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FAQ Section

Why are hardwood floors so expensive?
Why should I fit wood floors?
Why are wood floors healthier?
How long will my wood floor last?
Are 'laminated' floors made of real wood?
But aren't laminated floors cheaper than real wood?
What are oiled, oiled-and-waxed and lacquer finishes? Which should I choose?
Is an oiled floor harder work than a lacquered floor?
What types of wood floors are best for kitchens, bathrooms and conservatories?
Will my wood floor change colour after it is laid?
Can I still have under floor heating with an Oak floor?
How do I maintain my wood floor?
What about oiled floors?
When will my lacquered floor need attention?
How do I repair a scratch?
How much oak do I need?
How do I fix my Oak floor down?
What about joining the floor to wall skirting?

Why are hardwood floors so expensive?

If taken care of, hardwood floors can last a lifetime with proper cleaning, felt pads on furniture, and recoats every 7-10 years. Hardwood floors also help you add equity and value to your home whilst providing the ‘wow factor’ wherever fitted.

Why should I fit wood floors?

Since you are reading this, you probably don’t need to be reminded how beautiful wood is - its warm colours, richness of grain, healthy sheen.

But wood floors are not only beautiful; they’re healthy, hardwearing and warm (wood is a natural insulator.)

A wood floor can make a room seem bigger, lighter and more impressive - all factors that can give a house character and, according to estate agents, make it more valuable and saleable.

Why are wood floors healthier?

Wood is a natural material and wood oils often have strong anti-bacterial properties. Wood floors, unlike carpets, do not trap and accumulate concentrations of harmful chemicals and fumes, nor do they become homes for unpleasant parasites and dust-mites.
Some environmental bodies recommend that in the interests of family health, consumers should seriously consider switching from carpet to wood floors because all carpets harbour microscopic dust-mites, whose dung when breathed in has been shown to aggravate asthma and to trigger allergies.

Estimates place the number of dust mites in one square metre of typical British household carpet at between 10,000 to 100,000. It may not be nice to imagine but carpets also contain pet allergens, faeces and urine, flea and lice eggs, traces of excreta trodden in from the garden, and high concentrations of toxic dust.

A house with wooden floors and rugs will contain only a tenth as much dust as a carpeted house.

How long will my wood floor last?

Correctly fitted and maintained a solid wood floor will last a lifetime, but correct fitting and adequate maintenance is crucial.

Are 'laminated' floors made of real wood?

Most floors calling themselves 'laminated' are just photographs of wood grain on plastic, mounted on MDF. Confusion can sometimes arise with real wood Engineered floors, which have a top layer of real hardwood - a method of construction sometimes called laminate because it is in layers. If you want a real wood floor, be careful that you're not just buying a photograph of one. The difference isn't always obvious, but it can be a costly mistake.

But aren't laminated floors cheaper than real wood?

Laminate floors may cost less initially than real wood floors, but they will not last and are easily damaged. A laminate floor has a top layer not of real wood, but of plastic imprinted with a photographic image of wood grain. It will fade in the light and whereas it has a strong scratch resistance, it is non-repairable if a scratch does happen. A real wood floor, whether solid or real wood laminate, can be sanded and sealed.

Plastic laminates are mounted on MDF and/or HDF board made of compressed wood fibres. No glue is applied. If exposed to humidity, fibreboard will expand and will not revert to its original flatness once it dries out (which a wood floor will do). Also, please bear in mind that buying a real hardwood floor may cost you as little as 20-25% more than a laminate floor.

What are oiled, oiled-and-waxed and lacquer finishes? Which should I choose?

Most wood floors sold in Britain have a lacquer finish (in most cases an acrylic lacquer or varnish). Lacquer gives the floor a shiny, glossy finish. It is smooth, hard-wearing and easy to keep clean -- it's a quick wipe with a dampened mop.

Oiled and oiled-and-waxed floors are quite new in the UK, but are proving popular. They are sealed with a mixture of wood-oil and wax. With an oiled floor the oil is impregnated into the top-layer. An oiled-and-waxed finish is an oiled floor on top of which is a wax finish for added protection. The effect is a subtler sheen than the high gloss of lacquer-varnished floors.

Please refer to our section on ‘Finishes & Fitting’ for more details.

Is an oiled floor harder work than a lacquered floor?

Although oiled floors will not attract dirt and are easy to clean in the same way as a lacquered floor, with a damp mop, they will need to be oiled occasionally, and a waxed floor will need to be waxed. This however does not take long and need not be done more than once a year under normal use and wear. Buy your floor from a supplier who can offer you a non-chemical oil to maintain it.

The big advantage with oiled floors is it can look like a new floor forever. If you have a scratch you can sand it away with a small piece of sandpaper and apply new oil. With a lacquered floor you would need to sand and lacquer the whole floor.

What types of wood floors are best for kitchens, bathrooms and conservatories?

Humidity is the big enemy of wood floors, so don’t install a solid wood floor in a wet bathroom, i.e. where a lot of showering and bathing takes place. In rooms where there is a risk of some humidity, or where the temperature can fluctuate a lot, choose a real wood Engineered floor.

If you want a wood floor in a conservatory we recommend you to keep the conservatory heated during the winter to avoid humidity building up. Never turn the heating up suddenly from low to full blast. Instead, gradually increase the temperature over 2-3 days to allow the floor to acclimatize in order to avoid movements in the floor boards.

  Will my wood floor change colour after it is laid?

Most woods will darken as they age; becoming deeper and richer as they react to daylight. There may also be contrasting reverse-blushes of lighter wood due to naturally occurring white minerals. The effect can be very attractive. The extent of the contrast will be determined by the grade of floor chosen, with rustic floors developing the greatest contrast.
It must always be remembered that a real wood floor is a natural product and it will respond to varying conditions as expected.

  Can I still have under floor heating with an Oak floor?

The answer is yes, but if a room has under floor heating, it is doubly important that it be properly installed to allow for expansion and contraction. We always recommend that our Engineered Oak board is used and never advise for the use of solid.

How do I maintain my wood floor?

With all wood floors it's just a simple question of running a damp mop over them as part of your normal house cleaning routine. Make sure that the mop is not too wet and make sure any spillages are cleaned up quickly. Moisture is wood's worst enemy after installation.
Use a non solvent based cleaner or polish to maintain your lacquered floor.

What about oiled floors?
Oiled floors will need to be oiled, about once a year, depending on the wear it receives.

To oil a floor, you just wipe it lightly with a suitable oil. As mentioned earlier, please make sure this is non-chemical oil. Natural wood oils are healthier for the floor and for you. Many wood oils have natural antibacterial properties, as well as smelling nice.

When will my lacquered floor need attention?

It depends totally on the amount of wear it gets. With normal wear a lacquered Oak floor should maintain its brilliant gloss for several years. All Oak hardwood floors, including Engineered floors, have sufficient thickness of real wood to permit re-sanding and re-lacquering several times in the lifetime of the floor. Not meaning to be rude but the liklihood  is that it will outlast you.

How do I repair a scratch?

With an oiled floor, just take a bit of sandpaper and gently rub away the scratch until it has disappeared. Then apply oil and allow it to sink in. Buff it gently and that’s it.

A lacquered floor will need to be completely sanded and re-lacquered, as it cannot be done in small patches. Some say that scratches and normal wear add to the character of the floor over time anyway.
Laminate floors are not real wood floors, but plastic printed with an image of wood, so once scratched they cannot be repaired.

How much oak do I need?

Most oak is sold in quantities of m2 so simply measure your room in metres and multiply the length by the width to get the area in m2. If your room is not square add up the area in square sections as best you can and then total them.

Once you have your overall amount add 6-8% for wastage and cutting in the fitting process (depending on shape). Be warned that if your wood is not end matched (tongue and grooved on all four sides) your fitter’s wastage will be considerably higher.

How do I fix my Oak floor down?

Please refer to our full fitting instructions for the various ways of installation suitable for each type of Oak floor.

Here is a brief guide for you;
The first way to fix your oak is to secret nail (a portable nailer drives a 2” nail at an angle into the tongue of each board) directly to joists, battens or plywood or chipboard subfloor but not every situation allows this. The second way is to glue directly to a concrete floor but we strongly advise that you use an epoxy sealant first and an elastic 1 component polyurethane adhesive.

Gluing is best with narrower planks and is not advised beyond 150mm wide. Any wide planks (190mm) should be face nailed or screwed and plugged for extra rigidity.

Engineered Oak flooring can also be floated (not fixed down to the subfloor). A professional fitter will know what to do for most situations.

What about joining the floor to wall skirting?
Please refer to our full fitting instructions for the various ways of installation suitable for each type of Oak floor.

A solid oak floor is an organic product and your floor will move and expand when subjected to temperature and humidity changes, so when it’s fitted there should be a 10mm expansion gap left around the floor edge, to be covered with skirting. In a renovation, the old skirting will ideally be removed before being replaced to cover the gap. If you don’t want to remove it you can cover the expansion gap with a decorative bead, called scotia

These are just some of the questions we get asked on a regular basis – but if you have any others please feel free to Contact Us By Clicking Here