Annexe Knowledgebase

Just like the wall coverings you choose, your flooring will act as a backdrop for the rest of your new interior decoration scheme for your annexe. And it is not just the look of your annexe that your flooring affects — the right flooring will have a practical impact on how well each room performs too.

The flooring you choose should very much depend on the room you are fitting it in. The perfect living room flooring will not necessarily work in the kitchen. If you are adding flooring to a new annexe, you have free reign to choose whatever you want, but in a existing annexe, your decision is likely to be dictated by the style of the home, and trying to match what is already there.

You will also be led by your budget. Think not only about the cost of the flooring itself, but also which options are easier to install on a DIY basis if you are looking to make further savings.

How much do different types of flooring cost?

Stone Floors
A popular flooring solution for centuries, stone flooring is extremely hard wearing and looks great in both traditional and contemporary homes.
Cost: Approx. £30/m² (although slate can be found for as little as £20/m²)

Porcelain Tiles
Porcelain tiles are hardwearing and available in lots of styles and finishes. They are low maintenance and cost-wise, sit between stone and ceramic tiles.
Cost: £20/m²

Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tiles can be created in a number of styles and colours, or designed to emulate stone while being lighter in weight and cheaper.
Cost: from £10/m²

Engineered flooring and solid timber
Wooden flooring is a common original feature in period homes, especially on first floors where stone alternatives would not have been feasible. It can also be worked into contemporary schemes, and engineered options (a laminated timber) offer a more water and movement resistant alternative to solid wood.
Cost: from £25–30/m²

Linoleum and Vinyl
Forget the yellowed, flimsy coverings of the past, these two materials now offer far more than just a cheap and cheerful flooring, being extremely durable, water-resistant, easy to maintain and cost-effective to buy — vinyl in particular can also mimic wood and stone. Although often grouped together, they are very different from a material perspective — linoleum is a natural product made from linseed oil mixed with plant material such as cork, and vinyl is a synthetic petroleum-based material.
Cost: from £20/m²

Luxury Vinyl Tile
As the name suggests, luxury vinyl tile is a high-end version of vinyl that comes in planks or tiles instead of a single roll. It is warm underfoot, and very convincing wood-effect versions are available, giving the look of wood places where real timber would not be suitable.
Cost: from £30–40/m²

Carpet
Warm, comforting and quiet underfoot, it’s not surprising carpet’s popularity holds strong. It is suitable for most rooms – though it is usually best avoided in wet rooms – but the type of carpet you choose should be influenced by the amount of traffic the area is expected to receive.
Cost: from £20/m² for synthetic or £30/m² for wool rich carpet

Natural Carpets
Carpets are not just made from synthetic fibres and wool — jute, sisal, seagrass and coir all make sustainable, allergy-friendly and hardwearing floor coverings.
Cost: £10–£40/m²

Polished Concrete or Resin
Concrete is perfect for those seeking a smooth contemporary design with an industrial vibe. Concrete is often given a bad press for being eco-unfriendly, but it’s greener than you might think, being that it often uses recycled aggregates in its manufacture and is incredibly hardwearing — so will last for decades without the need for replacement; it’s also waterproof. It needs to be poured by a specialist company, and is often polished to a high gloss.
Cost: from £90/m²

Cork
Cork is a sustainable and renewable option made from the bark of the cork oak tree. It is comfortable to walk on and offers good soundproofing, but does need sealing to keep it clean and dry.
Cost: from £13/m²

Bamboo
Bamboo is notoriously fast growing which makes it fairly cheap to produce and a solid alternative to hardwood flooring. Its colour is achieved by heating as opposed to staining, and the longer it is heated, the darker it gets.
Cost: from £20/m²

Laminate
Laminate flooring consists of a photographic image of wood or stone placed on top of a core board made of compressed fibres; the material is covered in a melamine wear layer, giving laminate flooring its famed toughness. It is also easy to install as it usually has click system installation, without any need for glue or nails.
Cost: from as little as £6/m² for a basic option, up to £25/m² for high quality

Leather
A mark of luxury, leather tiles create a warm atmosphere, generally improving with age as they develop a rich patina and gain characterful marks and scratches over time. Available as tiles, leather is expensive, however, it is a very durable material. All the same, it’s not advisable to install leather in bathrooms.
Cost: in excess of £200/m²

Rubber
Rubber is derived from rubber trees, and is a renewable resource with a 20-year lifespan that can look great in contemporary homes. It also insulates, absorbs noise and is highly water resistant.
Cost: £30–£60/m²