. It looks wonderful! Many people comment that they like my tile and are shocked to learn that it's linoleum - they will stoop down and feel it..... Since it was a large area, budget was also an issue. Many of the smaller (local) flooring companies will buy linoleum from trade shows / auctions in various "grades" that may have some slight imperfection. I went with a grade 2 (minor imperfections) and - to this day- I cannot find the problem and believe me it has been a quest. The cost was also great.... Another little bonus happened about a week after getting the flooring installed. My water heater busted and leaked water all over the kitchen floor - had I installed a laminate, the water would have ruined the entire floor.... I say go linoleum with a tile look and you won't regret it! Good luck! Here's a link to one that is similar to mine: http://www.armstrong.com/resflram/na/sheet/en/us/prod_detail.asp?itemId=97804.0