Some expert advice on wooden flooring by Matt Torr

After years inside the wood flooring business we realize all the intricacies so we thought we'd share these with you! If you are thinking about buying or fitting a wooden floor then look no further.....read our article first so you'll get a leg up...a jargon free...fact rich gem of an article that will ensure you set off in the the right direction. Thanks for looking!!!!



Trust us....we've completed it.... 100 times or maybe more!



We've been within the wood flooring business for a long time, selling and fitting...so there eally aren't many problems which we haven't come across before. We supply and fit solid hardwood flooring, engineered wood flooring and laminate flooring....and from time to time correct, repair or relay the floors which people have installed...and we've seen some shockers! Sometimes a poor finish is just the result of someone going a bad job...which we actually can't a single thing about but the single, most crucial thing is to buy wood flooring which is appropriate for a environment.



So starting with some questions you should think about



What sort of environment do yo have?? Do you have high fluctuations in humidity??



What attitude must you how your floor looks..how can you feel about scratches??



Do you would like it to appear perfect all the time or have you been happy with a far more 'lived in' feel'



Do you've got pets or kids (personally I see them as pretty much the same regarding flooring wear...and diet regime!!)??



Do you've an underfloor furnace??



Lets check out solid wooden flooring



Doesn't absolutely need an explanation...its an excellent lump of wood...from a tree! Solid wood flooring looks and feel great but it's not for anyone.



It's an organic product so because of this has a few characteristics which need indicating. All timber once felled will continue to answer it's environment with regards to moisture levels. Higher humidity = expansion, lower humidity = contraction so if you have an environment the location where the humidity fluctuates significantly you ought to think seriously before installing solid wood flooring. Older properties with less effective damp proofing, kitchens and bathrooms can all potentially cause problems as can newly built houses with residual moisture in concrete floors. If you are in a doubt we may recommentd getting a local flooring specialist to complete a quick moisture test. Underfloor heating could also pose significant problems to solid hardwood flooring and as an over-all rule of thumb, we'd discourage our customers from installing soild wood over underfloor heating.



So...lets access it to wear and tear. Solid wood will mark. Period. If you're getting stressed about dings and scratches forget it. Unless you need to put socks on the dogs and earn your house guests wear slippers! It's a natural product and may produce a 'patina' as time passes. Personally I love rustic grade soild wood...as it's starts out rather less than perfect and features a great, warm, lived in feel for it and you won't get stressed once the dog skids in chasing the kitten or your child drops metallic toy...life's to short to have stressed!!



What about Parquet Flooring?



This may seem like a good point to share with you parquet flooring. Parquet...or block flooring is normally installed by sticking oak blocks in a very regular pattern...typically herringbone to a soild floor. The installation of block flooring should basically be attempted by full competent people who have access to specialist tools. We do not recommend the DIY kitchen design Peabody approach!



Lets have a look at engineered hardwood flooring



Engineered...what'..Don't worry, nobody has ever encountered engineered wood flooring. So here goes...prepare being enlightened. It's basically a layer of 'real wood' bonded with a softwood base....there you have it...easy wasn't it? Why? well it's all about dimensional stability...we're no more dealing with a fully natural product here and so the manufacturers build in greater stability. The bottom line is it is going to look and feel like timber but you can use it over underfloor heating along with areas which aren't suitable for wooden installations. It comes inside a traditional tongue and groove..(think nailed down floorboards) and floating or click system..akin to laminate floors. So it really is incredibly versatile...it uses much less of the raw natural resource..that's no bad thing this means you will be as simple to lay as a click system laminate. We recommend using engineered flooring to all of our customers.



So it's perfect, right?? Well remember the top layer is still real wood and that means you will need to bear in mind the wear and tear points raised in the soild wood section.



Lets take a look at laminate floors



OK this really is easy..nearly everyone knows about laminates. They are produced by bonding a photo...basically a picture onto a softwood base. An ultra strong surface is then appied. They come in endless sytles and coulours and can be fitted by a person with reasonable capability. Some laminates come with a 50 year domestic use guarantee...which present you with some idea how hard wearing they are. So if you've got a busy house or you need some in the slightly more 'out there' desings they really are a fantastic choice.
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