Soft floor for children's rooms

Little kids need special conditions for existence. This is not only comfortable clothing and shoes, a comfortable bed or high chair. In most cases, it is worth bothering about the arrangement of the sexes in the nursery, taking into account all the inherent needs of the kids.

The house is not a static creation, it can and should be adapted for the convenience of all its tenants. Therefore, when a baby appears in a family, it is quite normal that by its birth the nursery should be repaired taking into account its comfort and safety. In particular, the floor in the nursery should be different from what is present in the other rooms of the house.

From about 6 months, when the baby begins to crawl, and until the age of seven, he will spend most of his leisure time on the floor. The quality of the floor, as well as its appearance and texture will influence how the child will be able to interact with the world around him.Criteria for arranging the sexes in a child’s room depend on his physiological characteristics at a given age, temperament, and necessarily on his interests.

First of all, such a criterion is important as the comfort of the floor covering, that is, its warmth and softness. Parents playing with babies on the floor will also not like it if the floor is cold and hard. Children are in most cases immune to the discomfort of the floor, but they can easily catch a cold if they begin to crawl along cool boards of parquet or linoleum.

The next important criterion is cleanability. All parents are well aware that children simply can’t stop littering, so you need to take this factor into account when choosing flooring so as not to make life difficult for you in the future.

Durability is very important: a child, playing on the floor, is sure to leave scratches, chips, dents.

If there are living quarters under the child’s room, sound insulation is of great importance, because the sound is transmitted between the floors. Therefore, the flooring in the nursery should be noise absorbing.

The traditional choice for flooring in children's bedrooms and playrooms is carpet or carpet.

This is due to the fact that it is quite soft and fluffy, its surface provides tactile comfort when touched, and also helps prevent injuries if the child stumbles and falls. To increase this effect, it is worth getting as soft as possible carpet.

An important advantage for the use of carpet in children's playrooms is the fact that it works well as a sound insulation material. This will help get rid of the inevitable noise that children who like to play, stomp and ride around the room create. This is especially important when the baby’s room is on the top floor. Carpets made of nylon, polyester, polypropylene have proven themselves well; showing greater durability and resistance to paint. It is worth avoiding wool or long pile carpets that are difficult to clean.

The lack of carpet for the arrangement of children's rooms can be considered the fact that children litter a lot, and the carpet, as you know, is difficult to keep clean. It gets dirty easily and saves dirt. This means that in the nursery it is desirable to avoid light carpets.At the same time, carpet fibers tend to attract and hold dirt and dust, and this can adversely affect the quality of the air in the room.

Cork parquet is a rather unique choice for a child's room, as it can provide many comforts for a carpet, without most of its drawbacks. When installed, the cork floor shows itself as soft and springy under the feet, and it can be made even softer by setting in two layers. And this is despite the fact that the cork coating looks like hard wood.

Cork is a soft fiberboard, which is produced in the form of boards and small tiles. It is practically an alternative to wooden floors. This type of floor is soft, silent and hypo-allergenic. Being soft in nature, it is close in value to the carpet.

However, unlike carpet, cork floors are antimicrobial, and the material will naturally reject the growth of mold and other microorganisms. They are also antistatic and will repel dirt and dust, making the room clean and healthy. Cork floor tiles are comparable to parquet, but they have additional advantages of insulation against temperature and noise.When cork parquet is installed and secured properly, it makes it almost impermeable to stains, and care for it usually consists of periodic wet cleaning or vacuuming. After a long time, the cork floor will not creak and will not crack. Since the surface of the cork is treated with a water-repellent lacquer, such a floor is not afraid of dampness (however, it should be avoided for use in children's varnishes, including particles of ceramic chips).

However, there are drawbacks to cork flooring: the cork is very soft, which means that such a floor can be relatively easily damaged. If there are pets in the house, especially large dogs, their uncut nails can scratch and destroy the cork floor surface. The sharp legs of children's hard plastic furniture can also cause cuts, tears, and cracks in the material. Due to the texture of the cork floor, such damage is not too noticeable on it, besides the problem can be partly compensated by the use of cork tiles, because each of them can be replaced if necessary.

Rubber flooring is also widely used in the arrangement of children's rooms. Its advantages: very soft, voluminous and noise-absorbing, while it is able to protect the child from shocks during falls.

Rubber floors are very durable and can withstand damage from cuts, tears, scratches, and cracks much better than soft counterparts. All this, combined with the fact how easily such coatings are easy to clean, make them very popular for use in children's rooms. Rubber flooring also prevents children’s feet from slipping, reducing the risk of falls.

Rubber coated do not have to use glue to fix the coating to the floor, as in most other materials. The natural weight of the material and its structure keeps the coating in place.

One of the problems with this coating is its smell, which can be annoying for some children. Since the rubber coating for children's rooms is made of natural rubber, the smell is also attributed to smells of natural origin, but this factor should be taken into account when choosing a similar floor.

The novelty among floor coverings for children's steel is the relatively new soft floor made from foamed ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA). The second name of such a coating is evaplast. This material is made by foaming technology, while it is saturated with millions of tiny air bubbles. It has a soft textured surface, covered with a patented anti-bacterial film, is fire resistant and waterproof (respectively, does not absorb dirt).

Additional advantages of the EVA flooring include its high sound-proofing and heat-insulating qualities, which are comparable with the best heat-insulating analogues. It has shock-absorbing properties, allows children to tumble and fall safely, while their legs do not slip and do not rub. Also soft modular floor has massage properties. Protects from cold and damp, does not accumulate static electricity and is easy to clean.

They also produce soft floor with carpet and with imitation of green grass (but this look is made using PVC).

The disadvantages of soft floors can be attributed to the fact that it is not recommended to wear shoes on this coating, it loses the brightness of color with frequent wet cleaning and has a considerable cost.

Rugs for children come in a variety of styles and colors, including children's rugs — foam puzzles, folding carpets, and play mats. Modular foam mats are great for a kid’s bedroom, as well as a playroom or learning area. Play mats for children can be quickly assembled, they do not absorb moisture and are light. They can be rolled out for the duration of the game and put aside when it ends.

The design of soft flooring can be very diverse. The main colors in which puzzles are made - crawling mats are blue, yellow, red, pink and green. There are options that mimic the colors of natural wood. On their surface can be applied all sorts of pictures, ranging from images of animals, trees, fruits, and ending with whole geographical maps.

There are mats with reflective inserts, developing mats - puzzles or play mats “Russian alphabet”, which add exciting games to the process of learning and learning, inspiring the minds of kids to explore the world around them. When the child grows up, you can replace the more simple drawings of a rug - a puzzle with something more complicated, because from inserts in soft floor tiles you can learn to collect syllables and words.The child performs such exercises directly on the floor, they contribute to the development of fine finger motor and plodding. Thus, play mats can be a great way to help children develop a desire to learn, develop color perception and spatial thinking.

Carpet can be purchased either in the form of separate rugs and carpet paths, or in the form of a cut of rolled carpet. Recently, a new trend has appeared on the market - modular carpet in tiles, this option is more convenient when laying and replacing areas that have become unusable.

When using cork floor for a nursery, the most optimal is the choice of cork tiles of parquet size, mounted on glue. Although there is also a "castle" cork tile on sale.

The rubber flooring for the nursery is produced in the form of rolled flooring, modular tile-squares measuring 50 by 50 cm, having small “clasps” at the edges, or simple tiles.

Soft modular floor, also called evaplast, produced in the form of plates - modules with deep cuts at the edges, like those used in puzzles. Plate thickness ranges from 9 to 12 mm.The size can also be very diverse. Depending on the manufacturer, it can vary from 25x25 cm to 100x100 cm sheets. Soft modular tiles of 30x30 cm and large tiles 60x60 cm are most in demand.

Carpets are synthetic and natural. Natural can be called not only wool or silk, but also other fibers of natural origin, for example, coconut fiber, cotton, flax or jute. Synthetic materials are polyester, polyamide, polyacryl, etc. The advantages of synthetic fibers are that they are more durable, have a better and brighter color, are easier to maintain and are relatively inexpensive. Natural carpets are undoubtedly more eco-friendly.

For children suitable carpet with a shorter pile, which is easier to keep clean. Perhaps more comfortable will be the modern version of the carpet in a modular design. Particular attention should be paid to the technology of painting. You should not choose products with a printed method of dyeing, such products are not dyed deep in the fibers and will lose color faster. The denser the carpet, the longer it will last.

Cork flooring should be chosen for the children's room, considering whether such a chemical component, like a plasticizer, is used in its production. The plasticizer that binds the cork granules into a single whole is a source of toxic fumes and is undesirable for a small child’s room, so you need to pay special attention to this moment when choosing and carefully consider the characteristics of the manufacturer. The smallest amount of adhesives is present in cork coatings produced in Portugal.

It is undesirable to place cork plates in the children's room with a surface protected by varnish with the addition of ceramic chips, which the child will rub off on his knees and elbows. The best choice is cork tiles with a thickness of 6mm, made with top chamfers of natural veneer and having a factory pre-coating coating. What is important is the fact that the coating with the upper veneer recovers from small scratches and dents over time, this is also worth considering when choosing.

Choosing a rubber coating in the nursery, it is necessary to decide whether natural rubber or artificial material would be preferable. Do not select material produced by pressing, hot or cold. The surface of the coating must be free of pores or large roughness. Determine whether you are satisfied with the smell that may come from the rubber coating, and whether it will cause an allergic reaction in the child.

Choosing a soft modular floor, you should pay attention to whether it corresponds to the age of the child. In many versions there are small parts that are easily removed and unsafe for the youngest children. Such puzzles, floors that are constructors or puzzles, cannot be used in rooms of children under 3 years old. In addition, a soft puzzle - mat, it is desirable to use as an addition to the main floor covering, for example, to the carpet, and choose, given this fact. When choosing, it is also worth considering, perhaps a part of the rug is better arranged in the form of an orthopedic cover, for the purpose of prevention of flatfoot in a child.

Reviews of soft modular flooring for a nursery are very unanimous and are unequivocally positive.Ease of assembly of such coatings, the ability to easily dismantle and move to a new place can cope with the installation of the puzzle - a rug, even for an inexperienced person in building matters. Such a prefab mat can be taken on a picnic or on the sea, without worrying that children will sit on the cold ground. In country or village houses, where wooden floors often threaten crawling babies, a similar puzzle - rug will also be a salvation. Excellent feedback has also an educational function that such soft mats perform.

Laying carpet in the nursery does not require special skills and abilities, however, in the case when the option of warming the floor with carpet is chosen, it is necessary to know the basic methods of its installation.

There are three common ways:

• Laying carpet on tape (the cheapest option, but very short-lived);
• Coating fixing with grip strips;
• The use of glue when styling carpet.

In all cases, it is worth remembering that only non-toxic adhesives should be used for the nursery. Laying carpet should not be close to the walls, but with some indentation.You can use the pasted carpet a day after the end of the work.

Laying options:

• Technical laying of rolls, which is carried out as a heater under the main cork floor;
• “Castle” cork floor, also called “floating parquet”, into which small cork panels are laid, mounting them “in lock”, like a laminate;
• Fixing cork modules on the adhesive base, followed by covering them with two to three layers of waterproof lacquer (work on laying the adhesive floor should start from the center of the room on a carefully leveled and cleaned surface; lacquer can be started no earlier than 24 hours after gluing).

When installing a rubber floor covering in the nursery, it is necessary to remember about the main condition of its high-quality performance. This is the fact that the base for such a coating must be carefully aligned. It is irrelevant whether it will be a concrete floor or screed.Fixing the flooring from the roll cover is carried out using plinths around the perimeter of the room. In advance, the material must be straightened so that he has the opportunity to rest.

Installation of a modular rubber tile is simpler and is carried out according to the principle of fastening puzzles, because there are small “clasps” along the edges of such tiles for joining.

When laying rubber crumb tiles, glue is used, and a small gap should be left between the tiles, which is subsequently removed with a special grout.

It is easy to install a modular soft floor made of evaplast. In the event that the coating is installed on the entire surface of the floor, you should make sure that it is sufficiently even, and, if necessary, level it using special construction mixtures. Then close the base with vapor barrier film on which to lay sheets of plywood.

The final step is directly the installation of a modular coating, which can be done either dry or using glue. To do this, the modules - puzzles must be laid out by connecting the “butt” (using the arrows on the details).The assembled coating must be slightly stretched and fixed with the help of plinths, retreating from the walls about 2 cm. When the rug does not occupy the entire surface of the floor, it should not be fixed.

Carpet requires daily cleaning with a vacuum cleaner, preferably with a water filter. Do not leave spilled liquid uncleaned, in this case mold may appear on the carpet. It is better to carry out the removal of stains and all kinds of dirt with special detergents; regular cleaning of carpets or cleaning with a vacuum cleaner is recommended.

Cork flooring is cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, or washed with a soft cloth mop using non-abrasive detergents. It is advisable to fasten special protective pads of technical cork or felt to the legs of furniture standing on the cork floor. For computer chairs, you must use special protective mats. About once every 5 years, the cork floor must be covered with a new layer of varnish.

Rubber flooring in the nursery will not create any problems during its operation. It can be washed with any detergent, it is resistant to scratches and even cuts.

Soft modular floor has the property not to accumulate static electricity, so the dust to such a coating almost does not stick. For cleaning it is enough to wipe with a damp cloth with dishwasher. When heavily soiled, the mat can even be disassembled and cleaned either in the bathroom or loaded into a dishwasher. Moisture in such a rug is not absorbed, so the spilled liquid does not spread and can easily be removed from its surface. When cleaning such a coating should not use abrasive detergents, as they can damage the anti-bacterial film on its surface.

All floor coverings in the nursery should be entered into the overall design. In the case when the decoration of the nursery is designed in the traditional romantic style, the floor, of course, should not be distorted from the overall color scheme. Magnificent combinations of light-colored furniture, pastel walls and cork flooring are possible,having the look of a classic parquet. Or in such a nursery a fluffy carpet laid on laminate will be appropriate.

In a room that is filled with bright colored furniture, a soft modular covering with drawings and puzzles will look harmoniously. The rubber flooring will decorate the nursery of a small athlete, especially if it is combined with carpet of different colors when laying it.

How your child’s room will look and how comfortable and safe it will be in it depends entirely on its parents.