timber special flooring

imber isa tried and trusted flooringoption for homeowners lookingfor a beautiful and durable finish.But how do you choose the right

style and type for your home? Explore thedifferent options in our handy guide.

YOUR CHOiCES:

Solid woodSolid timber boards tend to be the mostexpensive wood flooring option, but wellworth the spend as it’s difficult to matchits warmth and beauty with anything else.It’s durable and suited to most areas ofthe home, except the bathroom, wherechanges in heat and moisture can makethe boards swell or shrink.

Solid wood can be separated into twocategories: hardwood, such as oak or teak,and softwoods, such as pine. Softwood isless resilient to damage, whereas hardwoodis stronger and tougher. According toJason Ashby at UK Flooring Direct you’relooking at prices ranging from £16 to €40per m2 for solid wood.

Generally, timber is graded by theclarity of grain. A knotted and pronouncedappearance is classified as rustic and a morerefined grain is considered to be classic.Although according to Jason this is morea mark of style, rather than quality. “Rusticgrade floors provide a traditional countryappeal, whereas premium grades offer acontemporary alternative,” he says.

Engineered wood“Engineered flooring is an ideal option formost homes,’ says Jason. “It’s more stablethan solid wood and with a natural appealto rival it, it’s a good-looking solution forthe home and certainly less complex to fitthan solid wood. What’s more, because it’smore stable you can get longer and widerboards, so there is more variety in thedifferent looks you can achieve,”

The difference is their ‘sandwich’construction. This consists of a top layerof quality wood, which is generally 2-4mmthick, which is glued to bottom layers ofsoftwood or ply laid tangentially to eachother. It possesses a natural quality, becauseof the real wood grain, but tends to becheaper than solid wood boards. Pricesvary from €12 to €30 per m2.

Reclaimed woodUsing reclaimed wood, essentially recycling,is thought to be an eco friendly option.What’s more, the boards will have alreadyacquired lots of character over the years —

so they can be a really beaut fu option, too.However, it may take a bit of hard graft torestore them. If you select reclaimed, alwaysbuy extra. It’ll be hard to find something tomatch if you need to replace any of theboards at a later date.

BambooIt’s available in both solid and engineeredconstructions. As bamboo is a fast growinggrass, it can be sustainably harvested

Th s strand-woven design is twice ashard as normal bamboo flooring.White wash solId strand woven uniclicbamboo, from £29J2 per m’, TheBamboo FloorIng Company

This engineered floor has an air-driedlacquered surface that’s super-durable,Elite, £40 per m’, ‘Tuscan Flooring

These boards are all 18mm thick andlengths range from 300 to 1,500mm.Solid wood In oak, £29.66, ParkerKlsllngbury

making it a natural choice for homesconcerned with the environment. “It’s morresistant to moisture than solid wood andless susceptible to changes in humidity, soit’s perfect for use in the bathroom,” saysJason. Prices work out at around €21 per a

Trends“There has been a shift towardsmonochromatic tones with greys, whitesand blacks on the rise,” says Jason. PeterKeane at The Natural Wood Floor Comparagrees, “The big trends for this year are solsilvers, whites and greys with an antiquedeffect. The sophisticated shades can beused to compliment both classic andcontemporary interiors.” he says. “The desjfor open plan living and kitchen diners has

This floor is prefinished with adurable satinlacquer, leaving itwith an even sheenthat gently reflectsthe light. Gallerlaengineeredstructural fumedoak 150mm oIled,from £36,5O perNi’, UK FlooringDirect

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Your guide to

woodfloor ngIt’s practical, stylish and durable, but whattype of wood flooring is right for you?Sophie Hoyland uncovers the options

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The tactile brushed finish has been achieved by.using’aspecial hard brush pg technique to remove the softerwood from the surface of the plank. Mountain silvertextured oak floor, £166 per mz, Junckers

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