If you want a sure fire way to improve the look and value of your home or apartment, hardwood floors are

the way to go. Besides being beautiful and hard wearing, they are environmentally friendly as well. Wood is

a natural resource that is both renewable and recyclable. They are warm and resilient underfoot and

hygienic too. Most hardwood floors almost never need to be replaced and can add thousands of pounds to

the value of a home. There is a huge array of options to choose from. Not just the design of the floor, but

the shade and texture.

Installing hardwood flooring need not be daunting. With no previous experience and easily hired equipment,

a complete novice can install a solid hardwood floor proficiently and with professional results.

Choosing the type of hardwood floor that best fits your space is an important step in planning the

installation of your new floor. A solid wood floor can be purchased pre-finished which means it is ready to use and walk on as soon as it has been installed

The finish is most commonly acrylic or polyurethane lacquer, which is durable and

hardwearing. However oil finishes are becoming increasingly popular, as people have come to realize the

maintenance is easy and straightforward.

Solid wood flooring is also available unfinished, which after installation usually requires a light sanding and

then the application of an oil wax or lacquer finish.

The most straightforward way of installing a solid wood floor is by secret nailing (through the tongue) into a

base of plywood, flooring grade chipboard, joists or battens. If you have an existing wooden floor, this

should first be over boarded with a 6mm plywood sheet to ensure stability of your new flooring. Fitting

solid hardwood flooring onto concrete sub-floors is best avoided despite the recent advantages in wood

floor adhesive currently on the market.

The styles of solid wood floors available are: -

Strip- this is typically between 57mm and 90mm in width and is available in random lengths.

This takes a little more time to fit than a wider width, but is ultimately more stable.

Plank – This normally denotes wider widths – 120mm up to 200mm width. However, always bear

in mind that the wider the width, the more the tendency for the floor to shrink and gap, or expand

and buckle.

Parquet flooring - Parquet floors have a very different look from typical hardwoods. They are

constructed from short staves of hardwood assembled by hand into tiles, which are then mounted,

on a backing board. These can be installed in a similar fashion to the plank floors

Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered flooring is constructed by using a solid hardwood wear layer of between 2mm-6mm which is

laminated onto either a softwood or plywood core. The advantage of engineered hardwoods is their ease of

installation, and their stability. If a wide width plank floor is desired of say 160mm or above, then an

engineered floor will always be the best option. However this may cost a little more than buying solid plank.

Engineered hardwoods although suitable for secret nailing, can also be installed 'free floating' over an

underlay. Another advantage of engineered hardwoods is that most can be used over underfloor heating.

Wood Finishes

The finish is the protection that is applied to the wood floor to prevent staining, moisture ingress and also

protect from wear and abrasion. The different types of finishes are as follows/

Oil-Finish - The most common surface finish, oil is applied in two or three coats. Oil soak into the

wood providing good protection against wear and staining. This can be left as a mat finish or

buffed to give a light sheen. The big advantage is that the finish is inherent in the wood- it wont'

scratch off, and can be easily repaired.

Water-Based Polyurethane - A good option for the DIY-er, this finish dries quickly and cleans

up easily with soap and water. This provides excellent wear protection for the floor and gives a

professional finish. Although in high traffic areas may show scratching or marks, although wear is

detriment to any type of hardwood.

PU Impregnator and Wax – A polyurethane sealer (impregnator) is applied to the wood, which

acts as a waterproof barrier. A wax can then be applied by hand and buffed up to achieve a warm

patina.

Wood or Laminate?

With the popularity of laminate flooring growing everyday, many people often ask which they should

choose, hardwoods or laminate.

Laminate flooring is typically constructed with a HDF core, sandwiched between a melamine laminate

backing, high quality photographic paper with an image of wood, stone or other natural flooring, and a

melamine laminate top. While laminate floors are inexpensive and durable, they are also noisy to walk on,

cold and not as attractive as the 'real thing'

There are benefits and drawbacks to both hardwoods and laminate flooring. Hardwood floors can be

scratched, but scratches are pretty easy to repair. If a laminate floor is scratched or dents, it is not very

easily repaired. Where a hardwood floor can be sanded to remove imperfections, the same is not true with

laminate floors. Laminate flooring companies do make touch-up and chip repair kits as well as offer plank

replacement. With hardwoods, though, a simple light sanding may do the trick.

Cleaning & Maintenance

Maintaining a wood or laminate floor is easy and straightforward. Always try and dry clean the floor, as this

is the safest and most efficient method. If you do have to wet clean your floor, bear in mind that leaving a

layer of moisture to dry on your floor will leave it looking dull and will soon make it attract more dirt.

Maintaining sheen is important as this prevents dirt adhering to your floor. Always fit protective pads to the

base of furniture and install a good door mat at the entrance and you will find that this will eliminate most

of the scratches on your new floor