Solid wood flooring
Solid wood floors are mostly plain sawn or quarter sawn timber ranging from 14 to 22mm thick, dependent on the width of the board. The planks are normally random lengths and as the grain runs in the same direction throughout, are sensitive to environmental changes – expanding in the summer and contracting in the winter.
The best way to fit solid wood is to either glue or nail it to the subfloor to prevent excessive expansion / contraction with changes in humidity. Controlling the environment with a humidifier during the heating months may help to reduce the amount of gapping in solid wood floors. If this is a concern – consider engineered wood floors or laminate as they are much more dimensionally stable than solid wood floors and will show little or no gaps between planks.
Engineered flooring
Engineered flooring otherwise known as ‘semi-solid’ is a product made up of a core, either ‘multi-ply or 3 layer’ and a top level of hardwood veneer ‘3 to 6mm’ that is glued to the surface. The product thus has all the natural characteristics of solid wood ‘as that is exactly what it is’ with added advantages. The grain on each layer throughout the ‘engineered’ flooring reverses resulting in a design to provide greater stability particularly where moisture or heat pose problems for solid hardwood floors such as underfloor heating and conservatories.
Engineered wood flooring can be re-finished – 22 / 21mm products normally have the same wear layer as a 18mm thick solid timber ‘6mm’ and therefore can be sanded / re-finished the same number of times. 14mm products normally have 3-4mm wear layer, therefore can be sanded / re-finished half the number of times compared to an 18mm solid.
The best way to fit an engineered floor os to float install, however in addition to this 22 / 21mm as a structural floor has the advantage of being able to glue, secret nail or even secure the flooring direct to joist.
The advantages of engineered flooring are:
o Easy to install (DIY friendly)
o Suitable for conservatories / water underfloor heating systems
o Dimensionally stable
o Hygienic
o Easy to clean
o Can be used in conjunction with noise reduction underlays
Laminate flooring
Laminate flooring replicates natural wood with added advantages and advancements in technology meaning some laminate flooring is almost indistinguishable from solid wood. Laminate flooring is made up of three layers – the heart of the laminate is the HDF core board (High Density Fibre Board) then covered with a design layer (high resolution photo paper replicating wood).
A very hardwearing transparent overlay is then applied to the surface to guard against wear and tear and in some instances this is corundum which is a mineral almost as hard as a diamond. The back of the laminate then has a moisture resistant balancing board applied which helps protect the HDF core against moisture ingression and prevents the board from deforming.
The advantages of laminate flooring are:
o Easy to install (DIY friendly)
o Suitable for conservatories / water underfloor heating systems
o Moisture resistant
o Stain resistant
o Scratch resistant
o Impact resistant
o Anti static
o Hygienic
o Easy to clean
o Can be used in conjunction with noise reduction underlay’s