What sort of flooring?

We are looking at doing the house up and have pretty much decided on installing underfloor heating up and downstairs. I know this will be costly but the house has suffered a lack of maintenance for years so we need to take up finishes and replace things anyhow.

Anyway my question; I have dogs and the humans are too messy for carpet. So this seems to leave tiles and vinyl as possible flooring options. Are there any other products that are easy clean and water resistant?

I'm looking for the whole house to match so I'm wondering what to do with the stairs?

Carpet the stairs with a good 100% polyprop, or Vinyl/LVT the stairs, you'll likely need to use nosings on each step if you go this route.

I would personally look at LVT if you are doing the whole house on underfloor heating, you MUST prepare the floor correctly and with the correct adhesives, also double check that the output of the UFH is matched to the flooring layers you are fitting, you'll want to feel the heat and for the system to be as efficient as possible afterall.

I have mentioned on a previous thread today that our company has had success with a product called Imprezzo, it's basically a LVT like Amtico/Karndean but installed on it's own underlay, it will be cheaper and easier to install but just as hard wearing, you'll need to consider the options regarding beading/skirtings though which would be less of an issue with a stick down LTV.

A really good laminate like QuickStep or Pergo would be fine also in all areas too, including stairs, you don't need to wash these floors, you just wipe them down with laminate cleaner and a flat cleaning mop with the minimum of fuss. Pergo now do an underlay system with built in Underfloor Heating System, well worth looking at on their website.

Thanks for the reply. Carpet of any sort is definitely a no go in our house, too much mud about that sticks to it.

I'd asked in shops about vinyl but they had all said it was a no go for stairs. Vinyl would be better for us I think as is most water resistant and cleanable. Do they do smaller or prettier nosings? I don't want it looking to commercial.

I have done laminate before but it was the cheap sort, how does decent laminate fair when saturated with water? Thinking of a spilled water bowl or rather damp dog.

We are looking to plan thoroughly before we start hence deciding on the floor coverings now to let the heating people know.

The nosings option is never going to be that 'pretty' with vinyl, but it IS an option if you HAVE to have vinyl on the stairs.

Regarding good quality laminate, dog bowls etc and damp dogs are not a problem, it's regular washing with water which is a big no no ( you only need to wipe laminate clean with laminate cleaner and a flat headed microfibre mop head) or indeed a disaster like a washing machine leak that is a problem.

Vinyl would be better for moisture, but restricts your options regarding finish on the stairs. Personally, if things are that bad, I'd look at LVT/Imprezzo in all areas xcept the stairs, which I would fit in a practical, decent man made fibre twist, and accept that the stair carpet would be replaced on a semi-regular basis, Lano, Cormar, Mohawk, Victoria make some pretty decent man made fibre twists nowadays that perform very well under the conditions you describe.

If you fit stair carpet the proper way with stair rods (instead of grippers that shred the back of the carpet, and your fingers) then it's fairly easy to remove the entire carpet, take it outside, and pressure wash it.

No professional fitter would fit a stair runner without gripper and underlay, stair rods are purely decorative nowadays and the fixings will not provide a fixing to secure the carpet, fitting a carpet in such a way would be against current fitting regulations.