The problem is not the heat, it is the difference. A floor in an air-conditioned Tashkent apartment lives at 22°C and 40% humidity while the balcony beyond the glass is at 40°C and 8%. Every material either accommodates that gradient or fails at it, usually within two summers.
Engineered oak on a plywood core is the first thing we specify. Solid oak boards wider than 140 mm will cup or gap here no matter how carefully they are laid; engineered board with a 4 mm wear layer moves a fraction as much and can still be sanded twice.
For stone, Nurota marble and local travertine outperform imported light limestone, mostly because they arrive dry and acclimatised rather than off a container that crossed two climates. We rest slabs on site for a fortnight before cutting.
Lime plaster is the finish clients are most sceptical about and most pleased with afterwards. It moves with the wall, it does not trap moisture behind it in winter, and when a corner is knocked it can be repaired invisibly by someone with a trowel rather than a decorator with a colour match.
What we avoid: thin-veneer laminate near south windows, MDF carcasses in kitchens without a sealed edge, and any dark render on a west elevation. All three look excellent on handover day and all three fail predictably.
