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What Is Engineered Wood Flooring?

Engineered wood flooring is produced through the fixing of several layers of wood together with a solid wood as the top or wear layer. Due to its ability to hold its ground when faced with frequently changing temperature and humidity, it happens to be one of the most popular types of flooring. As a result of its ruggedness, engineered wood flooring can be easily fitted with under floor heating and in special areas like conservatories. And apart from its usually stunning visual appeal and ability to be floated over an underlay, the engineered wood flooring is even becoming a lot more popular amongst home and other property owners.

Given the fact that engineered wood flooring is made up of several layers of wood, it may be almost impossible to tell the difference between it and a solid wood flooring just by looking at both. It can also be mistaken for a laminate flooring which is basically an image of wooden flooring placed onto a high density fibreboard.

The planks of a engineered wood flooring is crafted in such a way to ensure the it does not expand or contract unlike the solid wood counterparts. What’s more? There are several benefits that comes with installing an engineered wood flooring. They include:

• Its very easy and simple to install

• When compared to solid wood flooring, it’s more cost effective.

• It can be utilized alongside an under floor heating

• It can be loose laid, meaning it does not need to be fixed in position

• It is available in multiple varieties of wood and finishes

• It can be incorporated alongside an underlay including thermal barriers

• It can be utilized in areas with a fluctuating humidity and temperature.

• It is available in different kinds of thickness.

Click here to learn more about wood flooring.

Do you have a busy household or a thriving business? When you have a carpeted stairs faced with a high traffic on a regular basis, you know its going to take quite a beating over time. As a result, the carpet tends to start looking tired and worn out almost immediately especially if it isn’t designed to withstand such an heavy usage. Hence, the importance of taking an extra little time when deciding on which new stair carpet or stair runners to purchase and install so as to identify those with sturdier properties which are designed to last and also durable. This way, regardless of the amount of traffic it faces on a regular basis, it’ll always stay looking smart and healthy with good maintenance efforts. In this post, we’re going to consider the best carpet for stairs with a high foot traffic. Let’s take a look!

When looking for a good carpet for a heavy traffic stairs, you need to be able to identify hard-wearing stair carpet runners most of which will be clearly labelled as such. These carpets are designed to handle a high level of footfalls primarily because of the way they’re manufactured and materials incorporated. These materials include sisal (one of the best materials to look out for when you’re shopping for a hard-wearing stair carpet) and polypropylene which is an extremely popular material used in hard-wearing carpets due to its incredible features.

Apart from the materials incorporated, a lot of the strength and resilience also comes from the way in which the fibres are constructed and woven. The most reliable types of carpet weaves to look out for when choosing a high traffic stair carpet runner includes flatweave, wilton weave as well as needlepunch.

Installing wooden flooring is a quite simple process, however to get it right the first time, there are very essential preparations that must be made. These includes determining the site is in the best condition before installation, removal of all floor coverings and underlay for a more stable and durable installation and incorporation of the right expansion gap of about 10mm to 12mm which would be maintained around the floor’s perimeter.

Wooden floor fitting can be done on two types of sub-floor - Concrete and Plywood. To install onto concrete, you can follow the guide below:

• Incorporate flexible wood on concrete adhesives.

• With the help of a 3mm toothed trowel, spread above 2 board widths of adhesive along the starting wall sub-floor, beginning at a corner of your room.

• Position the first row of flooring into the area that is glued using the tongue facing opposite the wall.

• Put 10mm spacers against the wall to see to the consistency in expansion gaps.

• Make sure the joints are at a minimum of 150mm apart from the first row when fitting the second row.

• Utilize pre-cut smaller boards if you’re to start a new row with staggered joints.

• Continue with this nailing method and make sure the 10mm expansion gaps are consistent around the floor’s perimeter.

To install onto plywood, you can follow this guide:

• Make use of a porta-nailer.

• Position 10mm spacers against the wall - parallel with the installation direction.

• Fit the first row using the tongue facing opposite the wall and with the help of the porta-nailer or flooring nailer.

• Lay the second row and make sure the short end joints are at a minimum of 150mm apart from that of the first row.

• Utilize pre-cut smaller boards if you’re to start a new row with staggered joints.

• Continue with this nailing method and make sure the 10mm expansion gaps are consistent around the floor’s perimeter.

Click here to learn more about wood flooring.

With a large variety of carpet types in the market today, it can be incredibly difficult to separate the “the boys from the men. To a great number of home and property owners, what matters is the visual appeal as well as the affordability of the carpet. Once they find one that fits the bill, they simply purchase ignoring the suitability of the carpet for their homes. In several cases, this will often turn out to be disastrous especially when it happens to be a total mismatch. For instance, when you install a carpet that’s not designed to withstand a heavy footfall in a highly busy household or booming business. If you’re looking to get the best possible carpet, then you’ve found the perfect company. In this post, we’re going to consider the best carpet type to help you make informed purchase decisions going forward. Let’s take a look!

Primarily, loop pile and cut pile are the two types that are available in the market today.

• The loop style pile. Here, the individual ends are linked into the backing to ensure a continuous loop.
• The cut style pile. For this carpet style, the loops are cut to ensure that each ends are sticking up through the backing - similar to a sheer cut pile.

There are three main types of fibres used today in carpet construction that you should consider. These includes polypropylene, polyester as well as nylon. Furthermore, the most popular choice today when it comes to natural fibre is wool. However, wool’s high price makes it less common and often considered as a luxurious option. For heavy traffic areas, the best carpets are usually loop pile styles to ensure maximum value is derived from your asset. On the other hand, if you want an easy-to-clean carpet, then olefin and polyester should be on the top of your list.

How To Lay Wood Flooring

Laying of wood flooring is actually a very simple task contrary to many beliefs. First and foremost, before commencement of the fitting process, you must determine the direction you would like the engineered wood flooring to lie in. To do this the right way, they should lie in the direction of the the longest wall. However, if your subfloor is wooden, then having the boards positioned across the joists underneath would be your best bet to get started.

Here are some simple steps to follow to properly lay your wood flooring:

• Start from a corner, working from left to right and place the initial rows of the boards with the groove’s end directly opposite the closest wall.

• Make use of expansion spacers. Place them in between the wall and the board alongside an expansion gap of about 8 to 10mm.

• Place the board’s final rows at about 100mm wide. To achieve this, it is crucial to be pro-active with the measurement and cut the boards (if you deem fit) to adjust the first row.

• With the help of the click system, the boards will click together.

• Fit in the next board. Ensure to attach the tongues together (30 degrees from the floor) and once done, you can proceed to lower and lock it in place. Do this till you get to the end of the row.

• Cut the last board of the row to size if its too long.

• If the part cut off is up to 300mm, simply use it to start the next row. If not, cut a new board in half to use.

• Put the rows side by side in such a way to ensure the joints are staggered at each and every row. Keep a consistent gap between the wall and the planks via the continuous use of the spacers.

• Lay a plank over the last row to determine the width of the previous board. Position a new plank in a way that its tongue is directly against the wall. Once done, proceed to mark a line of plank underneath to get the required width. Then, fit the plank into the space with the help of a pull bar and hammer.

Click here to learn more about wood flooring.

If you’re thinking about installing a carpet on your floor, one of the most important things you’d have to put into consideration before you proceed is the most suitable type of underlay to ensure your carpet is placed appropriately and maximum value is derived. This is a common issue for several homeowners and we aim to help you clear the worries once and for all. In this post, we’re going to consider the best underlay for your carpet to help you make the best informed decision moving forward. Let’s take a look!

In all honesty, there’s no straightforward answer to this question as the best carpet underlay depends on a number of factors. These factors include the type of carpet you wish to install, the type of flooring it will sit on ( e.g, concrete or underfloor heating), your budget, the room you’re laying the underlay in as well as your personal preferences in terms of durability, comfort, noise reduction and more.

When a carpet underlay is carefully selected, it’ll act as a shock absorber - perfect for protecting your floors against high traffic and impact, making sure that your carpeted floor looks good and healthy for a long period of time.

Generally, the best carpet underlay for bedrooms will be a thick, sponge rubber underlay or a wool combination felt variation which guarantees your comfort. For living rooms and lounges, the best carpet underlay would be one that is sumptuous and velvety soft to provide a comfortable floor. For dining rooms, you’d be smart to get a good quality hard-wearing carpet underlay as this area is one of the most frequently occupied areas in the home.

Are you looking to renovate your home or property by laying a brand new carpet? Or perhaps your current carpet has started giving indications that it’s well past its glorious days and needs to be replaced. Regardless of the reason why you wish to recarpet your home, you’d probably find yourself asking the same question almost every home and property owner in a similar situation asks - how much does it cost to recarpet a house? Well, you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’re going to take a good look at house recarpeting costs.

Generally, carpet fitting costs can be within the range of £5 per square meter to about £30 per square meter. However, when it comes carpet costs itself, a short and accurate answer can’t be provided. This is due to the fact that carpet costs can vary largely based on a number of factors which includes the weaves, the texture, the material incorporated ( such as wool, cotton, polyester, polypropylene and more), the pile depth, the colour as well as the brand. What’s more? You’re probably going to want varying carpet types for different areas of your home. For instance, you should use a more robust material for your stairs than what you’d probably get for your living area.

Overall, if you want a low budget carpet, you should be able to get one anywhere within the range of £5 per square meter to £10 per square meter.  On the other hand, if you have a mid range budget, you can expect to find carpets anywhere within the range of £15 per square meter to £20 per square meter. And finally, if you’re looking for luxurious carpets, the price starts at £30 per square meter.

One the several of the several benefits that comes with having a wooden floor installed is the fact that damaged surfaces can be repaired without the need to replace the floor in the whole room. This is not applicable to many other types of flooring whereby even the littlest damages are not reparable. Depending on the severity and depth of the wooden flooring damage, there are a number of techniques you can incorporate to repair the affected area. For examples, minor damages will not require as much effort as corner curling or cupping. In certain cases where the job requires no expertise, the repair process can be done by any individual with no prior experience in similar works. However, in other cases, when the wooden flooring has suffered a major damage, it’s advisable to call for a professional help.

First of all, it’s quite important to always watch out and prevent any sort of damages as this is way better than spending time trying to have the damaged surface repaired. One of the ways to prevent damages is by always lifting furniture rather than just dragging it across the floor when you need to move it. However, accidents are always meant to happen. In the case of damaged wooden flooring, here are some repair solutions.

When there are small scratches on your flooring, simply add a new coating of sealer to your floor (if the floor has already been oiled, just add another layer of oil). For lacquered floors, make use of a lacquer repair pen to help get rid of the scratches. In addition, there are some DIY shops offering wax filler sticks which can be used to hide or remove both light and medium scratches on wooden flooring.