Wood flooring - the essential guide
If you want sleek and stylish floors in your home, follow our guide to making the right choice
Types of timber 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
Made from the named timbers, these are solid all the way through. Some types are suitable for installation as the structural floor without needing a sub-floor underneath.
This can be bought as bundles of planks, boards or panels from reclamation and salvage yards, or as whole floors from timber-flooring specialists. Prior to installation reclaimed timber flooring can look very uninspiring. Once it's laid, however, it can look incredible.
A plywood or veneered base, built up with several layers of criss-crossed hard or softwood boards, and topped with a layer of the named timber. The construction of this flooring gives it strength and stability, so it's a good alternative to solid-wood flooring.
Made by producing an image of wood on a layer of plastic, which is laminated to a board backing. Top-quality versions have convincing textured finishes, and are hardwearing and tough. Inexpensive DIY-store versions may look flat and lifeless, and the "wood" finish may flake or chip at the edges of the boards.
Vinyl
Vinyl flooring is widely available in timber patterns. Luxury sheet vinyl can be a good choice in the kitchen or bathroom, and is considerably cheaper than solid wood. Vinyl plank or block flooring feels harder underfoot but, as each floor is individually designed, it always needs to be professionally laid.
Suitability
• Timber flooring can be noisy, especially in upstairs rooms; use rugs to deaden the sound of footsteps in busy areas, and always use the insulation suggested by the installers.
• Reclaimed timber flooring is usually well-worn and is tough enough for most living areas, although you should avoid bathrooms and kitchens.
• Solid or engineered wood flooring is suitable for living rooms, dining rooms, halls and bedrooms.
• Laminates are suitable for living areas and bedrooms but avoid rooms with water, as seepage between the joins can cause planks to swell or discolour.
• Vinyl look-alikes are good choices for bathrooms and kitchens, conservatories and utility rooms, as well as for main living areas.
Chosen by House to home
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