Wood and Laminate Flooring
Real wood flooring is available in solid or engineered form. Solid wood flooring needs to be at least 18-20mm thick and will generally need to be permanently fitted to the sub-floor by adhesive or secret nailing. it is not suitable for under floor heating or for use in areas of high humidity, e.g. bathrooms. A number of timber species are available for real wood flooring, oak and walnut being the most popular. Solid wood flooring can be finished with satin or matt lacquers or with oil/wax oil.
Engineered wood flooring is a sandwich construction of a hard wood top layer cross bonded to a soft wood centre core with a balancing layer on the reverse. Most engineered wood flooring ranges are about 15mm think although 21mm is now possible giving engineered wood flors the structural strength of solid wood floors. It is possible to fit engineered wood over under floor heating as it is much more stable than solid wood.
The middle layer is bonded transversely to the top and bottom therefore minimising any movement of the top layer due to changes in humidity as timber moves predominantly across the grain and not along the grain. Engineered wood flooring is generally laid as a floating floor on underlay but can be fully bonded if required.
We do not however recommend it for high humidity areas. Several species and finishes are available and small parquet effect is possible as well as large plank. For more information on a wide range of wood flooring please see the Woodpecker Flooring website.
Bamboo
Bamboo is not strictly speaking a wood as it is botanically a grass. When pressed into a plank it forms an extremely hard floor which can be had in two shades, side or top pressed together with a new strand woven version which has the appearance of wood. It is possible to use bamboo in high humidity areas. Strand bamboo can be laid as a floating floor whereas regular bamboo must be glued or nailed to the sub-floor.
For more information on bamboo flooring, please see the Woodpecker Bamboo Flooring website.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is today’s method of easily creating a robust and economic wood effect floor. Requiring so little maintenance, all you need to do is enjoy it!
It is clipped together and laid as a floating floor. There is only one really successful patented clip system and that is the Uniclic system. We offer Quickstep and Finsa laminates, both of which have this system.
Karndean Tiles
Wood and laminate flooring in wet areas like bathrooms, cloakrooms and to some extent kitchens is not advisable. Karndean wood plank tiles are heavy duty luxury vinyl tiles in a range of authentic finishes. Even a discerning eye cannot tell the difference between Karndean flooring and genuine wood flooring!
You make like the look of wood, slate, marble and ceramics – here is why you should choose Karndean flooring instead:
- Versatile – Suitable for any room in the home including kitchens and bathrooms
- Warm – Warmer underfoot than natural materials
- Quiet – Quieter underfoot than natural materials
- Colour – Karndean products look natural…
- Texture – … and even feel natural
- Durable – Our products will not splinter, chip or crack
- Low Maintenance – Karndean flooring does not require specialist sanding or polishing
- Hygienic – Easy to clean, will not harbour dirt and bacteria
- Design – Unlimited design possibilities
- Affordable – Karndean costs less than most natural material
You will soon realise that the possibilities with Karndean flooring are endless. As the customer this may sound daunting to you, but our self-explanatory range of design options make the process of choosing your dream floor a pleasurable experience. Whether your tastes are traditional or contemporary, minimalist or elaborate, you can be rest-assured that with over 85 colours and designs, somewhere within our Karndean flooring range you will find the perfect floor for your home.
With Karndean, you are investing in nothing less than the most versatile and realistic alternatively flooring available in the marketplace. For more information please see the Karndean flooring website.