Styles and grades of wood flooring

• Wood flooring - the essential guide
• Types of timber flooring
• Styles and grades of wood flooring
• Longevity and upkeep
• Wood flooring directory
• Find the right wood flooring for you

Timber flooring comes as planks (also known as boards), each of which can be made up of a number of strips. A plank with a three-strip design has three narrow strips running the length of the plank. The floor will have a random strip pattern when laid. Planks can vary in thickness, each depth being more suitable for certain bases. For example, the thickest planks, at about 22 mm, can be laid over joists as structural floorboards, while thinner planks, at about 7 mm to 15 mm thick are laid as overlay floors on to an existing smooth, dry sub-floor.

The surface finish of timber flooring is also given a grading. Premium or select grades are smooth, uniform and knot-free. Moving down the scale, grades referred to as "natural" or "rustic" are less uniform and, in many cases, more realistic and appealing. Only order your flooring when you have seen a sample of the exact plank – strip, colour, grade and finish.

Wooden Floors and the Environment
Timber flooring is generally acknowledged to be ecologically sound, providing it is produced using timber from sustainable forests. Reputable stores will only deal with manufacturers who use wood from certified sources. In the UK, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) scheme is widely recognised and includes a certified chain that tracks timber through every stage, from forest to retailer. For further details, visit fsc-uk.info or call (01686) 413916.

Trends
There's currently a move away from narrow, pale woods, towards darker wood and reclaimed flooring. Oak is a perennial favourite, possibly due to its middle-range colour options, and the fact that it blends with virtually any colour scheme or style.

Extra-wide boards and planks (up to 76 cm wide in some cases) are becoming favourites too, many with distressed finishes such as "smoked" effects. For laminate flooring, choose designs with V-grooves along the long and short edges of the boards, and with textured surfaces, which look far more realistic than completely smooth surfaces.

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