Wooden Floors Comparison Guide
If you are thinking about installing a new solid wood floor, there are lots of choices to make. These include the pattern of the flooring, the wood species you choose and the type of flooring chosen. The floor pattern and wood species are usually fairly easy choices to make. The wood species can be chosen to match the furniture in a room – e.g. a solid oak wooden floor will look beautiful when installed in a dining room that features an oak dining room table and chairs. Similarly the floor pattern will be picked based on what looks good and what appeals to the customers taste.
But the type of flooring installed in your home, shop, restaurant or dance floor needs to be given more serious consideration, as different flooring finishes have advantages and disadvantages. So this wooden floor comparison guide aims to help you choose between our different floor products and find the right solution for your home or commercial premises.
Parquet flooring takes wooden blocks of a particular size, type and wood species and lays them down in a strict geometric pattern.
Pros of Parquet Flooring
· Parquet flooring can be highly customised due to the extensive range of wood types and design possibilities that can be combined together.
· The majority of parquet floors are compatible with under floor heating systems.
· Parquet flooring is a very stable method of installation
· There is only a minimal height increase for concrete floors (19mm)
· No beading is required so the floor can be cut tight to the original skirting boards.
The cons of Parquet Flooring
· Parquet flooring can be expensive, so is not ideal for a low budget wood floor installation.
Distressed wooden flooring, also known as aged wooden flooring is a new solid wood floor that has an aged / distressed appearance. The distressed appearance is created by tumbling the flooring in a special machine, which cause irregular damage the face and sides of the timber giving it an authentic used look.
Pros of Distressed Wood Flooring
· Due to its worn appearance it s very practical for a domestic or commercial premises.
· Distressed flooring doesn’t require the same level of care as a perfect lacquered product making it ideal for families with children and pets.
· Areas of a distressed / aged floor can be repaired locally very easily without the need to restore the entire floor.
· Future dents and scratches add to its appearance.
The cons of Distressed Wood Flooring
· Distressed wood flooring is slightly more expensive than a normal pre oiled product due to the cost of distressing the surface.
Engineered flooring is available in thicknesses from 14-20mm and incorporates a hardwood wear layer between 3-6mm which is bonded to a layer of plywood or spruce. There is a wide variety of products available from 3 strips to single planks in various widths and finishes.
The Pros of Engineered Flooring
· Some types of engineered flooring can be very cost effective to meet clients budgets.
· The majority of engineered floors are compatible with both electric and water under floor heating systems.
· Engineered flooring can be used with sound reduction systems to meet building standards in flats.
The Cons of Engineered Flooring
· Some engineered floors can look artificial, similar to plastic laminate floors.
· The 14mm thickness ranges only have 3-4mm wear layer which gives them a short life as they can only be restored 2-4 times.
· If skirting boards are fitted a beading is required to cover the expansion gap.
End Grain Flooring & Solid T&G Wood Blocks
End grain flooring features a beautiful pattern and is often chosen for its decorative appearance. It is produced by cutting across the growth rings of the tree.
The Pros of End Grain Flooring
· End grain flooring is very durable and hardwearing.
· It has a distinctive appearance.
· It is good for commercial premises such as restaurants, commercial kitchens and shops.
The Cons of End Grain Flooring
· End grain flooring can be expensive.
· The sub floor it will be installed on needs to be very good.
· End grain flooring cannot be used with any type of under floor heating.
· If skirting boards are fitted a beading is required to cover the expansion gap.
Solid T&G Floors are available in thicknesses from 15-20mm, widths from 57mm to 500mm and lengths up to 5M. Produced from 100% solid timber they have a central T&G to the sides and ends and are either secret nailed through the T&G or glued to the sub floor.
The Pros of Solid T&G Strip Flooring
· Widths of solid T & G strip flooring not exceeding 130mm can be secret nailed to joists as a structural floor to replace existing floorboards.
· Pre finished options can be cost effective but are more expensive than engineered floors.
The Cons of Solid T & G Strip Flooring
· Solid T & G strip flooring cannot be used with any type of under floor heating.
· If skirting boards are fitted a beading is required to cover the expansion gap.
· If installed over existing timber floorboards a plywood may be required, which means that the floor height will increase by approximately 20-26mm.
Mosaic panels are small pieces of timber pre assembled in a 5-1 squares and supplied as tiles. The tiles are generally mesh backed and can be glued directly to plywood or a concrete sub floor. This type of flooring was popular in the 50’s and 60’s and is still sold generally for repairs and replacement floors.
The Pros of Mosaic Panels
· Mosaic panels offer a cost effective wooden floor.
· They can be installed directly to concrete sub floors.
· The majority of mosaic panel flooring is compatible with both electric and water under floor heating systems.
The Cons of Mosaic Panels
· The mosaic panel design is a bit dated and as such is not very popular.
· There is only a small range of wood species now available in this floor finish.