Best flooring for a residential lobby?

Ugh, my building is going through this fight right now. There is, IMHO, nothing that is inexpensive and durable that doesn't look it. I would go with either marble or a very durable wool carpet (think hotel hallway-type carpet) but in practice 1) it will have traffic mats on it all the time to protect from Fresh Direct carts etc. and 2) neither material I mentioned is particularly easy to clean.

Maybe primer has thoughts?

ali r.
DG Neary Realty

I like materials that require the least maintenance and that are most durable. Terrazzo fits that bill.

KW, this weekend I had a drink with a client who referred to you as "StreetEasy's arbiter of taste."

ali

Ali, that's funny. Especially given I have more than a tiny share of lapses (pre-morning coffee diatribes are the most common). But you certainly deserve the "above-the-fray" award for keeping it clean, professional and constructive pretty much 100% of the time.

I agree with Kyle that terrazzo is durable, and appropriate in the right setting, but it's not inexpensive. The architecture should dictate the choice of material, I think. So if budget is an issue, perhaps a manmade stone or tile that replicates a stone. Or the most attractive tile that would work in the space. Many lobbies have checker board tile in black/white or other contrasting colors which are good in residential lobbies. All are certainly durable and easy to keep clean.

Best solution is a porcelain tile. Keep in mind some are not right for this project, it can be slippery when wet. They make plenty that are great for commercial use and that look great

I guess the consensus is that whatever the choice it should not be carpet. Why have to ever deal with replacing it? And in the future, the carpet will look bad long before the building agrees it is time to change it.

May I ask how many square feet you are talking in your lobby? I will give you the heads up :) I will be suggesting something totally against your brief, just in case you want to stop reading now.

Create what is timeless NYC quality.
Unless you are fortunate enough to have a football size foyer where I understand the price PSF could get expensive. If we are talking a typical foyer say 10ft by 30ft = 300 sf. The difference is peanuts when we are talking about a foyer that you and all the residents and there guests will be walking thru daily.

Besides the aesthetic value you will be receiving on a daily basis there will also be the added value when you give first impressions to selling an apt in the building.

Love Terrazzo, love mosaic with a border, love black and white marble squares laid on the diagonal in the write building. All of these materials even thou a little more expensive in the short term, cost almost nothing by the time you amortize it over a 100 years, there durability.

eg at 300 sft and $35 marble installed as a starting point, that is $10,500 divided by how how many apartments?

Plus if you are laying marble or cheap tile you are still paying about the same labor expenses, only with cheap coverings you get the added expense and inconvenience of doing it again in 5 or so years.

Good luck and please keep us up to date with the process, thanks.

A lot depends on your lobby style. Marble can look terrific in the correct space, though will require a considerable amount of maintenance to keep in good shape (frequent sealing, polishing, etc). Plus, if someone uses the wrong cleaner on marble it will etch, so you'd have to be sure your maintenance folks are well-informed.

I think a great bet is porcelain, as it is both durable and maintenance free. There are some gorgeous porcelain tiles out there these days, many closely mimic stone if that is the look you're seeking. A great way to educate your eye is to go to some of the local tile stores like Nemo, which display many of their selections set into the floor so you can get an idea of how they'll look/feel installed.

Make sure to choose a darker grout, which will resist staining.

Just to add to what Bramstar is saying, a nice grout is SpectraLock from Laticrete or use an epoxy grout

Terrazo might be a good fit for your needs, but like what the others said, it might be out of your price range. However, when it comes to good flooring, you cannot avoid good quality like Terrazo.