If we had a penny for every time we were asked what the weirdest flooring material was, we'd be able to make a floor. And that's because there's a recent design trend involving floor tiles that cost just 1p each. We don't sell these tiles, but they're readily available in every single shop in the country. Copper Penny floors, manufactured by the lesser-known flooring company ‘Royal Mint’, are a unique alternative to traditional materials such as wood and vinyl - perfect if you're looking for a small change.
At 20.3mm wide and made of smooth copper, these tiny tiles are ideal for those looking for something truly different... And people with way too much time on their hands. Installation is quite difficult: place each tile edge to edge across the whole floor without any gaps and then glue down each coin with an epoxy-based adhesive. Next, grout between each tile to create a flat surface before cleaning the coins individually and finally coating the floor with layers of varnish until smooth.
If placed without any gaps, you'll need a whopping 2400 tiles to cover a 1 square metre area, making a copper penny floor around £24m2. Whilst that's still more expensive than some engineered floors, it's still a cheap floor if you're a bit of a penny-pincher.
You can't lay a copper penny floor over an existing wooden floor, because it's not designed to expand and contract, so you'll need to install it directly on the subfloor. This may leave it very cold to the touch and noisy to walk on but we still think that if you're set on the copper look, it's worth every penny.
In fact, why not experiment with other designs? Other ranges can come in different shades and shapes, although vary considerably in price. There's even a make of floor which is £2400 a meter! You know what they say: "in for a penny, in for a pound". Of course, if you're after a waterproof mosaic effect, there are Luxury Vinyl Tiles which are considerably quicker to install, but where's the fun in that??
In all seriousness, copper penny floors can be great for work surfaces or small rooms or areas where you want to make a big impression. One idea is to combine sections of penny flooring with a contemporary white floor for a beautiful contrast. For more inspiration, we've made a Penny Floor Pinterest board for you to peruse.