Carpet vs laminate vs LVT vs tiles: costs per m² in Ilford

Short answer: carpet is the cheapest per m² and the warmest underfoot. Laminate is the best-value hard floor. LVT costs more but is fully waterproof. Tiles cost the most to fit but last the longest in kitchens and bathrooms. Here are our real shop prices, and which room suits which floor.

Flooring prices per m² at our Ilford shop

Floor	Price	Best for
Carpet	from £7.99 per m² + VAT	Bedrooms, stairs, living rooms. Other ranges £8.99, £9.99 and up to £18.99 per m² + VAT.
8mm waterproof laminate	£19.99 per m² + VAT	Hallways, living rooms, rentals. Supplied and fitted from £550 per room.
LVT luxury vinyl tile	£26.60 per m² + VAT	Kitchens, bathrooms, anywhere wet. 100% waterproof rigid core.
Porcelain & ceramic tiles	£15.40 to £59.90 per m² + VAT	Kitchens, bathrooms, splashbacks.
Polysafe safety vinyl	priced after a free site survey	Commercial kitchens, care settings, wet rooms.

Prices are for the flooring material per m². Fitting, underlay and grippers are quoted separately after a free measure, except where a fitted price is shown. Full list on our prices page.

Carpet: warm, quiet and the lowest price per m²

Carpet starts at £7.99 per m² + VAT. It is the obvious choice for bedrooms and stairs. It is soft, warm and cuts noise between floors, which matters in flats and terraced houses. Our dearer ranges, up to £18.99 per m² + VAT, give a thicker pile and a more hard-wearing finish for busy rooms.

Carpet is the wrong choice for kitchens, bathrooms and toilets. Spills soak in and it is hard to keep clean. Many landlords now avoid carpet in living rooms too, because a hard floor is easier to clean between tenancies.

Laminate: the best-value hard floor

Our 8mm waterproof laminate is £19.99 per m² + VAT. We also supply and fit laminate from £550 per room, including labour and materials. That fixed starting price makes it easy to budget for a living room or bedroom.

Laminate suits hallways, living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. It resists scratches and wipes clean. It is a favourite for rentals. It is louder underfoot than carpet, so a good underlay matters, especially upstairs.

LVT: fully waterproof, made for kitchens and bathrooms

Our LVT (luxury vinyl tile) is £26.60 per m² + VAT. It has a 100% waterproof rigid core in oak effects. It looks like wood but is happy in kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms and en-suites. It is warmer and quieter than tiles and quicker to fit.

LVT costs more per m² than laminate. In a dry living room, laminate usually gives better value. In any room that gets wet, LVT is worth the extra.

Tiles: the longest-lasting option

Porcelain and ceramic tiles run from £15.40 to £59.90 per m² + VAT, depending on size and finish. Tiles are the hardest-wearing floor for kitchens, bathrooms and porches. They work well with underfloor heating. The trade-off is fitting: tiling takes longer, needs a flat and rigid subfloor, and costs more in labour than click flooring. See our tiling page.

Which floor for which room?

• Bedrooms: carpet for warmth. Laminate if you prefer a hard floor.
• Stairs and landings: carpet. It is safer and quieter.
• Living rooms: carpet or laminate. Laminate for rentals and homes with pets.
• Hallways: laminate or LVT. They handle wet shoes and heavy traffic.
• Kitchens: LVT or tiles.
• Bathrooms and en-suites: LVT or tiles. Never carpet or standard laminate.
• Commercial kitchens, care settings and wet rooms: safety vinyl such as Polysafe.

How to measure a room for flooring

You can get a rough figure yourself in five minutes. We still measure for free before we quote.

1. Measure the longest length of the room in metres, into any bay or alcove.
2. Measure the widest width the same way.
3. Multiply length by width to get the area in m².
4. Measure into each doorway to the middle of the door, where the threshold strip will go.
5. Add a margin for cutting and waste. Odd-shaped rooms waste more.

Example: a bedroom 4 m by 3.5 m is 14 m². At £7.99 per m² + VAT, the carpet itself is £111.86 + VAT before fitting, underlay and grippers. In 8mm laminate at £19.99 per m² + VAT, the material is £279.86 + VAT, or you can have it supplied and fitted from £550 per room.

Carpet comes off a roll of a fixed width. If your room is wider than the roll, there will be a join, or extra carpet to cut away. That is why carpet quotes are based on the roll, not just the floor area. Stairs are measured by the number of steps, not by m².

Underlay

Underlay sits between the subfloor and the new floor. Under carpet it adds comfort, warmth and life to the pile, and grippers hold the carpet at the edges. Under laminate it smooths small bumps, cuts noise and, on concrete, acts as a damp barrier. Some click LVT and laminate boards come with underlay attached. We tell you which underlay your floor needs and list it in the quote.

Fitting, subfloors and door trimming

Fitting cost depends on the room shape, the number of doorways, stairs and landings, the underlay, and whether old flooring needs lifting and taking away. The subfloor matters too. A hard floor needs a flat, sound base, so uneven floors may need levelling first.

New flooring can raise the floor height. Doors that cleared the old floor may then catch. We check door clearances when we measure, and if doors need trimming we say so in the written quote. Thresholds and trims finish each doorway neatly.

Visit the shop or book a free measure

See samples at 6 Spurway Parade, Woodford Avenue, Ilford IG2 6UU, between Gants Hill and Barkingside. Or ask us to bring samples to you. We cover Ilford, Redbridge, Romford, Barking and the rest of East London and Essex. Read more on our flooring page or call 07774 944042.

Questions people ask

Visit or contact us

SK Design & Construct Ltd, 6 Spurway Parade, Woodford Avenue, Ilford IG2 6UU. Call or WhatsApp 07774 944042 or email info@skdesignconstructltd.com. Registered in England and Wales, company number 16582978.