Wooden Floors
Laminate
What is it?
Laminate flooring is a high density fibreboard using either synthetic materials or mixed with natural materials and covered with a decorative layer of hardwood, protected with a film of melanin resin.
Styles available:
There are many effects available: textured, grooved and planked laminates, all designed to look like real wood. There are approximately 30-40 different styles, which are available in high, continuous or direct pressure laminate (HPL, CPL, DPL).
Price range:
From €7.99 to €25 per square yard.
Life expectancy:
Laminate flooring is incredibly hard wearing and has an average life expectancy of ten to 15 years. Make sure yours has a performance guarantee of no less than ten years.
Where to use:
Suitable for most rooms in the house, including all high use areas. High moisture areas, such as bathrooms, should generally be avoided, but some laminate is suitable for these conditions, so check with your supplier beforehand.
How to install:
Laminate can be laid directly onto concrete or a plywood sub floor, and can be tongue and grooved or clicked into place. Although it is generally worth getting a professional in, there are styles available for the DIY enthusiast.
Engineered boards
What is it?
Engineered flooring is made up of layers of real wood, unlike laminate, with a top layer of about 6mm. The top layer is glued onto a birch plywood base made up of 11 layers.
Styles available: Available in strips or wide planks and in a variety of thicknesses from 15mm to 21mm, pre-finished with a hardwearing layer of lacquer. Some woods available are oak, ash, maple, merbau and jatoba. Wide boards are more popular in engineered wood.
Price range:
Depending on the wood top layer, prices will range from €50 per square metre to €95 per square metre for a wenge wood.
Life expectancy:
These boards will last forever, and you can sand and varnish any time you want a newly finished floor.
Where to use:
Like all wood floors, the type of wood should be considered for each room. High use areas, such as hallways, would benefit from tough woods like beech, ash or oak, while softer woods will suffice for bedrooms. Engineered boards can even be used for the bathroom, but talk to your supplier first
How to install:
The timber can be locked into place. It can be laid as a floating floor over a sub floor of foam, aluminium and plastic or directly onto concrete using polyurethane glue, as long as the concrete is no wetter than 5% humidity. Engineered boards are suitable for a DIY job, but if you would prefer someone else to do it, your dealer will supply you with a list of fitters.
Solid wood
What is it?
100% soft or hard wood cut from one piece of timber.
Styles available:
Softwoods (spruce, larch, deal, fir and pine) and hardwoods (maple, ash, walnut, oak, cherry and beech). There are also new exotic hardwoods coming onto the market. Some woods are available painted and woods can be unfinished or finished. All solid woods are allergy free.
Price range:
Some solid woods are available for as little as €40 per square metre, such as eastern European oak, but be aware of quality. Price can rise to €180 to €220 per square metre for the darker woods.
Life expectancy:
Solid wood is generally hardwearing and can expect to have a long life, approximately 80 years plus, although some are softer than others and will wear quicker.
Where to use:
Ideal for hallways, bedrooms and living rooms, though high use areas will require more hard wearing timbers such as pine, ash or deal. Bathrooms are not recommended as the high moisture level can cause the wood to warp and gape, although some prefer this effect.
How to install:
Solid wood can be very difficult to install. In new builds, all timber should be left to acclimatise to the house environment for at least four to six weeks. The heating should be left on during this period. Timbers should be laid directly onto joists, batons or a sub plywood floor and can be secret nailed or glued in place. A floating floor is an easier, cheaper way to fit your floor. This is certainly not a DIY job, so a professional fitter is recommended, but there are brands that offer easy fit options if you are determined to do it yourself.
Parquet
What is it?
Parquet wood floors are individual solid wood blocks arranged in varying patterns, traditionally chevron or herringbone style.
Styles available:
They are usually 6mm to 10mm thick and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It is possible to create more elaborate designs, adding borders and different woods. Some more common designs include basket weave, Versailles and Chantilly.
Price range:
Approximately €50 per square yard for a basic block to around €250 per square metre for the more intricate inlay styles. Remember, a more complicated design will take longer to lay, causing more expense.
Life expectancy:
Like all solid wood floors, parquet will age beautifully as long as proper care is taken, such as making sure all casters are sufficiently covered. Stick to an anti bacterial cleaner that will leave no residue and give your floor a damp clean one to two times a week.
Where to use:
Because of the high cost and intricate design of parquet, more open spaces are recommended, such as your living room, to gain full impact of the design. Avoid using parquet in the bathroom as it is liable to gape and expand due to high moisture.
How to install:
Because of their intricacy, parquet floors are definitely not suitable for a DIY job. It will need professional installation, a service usually offered by your supplier. It can be laid directly onto dry concrete or onto a plywood or OSB3 substrate, glued down and sealed. The wood will need to acclimatise before it is laid and it is recommended that you wait 24 hours after varnishing before you walk on it.
Salvaged wood
What is it?
Timber that has been reclaimed from old buildings, such as whiskey distilleries, docks, tobacco warehouses and cotton mills
Styles available:
There are three types of salvaged wood; original flooring (usually dating before 1920), a cut floor (cut from old beams or railway sleepers) and a wood block (normally around 12" in length). Woods commonly available include pine and oak. Salvaged wood come in all kinds of lengths, but are generally quite wide.
Price ranges:
Price is dependent on species, quality and width, but prices can start at approximately €35-€45 per square yard up to €70 per square yard for prime grade 9” pitch pine.
Life expectancy:
Good quality salvaged wood will last for centuries.
Where to use:
Salvaged wood is suitable for all rooms, but it is recommended that you do not use oak in the bathroom. Pitch pine is suited to the bathrooms as it has a high resin content and a very tight grain, making it resilient against moisture.
How to install:
Installation should be on batons or joists. It can also be glued or secret nailed directly onto the concrete. Salvaged wood can take longer to lay than new wood as there will be irregularities and defects. If you are using under floor heating, leave the timber in the area it is being laid for about two weeks with the heating on, turning the board every couple of days.
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