The surfaces underfoot and on the wall, chosen for the moisture they will meet.
Each decision below is shown three ways — what it changes in use, which way it moves the cost, and how it looks. Price direction only. The responsible supplier confirms the quotation after measurement and specification.
Specifiable · quotation required · TilesCoordinated by ELS · quoted after validation.
ELS specifies
SPC (stone-plastic composite)Included
Porcelain tileLow$
Engineered timberModerate$$
Each option
spcUse Click-plank with a wear layer — typically scratch-resistant in everyday use, though a deep scratch cannot be sanded out; warm underfoot, quiet, and tolerant of humidity on a dry, level base. Usually low maintenance and quick to lay over a sound base.Look Convincing timber or stone looks in wide planks — warm and contemporary without the upkeep of real wood.
tileUse A durable, water-tolerant floor — typically well suited to wet and high-traffic zones; cool underfoot, and long-lived when laid and sealed correctly. Grout lines need occasional care.Look Large-format tiles read seamless and calm; marble-look or micro-cement finishes lift a space.
timberUse Real wood veneer over a stable core — the warmest, most natural underfoot; best kept to dry living and bedroom zones, away from standing water.Look Genuine grain and depth no printed surface matches — the warmest, most crafted floor for living spaces.
Click-plank with a wear layer — typically scratch-resistant in everyday use, though a deep scratch cannot be sanded out; warm underfoot, quiet, and tolerant of humidity on a dry, level base. Usually low maintenance and quick to lay over a sound base.
Cost impact
Included
How it looks
Convincing timber or stone looks in wide planks — warm and contemporary without the upkeep of real wood.
Watch out
The wear layer is thin: deep scratches cannot be sanded out, only replaced. A poorly levelled slab telegraphs through.
Porcelain tile
In use
A durable, water-tolerant floor — typically well suited to wet and high-traffic zones; cool underfoot, and long-lived when laid and sealed correctly. Grout lines need occasional care.
Cost impact
Low
How it looks
Large-format tiles read seamless and calm; marble-look or micro-cement finishes lift a space.
Watch out
Hard and cold underfoot, and grout is the maintenance line — colour choice matters more than most clients expect.
Engineered timber
In use
Real wood veneer over a stable core — the warmest, most natural underfoot; best kept to dry living and bedroom zones, away from standing water.
Cost impact
Moderate
How it looks
Genuine grain and depth no printed surface matches — the warmest, most crafted floor for living spaces.
Watch out
Real timber moves with humidity; in an unconditioned Sarawak room expect movement at the joints. Not for a ground floor with flood risk.
Project-only · assessment required · Façade & exteriorCoordinated by ELS · quoted after validation.
ELS specifies
Ceramic tileEssentialIncluded
Porcelain tileSignatureLow$
Large-format porcelainBespokeModerate$$
Natural stoneBespokeHigher$$$
Mosaic / feature tileSignatureModerate$$
See what each option changes
Ceramic tile
In use
Glazed ceramic is the everyday wall tile — light, easy to fix to an interior feature wall, and its glazed face shrugs off splashes and wipes clean of the grease and mould that Sarawak's humidity encourages. Its higher water absorption keeps it to interior and sheltered walls, not a fully exposed facade.
Cost impact
Included
How it looks
A broad range of colours, patterns and gloss levels — the most affordable way to give a feature wall character. Reads clean and bright.
Porcelain tile
In use
Denser and far less absorbent than ceramic, porcelain resists driven rain, mould and UV fade — the dependable choice for both wet interior walls and exposed facade cladding in Sarawak's climate.
Cost impact
Low
How it looks
Stone-, marble- or concrete-look faces in a matte or satin finish read solid and contemporary — equally at home on an interior feature wall or a full facade.
Large-format porcelain
In use
Big porcelain slabs mean far fewer grout lines — fewer seams for Sarawak's mould and grime to lodge in, so a facade or feature wall stays cleaner and wipes down in a single pass. Heavy panels need skilled fixing onto a sound, level substrate.
Cost impact
Moderate
How it looks
Near-seamless expanses that read as solid stone — the calmest, most monolithic wall or facade. Slabs can run floor-to-ceiling with barely a joint.
Natural stone
In use
Genuine granite, slate or sandstone brings real depth and coolness, and stands up to sun and rain on a facade — but it is porous, so it must be sealed and re-sealed against Sarawak's persistent damp and staining. A premium surface that rewards regular upkeep.
Cost impact
Higher
How it looks
No two pieces alike — genuine grain, cleft texture and natural tone give a facade or feature wall a weight and authenticity no printed tile matches.
Mosaic / feature tile
In use
Small tiles on mesh sheets wrap curves, niches and columns that large tiles cannot, and a busy pattern hides the odd splash — but the many grout lines need a good sealer and regular cleaning to keep mould out in the humidity. Best as an accent, not a whole wet wall.
Cost impact
Moderate
How it looks
Glass, stone or ceramic chips catch the light and add colour, texture and shimmer — the richest way to make one feature wall or a facade band the focal point.
Specifiable · quotation required · Paint & coating systemsCoordinated by ELS · quoted after validation.
ELS specifies
Standard emulsionEssentialIncluded
Washable premium emulsionSignatureLow$
Weatherproof exterior coatingModerate$$
Textured / decorative finishBespokeModerate$$
Anti-mould / anti-fungalLow$
See what each option changes
Standard emulsion
In use
The everyday interior wall paint — a smooth matte coat for bedrooms, living areas and ceilings in genuinely dry, well-ventilated rooms. In Sarawak's humidity it shows scuffs sooner and needs a fresher coat earlier than a premium line, and it does not sit happily on a wall that stays damp.
Cost impact
Included
How it looks
A clean, even matte wall in any colour — the quiet backdrop that lets furniture and finishes lead. It reads flat and unremarkable, which is exactly its job.
Washable premium emulsion
In use
A tougher, wipeable interior coat — fingerprints, food splashes and children's marks sponge off without leaving a halo, so hallways, dry kitchens and family rooms stay presentable. It holds its colour far longer in the heat and humidity than standard emulsion.
Cost impact
Low
How it looks
The same calm matte or soft-sheen wall, but with a subtle depth of colour that stays true rather than chalking out. It looks freshly painted for years longer.
Weatherproof exterior coating
In use
The exterior armour — a flexible, water-shedding film built for driving monsoon rain and relentless UV, sealing the wall against water ingress while letting trapped moisture breathe out. It resists the fading, chalking and hairline cracking that Sarawak sun and rain force on ordinary paint.
Cost impact
Moderate
How it looks
A rich, even facade colour that stays saturated year after year instead of dulling to a washed-out grey. Offered in matte or low-sheen so the building reads crisp from the street.
Textured / decorative finish
In use
A hand-worked finish — sand, travertine, limewash or fine stucco effect — troweled on for a feature wall or a facade with real surface. It quietly hides minor plaster imperfections, though the raised grain holds a little more dust and is best kept off constantly-touched or grease-prone surfaces.
Cost impact
Moderate
How it looks
Turns a flat wall into a tactile focal point — light rakes across the texture and shifts through the day, giving a room or entrance genuine material presence. The most expressive of the paint options.
Anti-mould / anti-fungal
In use
A coat for damp-prone walls — bathrooms, utility and wet kitchens, shaded north faces and any surface prone to condensation or past flood damp. Check the exact product's manufacturer data and care instructions against the wall's moisture exposure, cleaning and ventilation. Manage leaks and condensation first: a coating alone does not eliminate mould, staining or wear.
Cost impact
Low
How it looks
Looks like an ordinary clean matte wall — the protection is in the film, not the finish — with the aim of limiting the creeping grey-black spotting that ages a damp room; the result depends on the product, ventilation and care. Available across the usual colour range.
A real figure belongs only to what ALUMAX supplies; appointed-trade works — electrical, air-conditioning, ceiling, flooring, painting, data and security — are quoted by the trade, and loose items follow the purchasing arrangement in your appointment. ELS specifies and coordinates throughout. Cost is a relative direction only, never a price; maintenance is described in each option's “In use”.
Zoom out
Not sure which product — or want the whole scope priced?
spcUse Click-plank with a wear layer — typically scratch-resistant in everyday use, though a deep scratch cannot be sanded out; warm underfoot, quiet, and tolerant of humidity on a dry, level base. Usually low maintenance and quick to lay over a sound base.Look Convincing timber or stone looks in wide planks — warm and contemporary without the upkeep of real wood.
tileUse A durable, water-tolerant floor — typically well suited to wet and high-traffic zones; cool underfoot, and long-lived when laid and sealed correctly. Grout lines need occasional care.Look Large-format tiles read seamless and calm; marble-look or micro-cement finishes lift a space.
timberUse Real wood veneer over a stable core — the warmest, most natural underfoot; best kept to dry living and bedroom zones, away from standing water.Look Genuine grain and depth no printed surface matches — the warmest, most crafted floor for living spaces.