The children's room should always offer the right environment for turbulent play and romp. Because the room is used in so many different ways, it is not always easy for parents to find the right furnishings. Safe furniture and child-friendly wall design are far from enough. The floor in particular must best suit the conditions in the room. This means parents need to look for real all-rounders. The floor covering in the children's room should be able to withstand moisture and friction well and in the area of the living room climate it must not endanger the child's health. There are many criteria here, for which there are just as many answers and options.
Floor covering in the children's room - the classic parquet or laminate
A wooden floor in the children's room is probably one of the most frequently chosen options. Its smooth surface allows furniture and toys to be placed and is also quite easy to clean. With a vacuum cleaner and a damp cloth, parquet and laminate flooring can be cleaned again in no time. So beneficialLaminate and parquetmay seem suitable for use in the children's room, there are still some points that can have a detrimental effect.
Depending on how they are manufactured, both laminate and parquet are quite sensitive to moisture. A spilled drink at night can cause horror in the morning when the edges of the wooden floor are swollen. The resistance to knocks and scratches is also not always optimal for laminate and parquet. Racing through the children's room in a ride-on car or dragging a toy chest across the floor can leave lasting marks. Parents should therefore know that use in children's rooms often leaves their mark on laminate and parquet.
When it comes to the pleasant feeling under your feet, parquet has the edge over laminate. The natural wood feels softer and also warmer. Laminate often results in a rather cool floor, which can make getting up in the morning particularly stressful. If you still want to use laminate, it is worth adding a non-toxic children's carpet.
It is also necessary to take a look at the possible pollutant levels for parquet and laminate. Parquet is considered particularly natural and healthy. However, this is only the case if it is not a floor that has been treated with a contaminated varnish. For a low-emission living environment in children's rooms, parquet variants that use biologically based wax or oil are therefore suitable. Parents should also take a closer look at laminate flooring, because chipboard often contains dangerous formaldehyde, which increases the risk of cancer. It is therefore always advisable to choose a floor covering that has been tested for harmful substances.
Vinyl floors as an alternative
Vinyl floors are a comparatively new living trend. Vinyl also proves to be advantageous in many ways in children's rooms, as the floor coverings are soft and significantly warmer than laminate. Vinyl floors are also forgiving of spills, provided they are approved for wet areas such as bathrooms or kitchens. When it comes to resistance to impact and abrasion, parents should opt for vinyl floors, which are also recommended for intensive or even commercial use. Their surface is extremely robust and can withstand extensive playing and running around.
Another advantage of vinyl floors is their low installation height. They are often no higher than five millimeters, which saves having to shorten doors after installation. In addition, the visual selection is huge. Vinyl floors are available, among other things:
• in stone look
• in wood look
• in a single-color design
• with patterns.
Laying modern vinyl floors is just as easy as classic laminate flooring. Individual click panels are connected to each other and can be laid floating or glued. Once laid, vinyl also proves to be quite easy to care for. Vacuum cleaners and mop cloths are the only utensils needed for cleaning here and even water-soluble finger paint can be easily removed.
However, parents are often unsettled because vinyl flooring is reminiscent of classic PVC, which is known for plasticizers and heavy metals. However, the indoor climate in the children's room should be free of harmful chemicals and fumes, which is why vinyl floors raise doubts. The fact is, however, that there are options for finding pollutant-free floor coverings here too. That's how it will beParador Vinyl von floorlife.deAccording to the provider, they are regularly checked for harmful emissions and ingredients.
Pay attention to chemical additives in carpets
Last but not least, carpeting is also one of the options available to parents when designing their children's rooms. However, carpets are often not recommended because the risk for people with house dust allergies appears to be higher than with smooth surfaces. However, this is a fallacy. A smooth floor on which house dust accumulates cannot prevent it from being stirred up by the slightest movements. There is always a significant amount of house dust in the room air. “The same particles are found on carpets, but these are largely held by the fibers in the carpet and are only stirred up upon direct contact.” (Source:www.heimwerker.de) However, the prerequisite for an environment with as little dust as possible is that the carpet is also thoroughly vacuumed on a regular basis. This is also important to protect the visual beauty of the carpet, as dirt particles can bond with the fibers of the carpet over time and cause permanent stains and discoloration.
The pollution of carpets is a very important issue when it comes to children's rooms. Cheap carpets from hardware stores in particular are often contaminated because the fibers and the carpet backing are treated with chemicals that are harmful to health. Therefore, only carpets that are produced without harmful substances and are certified accordingly offer safety in the children's room. Parents usually have to dig a little deeper into their pockets for these carpets.
In addition, carpet is not very resistant to stains and moisture. Paint, for example, can no longer be removed from some carpets without leaving any residue. If you still want to lay carpet in the children's room, you should not go for very light versions and prefer patterned models. The height of the carpet also influences the comfort of playing. If the mini horse doesn't stop on the carpet and the toy car doesn't even start rolling, the fun is quickly over. Parents are therefore advised to choose carpets with a firm structure and a short pile.
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Figure 8: Ephraim's daughter (CC0 license)/ pixabay.com
