Timber Flooring
Choosing the Right Floor
When choosing a timber floor for your home, there are some things to consider. Firstly, consider the look and feel of your home. Do you want a classic, rustic feel or a contemporary feel? Also consider your budget as this will have a major effect on the type of timber and flooring system that you use. A design professional will be able to help you make this choice. If you are opting for a solid timber, ask your professional if it comes from a responsible resource such as a plantation. Finally consider how much maintenance you are prepared to undertake on your floor, as some timber floors will require periodic sanding and refinishing to keep them looking their best.
Types of Flooring
There are several different types of timber flooring available, and some of the most common are outlined below:
Floating Floors - floating floors are laid over the existing floor, whether the existing floor is timber, concrete, tiled, particle board, plywood, etc. To prevent a tapping sound, an underlay is placed underneath the floor, and this underlay also provides good noise insulation. Floating floors can be either timber or laminate. The timber floors usually consist of a layer of softwood or hardwood that has been glued to high density fibreboard. They can be pre-coated or coated upon installation. The advantage of using a real timber floating floor is that it can be sanded and refinished if necessary. Laminate floating floors use laminate to create a timber finish. Laminate floors are lower maintenance than real timber floating floors. However, floating floors of any kind cannot be used in wet areas.
Structural Timber Floors - this is the traditional type of timber flooring that is laid on bearers and joists. Generally speaking, there are three grades of structural timber available, with the cheapest having the most natural variation (knots etc) and the most expensive having the least. Structural timber floors should only be laid by a professional but it can be a long process as the timber needs to acclimatise to the environment in which it is being laid (which can take up to two weeks). Structural timber floors also need adequate ventilation in the sub-floor space so that timber does not warp.
Timber Flooring - timber flooring comes in a wide range of styles such as parquetry, tongue and groove and direct stick. Parquetry can be laid in a variety of patterns and is hard wearing and long lasting, due to its thickness. Tongue and groove flooring, as the name suggest, consists of timber boards that have a tongue on one side and a groove on the other so that they lock in together when laid. To help hold them in place, they are they nailed down. Direct stick flooring consists of tongue and groove timber that is 12-15mm thick that is then stuck directly to the concrete slab and secret nailed.
Bamboo Flooring - bamboo flooring is relatively new. It is a renewable resource that grows faster than timber. Bamboo is a hardwood that is stable under both wet and dry conditions - it has minimal expansion and contraction meaning that it does not move. It comes in a range of styles and colours and because it is pre-finished, installation is fast. Bamboo can be installed over concrete, plywood, particle board, existing hardwood floors or even upon joists. It is also very low allergy.
When choosing a timber floor for your home, there are some things to consider. Firstly, consider the look and feel of your home. Do you want a classic, rustic feel or a contemporary feel? Also consider your budget as this will have a major effect on the type of timber and flooring system that you use. A design professional will be able to help you make this choice. If you are opting for a solid timber, ask your professional if it comes from a responsible resource such as a plantation. Finally consider how much maintenance you are prepared to undertake on your floor, as some timber floors will require periodic sanding and refinishing to keep them looking their best.
Types of Flooring
There are several different types of timber flooring available, and some of the most common are outlined below:
Floating Floors - floating floors are laid over the existing floor, whether the existing floor is timber, concrete, tiled, particle board, plywood, etc. To prevent a tapping sound, an underlay is placed underneath the floor, and this underlay also provides good noise insulation. Floating floors can be either timber or laminate. The timber floors usually consist of a layer of softwood or hardwood that has been glued to high density fibreboard. They can be pre-coated or coated upon installation. The advantage of using a real timber floating floor is that it can be sanded and refinished if necessary. Laminate floating floors use laminate to create a timber finish. Laminate floors are lower maintenance than real timber floating floors. However, floating floors of any kind cannot be used in wet areas.
Structural Timber Floors - this is the traditional type of timber flooring that is laid on bearers and joists. Generally speaking, there are three grades of structural timber available, with the cheapest having the most natural variation (knots etc) and the most expensive having the least. Structural timber floors should only be laid by a professional but it can be a long process as the timber needs to acclimatise to the environment in which it is being laid (which can take up to two weeks). Structural timber floors also need adequate ventilation in the sub-floor space so that timber does not warp.
Timber Flooring - timber flooring comes in a wide range of styles such as parquetry, tongue and groove and direct stick. Parquetry can be laid in a variety of patterns and is hard wearing and long lasting, due to its thickness. Tongue and groove flooring, as the name suggest, consists of timber boards that have a tongue on one side and a groove on the other so that they lock in together when laid. To help hold them in place, they are they nailed down. Direct stick flooring consists of tongue and groove timber that is 12-15mm thick that is then stuck directly to the concrete slab and secret nailed.
Bamboo Flooring - bamboo flooring is relatively new. It is a renewable resource that grows faster than timber. Bamboo is a hardwood that is stable under both wet and dry conditions - it has minimal expansion and contraction meaning that it does not move. It comes in a range of styles and colours and because it is pre-finished, installation is fast. Bamboo can be installed over concrete, plywood, particle board, existing hardwood floors or even upon joists. It is also very low allergy.
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