Marmoleum is great. It's better with water than hardwood, and it's softer (better on dropped dishes) than porcelain tile. It's also warmer to walk (or play)on than tile. Basically, and you probably know this, it is old fashion linoleum, in up-fashioned colors. It is the 'natural' equivalent to vinyl flooring- .

It's ideal for playrooms, kitchen, laundry. Porcelain tile might be better for a mud room, (easier to mop up?) ...I don't know pricing, but you can be creative with different boarders, patterns etc.

Marmoleum Click was my runner up choice in flooring. It's a natural product, comes in a wide array of colors and supposed to be indestructable.

In the end I went with engineered hardwood because underneath it all, my tastes run to the classic.

Actually a little on the pricey side (but not genuinely expensive) because not a lot of people put it down. I love it but ended up regretfully choosing hardwood because of our layout. If price is an issue, Home Depot and others have this general type of tile in a limited set of colors for extremely little--you see it on grocery store floors. Set in a checkerboard or other pattern and polished it could add the same look Marmoleum does. Worth checking out, anyway, before you're seduced by all the great colors of the fancier brand.

I have a suggestion that really helped me compare flooring cost options. Take your measurements to a flooring store--maybe call a few first to find one that carries marmoleum. I did this to get four comparisons for cork, marmoleum, resilient flooring like Durastone or Duraceramic, and vinyl composition tile (VCT). My space was about 11 x 15 with a big island in the middle. The quotes for cork, VCT and resilient flooring were really close. I think they were about $2000-$2300 each includign labor. I think I had to find a separate dealer for the Marmoleum quote and I'm sorry I don't remember it. I found the colors too bright for the natural earthy tone I was looking for. I really like my VCT -- soft, easy to clean, warmer than tile. Googling Durastone today I see some complaints about it chipping and being easily scarred by furniture. In all my photos you can bearly see the floor, but I wanted something to just about match my countertop Rosa Verona marble. My VCT is by Centiva.

I have sheet marmoleum in my kitchen and bathrooms. It is wonderful! I personally think easier to mop up than tile as it has no grout lines or seams to accumulate dirt, and it has anti-static properties such that dirt and dust don't "stick" to it.

I found when I was shopping that sheet marmoleum was similar in price to higher quality vinyl flooring. The click tiles were pricier, and there was less selection in colors for click (although it looks like a really fun product). As for how it compares to porcelain tile or hardwood -- it would depend on the price of the tile and the type of hardwood, really. I'd say sheet marmoleum would generally run a little less expensive than tile or hardwood, if you factor in installation. However, if you put special inlays in the marmoleum -- which are gorgeous -- the price climbs significantly.

Sue b, your floor and kitchen are great. I have never heard of VCT. Is it vinyl?

I was just thinking that in the laundry and/or mudroom, it might be fun to do something different.

Thanks for all the input.

Yes VCT Vinyl Composition Tile is vinyl. Here is the FAQ from the Garden Web Flooring Forum with advantages and disadvantages of resilient flooring like vinyl plus the other choices. It mentioned indentations are a possibility on VCT but I have nothing like that on ours. It's easy to clean and has no scratches or indentations even though I do have counter stools.

Here is a link that might be useful: Flooring Forum FAQ on resilient flooring choice comparisons