New Floors

Solid Wood Flooring

Solid Wood flooring is exactly as the name implies - solid, and comes as boards made of one piece of solid wood, these are usually about 20mm thick and of various widths and lengths. As a result, these types of floors usually need to be nailed down using secret nails to prevent movement.  There are very few brands that offer a suitable solid board that can be laid on top of concrete or other sub-floors as a “floating” floor. Like engineered wooden floors, solid wooden floors can be sanded down and refinished as necessary, which is usually about every 10 years, depending on wear of course!

Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered Wood Flooring is made entirely of wood and comprises a number of layers which are glued together. These floors are usually 15mm thick about 2190mm wide and 2.4 metres long. The top, surface layer is solid wood according to the wood style of your choice. The thickness of this ‘wear’ layer will vary according to the product and quality. The thicker the layer of wood, the more times it can be sanded and therefore the longer the life of the floor. The surface wood layer is glued to a central coniferous wood core layer which in turn is glued to a base wood layer. Engineered wood flooring is usually laid as a floating floor, which means that it is laid on an underlay directly over concrete or timber sub-floors without the need to nail down. Many types also have self-locking joints. Engineered floors are available with a number of finishes including stained, lacquered, oiled, aged and distressed. These wooden floors can be sanded down and refinished if they are starting to show signs of wear.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is wood-effect flooring. It consists of an image of wood and a number of different layers that are bonded together. The top layer is a wear-resistant surface which is usually made of a resin-based melamine. This top layer is then bonded onto a moisture-resistant wood-based core layer. A third layer is then bonded to the underside of the wood-based layer as a backing layer. Laminate floors are typically very durable and hard-wearing as the resin top layer is quite resistant to damage. Laminate floors cannot be sanded down and re-finished.