Flooring

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27. We are looking for some New York-style bathroom floor tiles, which we have seen on various TV programmes and also in the rooms at High Road House boutique hotel. They are white and have raised circles all over them. Can you help as we can't find them on sale anywhere? Johnson Tiles has something like this called Discface in its commercial Kerastar range. They cost around £25 per sq m.

28. I love the look of polished concrete floors, but I don't think they're feasible in a second-floor flat. Do you know of any large tiles with the same feel? It is possible to lay concrete floors in flats, but it's difficult and costly, so tiles are better. Some tile warehouses have 60cm sq polished porcelain tiles in light greys, which create the look at about £30 per sq m. Or see Bibliotheque's Cemento tile, in Porcelain Collection 1, which costs about £80 per sq m and comes in a range of natural colours.  

29. We have been looking in vain for an outside doormat to complement our Georgian terrace. Any ideas? Cast iron and rubber mats that mimic cast ironwork could be what you're looking for. You'll find them in gardening stores but may have to hunt around for the right design. There are some attractive ones on Greenfingers.com. This cast iron half round one is £16.  

30. We're planning our study, and we liked the idea of having a leather floor after seeing one in a hotel in the States. Do you know anyone in the UK who supplies it, and how much it would cost? Leather floor tiles, like those from Alma Home, cost around £225 per sq m, plus fitting. Tiles can be produced in various sizes, so it's possible to do planking and parquet-looking flooring. Tiles can be produced with a self-adhesive backing, but this will double the cost, so most people use carpet glue.  

31. I'd like to replace the front steps of my house with polished concrete. Can you tell me if this is suitable for use on exterior steps and, if so, can you recommend anyone who could do the work? Sounds good, but polished concrete can be slippy, so get the treads masked and acid-washed to provide a bit more grip. Try Kayode Lipedé for design-led concrete production and installation.  

32. I'm redecorating my hallway with Japanese printed wallpaper and would like to colour the floorboards with a blackish lacquer, but still be able to see the wood grain. The boards are currently coated in plain varnish – can I just paint over it? Painting over the top is hit and miss as varnishes and waxes can react and repel each other, so you really need to sand the floor back to the bare wood. Next, build up the colour using a stain, followed by two or three coats of oil. Try coloured Osmo stain and Osmo oil by Ostermann Scheiwe, both from The Hardwood Flooring Company. Leave for a couple of weeks before you cover with furniture and rugs.  

33. After hacking up the cork tiles in our Victorian kitchen, we are left with a concrete floor, which has a very interesting patina. Is there any way we could seal this and make it suitable for everyday kitchen use? Yes. You'll need to use Clear Heavy Duty Floorpaint from Leyland Paints.  

34. I'm looking for some pink flooring for my bathroom. It's a small space – just big enough for bath, basin and loo – and I'm after something really gorgeous, girlie and sparkly, but I'm having real trouble sourcing it. Dalsouple can make rubber tiles to specific colours on orders greater than 10 sq m.  

35. How do I make old floorboards look good? Sand them with a specialist machine, starting with medium-grade abrasive paper, then going over it again with a fine-grade one. Give the floor three coats of varnish, sanding lightly by hand between coats.  

36. I've been told I need a heavy-duty carpet for my hall and landing, but I don't know exactly what I should be looking for. Can you help? A carpet that's labelled 'Heavy Domestic' or 'Extra Heavy Domestic' should be able to cope with the high traffic of busy areas such as a hall and landing. To be certain the carpet has been rigorously tested, look for the Carpet Foundation Quality Mark. A carpet containing around 80% wool and 20% nylon is more resilient and less prone to flattening than other types, as nylon fibres are extremely hard wearing. Don't stint on underlay, as a good-quality version will prolong the life of the carpet even more.  

37. My son's south London flat was mainly laid with a laminate floor when he bought it. The long hallways was carpeted, however, so he replaced it wit ha laminate. Unfortunately, it's a much lighter shade than the existing flooring. Is it possible to dye or stain laminate flooring to match and, if so, where could I source such a product? Not a chance! Laminate is actually a paper photoprint coated with resin and, because of its resistant properties, you'll have no luck tinting it. If you want to change the colour, your only option is to go for a new floor. It's possible to lay a new one on top of the existing floor, but you may then have to re-set the skirting boards and cut the bottom of the doors to the higher floor level. However, as laminate is a poor imitation of wood and you can now get the real thing for a good price, why not replace it entirely? Engineered wood boards are slices of real wood sandwiched with insulation that absorbs noise. They can also be sanded in the future. Kahrs does engineered boards from £16 per sq m. Or visit Wickes, which sell solid pine flooring for less than £15 per sq m. 

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