Welcome to the new look Halo Floors website. We hope you enjoy it and find it informative?
Today, we are going to look at the main options open to you when choosing a wood floor for your new flat or house.
The main thing to consider is that the floor is the ‘first piece of furniture’ you buy. If you think things through at an early stage, make the right decisions for you and get the work done before all the other furniture, kids, cats etc. move in too, you will always get a better deal as it is ideal to work in an empty property.
Renovating the existing floor – Most floors can be sanded even if extensive repairs are needed. Reclaimed wood can be sourced on a job by job basis and if the repairs are minimal, this is the most cost effective option. You need to think about draughts so decide if you want gap filling with the wood sliver method? Normally, this is used in cases where there is a cold cellar under the floor, not necessary on upper levels as the heat from the lower areas will rise. If the floor is uneven you might find that sanding could be the only option as to add a new floor on top could prove very costly after preparing a flat sub-floor (except in case below).
Should you have a lovely flat floor with gaps, another way to stop draughts is to install a ‘floating’ floor. This might cost a little more than the first option but gives you a chance to really play with the design of the room as there are a vast array of different species, colours and sizes of engineered wood. Be sure to consider in older houses, the proper way to finish a floating floor is to remove skirting boards and replace over expansion gap. This might mean getting a plasterer in too if the skirting boards damage the wall on removal. Why not try to remove a small section first to see for yourself how this might end up? If a new build, the boards will normally pop off no trouble.
Should you have a floor that is not within the spec for floating floors (3mm per 2 meter length), another option would be parquet. Again, parquet blocks come in all shapes and sizes and although probably the most costly option, the installation will be a bit more tolerant on the un-level floor and of course also serve as a barrier against all draughts from below. There really is nothing nicer than an oak herringbone floor in my opinion. The gift to the house that just keeps on giving. It can be sanded many times and a well laid parquet should out live most of its owners considering the average age of a first buyer is now 37, but lets not dwell on death at this point.
These are just a few things. Basically remain focused on what you are trying to achieve. If you are clear with your objectives before a home visit, it makes the whole process much more positive and you will end up getting the floor that suits your lifestyle perfectly.
We would be very interested to hear of anyone else’s new home dilemmas to see if we can help? Please feel free to add a comment below.
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