I would like to replace the carpet in the lounge with wood flooring. I am torn between laminate and proper wood flooring (which also sort off clicks together).
Would anyone have advice about what to get from where and what to avoid?
Thanks
Have you considered going wood effect tiling such as Karndean, Amtico, or Polyflor Camero ... very hard wearing (10 to 25 year warranties), maintenance free, looks amazing when laid and can be used over underfloor heating.
I went with Camero in "nutwood" and couldn't be happier - the other big advantage for me was it would be laid without either replacing skirting boards or having beading strips running around the skirts.
Hi
I choose some quality engineered wood floor (EO2019), from this people:
luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk
its 19cm wide, 180 cm long, 2 cm thick. The top 6 mm are european blonde oak.
And then had it installed by a local specialist. It still is great and perfect after 2 years.
Have heard however that some high quality laminate truly looks as proper wood, which is far more convenient to have, particularly with dogs.
Last edited by Franco; 18th March 2019 at 22:04.
My preference would be an engineered wood. That has a solid wood top surface bonded to cheaper wood. Some are available that click together. It wears and looks like a proper solid wood floor but doesn’t warp like a solid floor can. It also can be sanded down when looking tired.
Typical cheaper laminate flooring is easy to fit, clicks together but isn’t real wood. Some is a printed wood pattern under a textured hard plastic surface. Some can look very much like wood. But nothing looks as much like wood as real wood.
Karndean is the way to go imho my brother has been a dealer / installer for 15+ years the stuff looks fab and takes any amount of abuse.
Engineered wood with a nice thickness of real wood on the top so you can sand if needed later on.
Solid wood doesn't seem to provide any benefit to engineered wood, and it can warp.
Thanks I looked into Karndean but it requires a very good fitter and the fitting is expensive
This. I had solid oak fitted in my London pied a terre. Six years later some of it has shrunk leaving gaps. We recently made some alterations and used engineered oak in the new areas- it has a 6mm top layer of oak and when laid is indistinguishable from solid wood-but should be much more stable.Originally Posted by hughtrimble
We've just had about 30 square metres of traditional oak Amtico Spacia installed by an approved installer for just over 2k supply and fit. It looks and feels great.
Decent engineered wood flooring is pretty damn good - looks/feels better than laminate. Fitted it to a previous house without issues.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Another here recommended Karndean. We had it put down in our hallway, downstairs WC and kitchen dinner. It’s received a lot of positive comments from visitors. We had it laid at a 45 degree angle with a 5mm bead and boarder. It took a fitter three days. Wasn’t cheap but it was well worth it.
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We are very happy with Karndean - chap at the gym (who has a flooring shop) was telling me there is now something similar quality but a lot cheaper available now but can't remember the name - if it is great as the Karndean has been excellent in kitchen and bathrooms, the original stuff is from 2007, we added it when we redid the bathrooms and added extension a few years ago, the 2007 stuff has IMO aged very well.
I went for engineered wood for our downstairs.
More than happy with it. Unless you're spending loads, go for a lighter finish.
A bit of an outlier. We only did one floor when we moved in to our current house a few years ago. As it happened, it was my studio/study, and I was given permission to do whatever I liked with it. I went with a floor of cork planks, with a light coloured finish. I like the floor, as it is hard wearing, comfortable to walk on, and it is easy to find little bits (e.g., of watch movements) that find their way on to it. (My wife thinks that it is too clinical.)
Best wishes,
Bob
Had Amtico down for 10 years, looks like new and is resilient to marks. Karndean is very similar. Can't recommend enough.
A similar thread years ago steered me toward Karndean. Had my whole flat done end to end. It's been great. You do need a good fitter though, and the laying of the screed etc makes it a bit of a hassle. But well worth it.
My daughter’s have just had their shop done in Karndean/Amtivo or something very similar on the recommendation of my wife who’s worked in flooring retail for a number of years.
Commercial properties with heavy footfall generally use this stuff, with good reason!
LVT, Loose Vinyl Tile is becoming popular. An alternative to Karndean/Amtico is Moduleo, this is generally thicker and a click version is available. A mate has just done his house in it and loves it.
Engineered oak boards is the way to go if you want real wood.. but saying that, laminates are very good quality these days and harder wearing.
Wood type, colour, finish are all personal choice.
You will need to bear in mind threshold heights if you're only doing one room so that might impact your choice as laminates are generally a thinner board.
Other tips are.. wider boards in bigger rooms, thinner boards look too busy in big areas. And remember to always run the boards towards the major light source.
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I'm definitely going for engineered wood instead of solid so I can have underfloor heating. Previously I have had Amtico in the kitchen/utility room, but people do have engineered wood in the kitchen, what are people's thoughts about that? Not sure how well it reacts to spills and stains. Is it sealed and do you need to oil it?
It depends on the supplier but the majority of engineered I've fitted comes sanded ready for a sealer,
I'd recommend Osmo Polyx as it not only has the lustre of an oil finish but also has the added benefit of the durability of a film finish,
Unlike cheaper film finishes (your basic floor varnishes) it's much easier to spot repair and with the top veneer of engineered flooring being a decent 3-6mm thickness you can very easily sand out even deep gouges.
if you want good flooring and furnishing .i will recommended you best for discount prices..
https://couponado.com/category/flooring-and-furnishings
Die russian bot account!
Be aware that LVT is also used for the likes of Amtico and Karndean with the L standing for luxury.
Another, moderately OT point to make is that Amtico is made in this country if that appeals, it was a factor in us choosing Amtico over the other LVTs although Amtico were also the cheapest with a wood finish in a bevelled tile (so you can see the individual planks).
If the vinyl products are under consideration (and I’m sorry but for me there is something naff about even the most expensive and upmarket of them) then how about the wood effect porcelain tiles? They are quite popular here in Malta and look pretty good.
I use Osmo on everything I can. It costs quite a bit by volume, but a very little goes a very long way.
Best wishes,
Bob
Last edited by rfrazier; 19th March 2019 at 11:17.
I’ve got wood effect Kardean in the kitchen and it’s really good but I don’t think I would be as happy with it in the living room, I’ve got engineered wood in my den in a light oak it’s been very good and I prefer it to laminate as it’s a bit softer and nicer to walk on in bare feet etc. I’ve got laminate as well in a bedroom and a bathroom, it’s practical but seems a bit cheaper and noisier.
What’s under your carpet, if it’s boards you might be able to sand and stain them. I did a living room floor in a former house like that and it looked great.
Kahrs Oak London from Flooringsupplies.co.uk. About £38m2. Real oak engineered flooring.They have a large showroom in Croydon.
https://www.flooringsupplies.co.uk/r..._wood_flooring
Kahrs is top notch wood flooring and Oak London is particular to this selling company. They only have this one Kahrs in stock and sell it at rock bottom price. Everywhere else Kahrs will cost you £70/m2 for no improvable quality.
Look for wide long planks which more expensive than planks with block arrangement.
I bought this flooring and love it. Even the floor layer comments on the quality.
Can also highly recommend flooringsupplues.co.uk and they have a lot of wood floor available
Thanks all.
The boards are in terrible shape so sanding etc is out the question. Also a small bit behind the front door is concrete.
I think I will try and find some engineered wood, my issue is that I am only budgeting £20sq m so I may not have enough.
I think I will get the wickes laminate for the bedroom as it’s usage is much lighter.
I have thought about LVT I am just concerned about finding a good fitter.
Here you go. Free underlay too. Real wood too, and none of the crap some of the big diy stores chuck out. Big showroom in Croydon, so not just a cloud company.
https://www.flooringsupplies.co.uk/r..._wood_flooring
https://www.flooringsupplies.co.uk/r..._wood_flooring
https://www.flooringsupplies.co.uk/r..._wood_flooring
Not convinced by the appeal and expense of real wood. I’m not a fan of wood/laminate flooring in a lounge but it’s deal for hallways. I fitted laminate flooring in my hallway 10 years ago and despite getting plenty of wear it still looks fine, but I bought the best I could find and fitted it carefully.
Having had laminate flooring fitted in a kitchen a few years ago I wouldn’t have it again. After the inevitable water leak it’s been damaged in one corner and generally usn’t standing up to wear and tear. The problem is the design, which traps dirt and water , it looked good in a showroom but it’s hopelessly impractical. Shame, because it cost a few bob and it was well fitted, but it’s been a poor choice.
We had the whole ground floor done some years back (think I got some advice on here actually) and went for bamboo. We went for a carbonised version and it has been great. Its aged a little (as in gotten darker) but its easy to clean, hasn't warped and looks good. From memory, its solid as opposed to engineered, but will have to check as still have some off-cuts in the garage somewhere.
In previous place we had solid oak laid in a new extension and it that was lovely. We also put in an older part of the house and it always creaked and we never really solved that issue.
have also used teak in a bathroom and that was lovely! Quite expensive but doable as its only a small visible area. Hard wearing, water resistant, lovely mellow colour. That was put down around 2004/5 - would love to see what it looks like now but doubt the current owners would be amenable to me just popping in to have a look!
I put solid oak down in my kitchen and dining room, it an open plan space and I like how it looks but because of the moisture its slightly warped. Not by much but you can feel it when you run the hover over it. It wears well, and in a few years I'll may sand it and refinish it. That said, if I was to do it again I'd go with an engineered wood.
There are two trains of thought here with flooring. Real wood or Karndean, one ages and wears, the other looks like new for many years. Both can be appealing but one of the reasons I went with wood is because I like how oak fades and wears, like watch patina it gives a room character in ways synthetic materials don't.
Take a look in Wickes and B&Q, not just Wickes. The quality was really terrible compared to some of the B&Q options on the joins.
Poorly cut joins will cause you massive headaches if installing yourself.
I’ve laid both engineered wood and laminate, and would go with quality laminate. Our laminate kitchen floor has been down for 8 years and still looks new, despite having 2 boys who are not exactly gentle with it. Engineered wood was good in the lounge but dented easily, had a couple of gaps open up, and didn’t look much ‘better’.
Thanks all and will check out that wood flooring supplies. I prefer to have wood over LVT for the lounge/ hallway.
Interesting, thank you. Does it give a varnished appearance or oiled?
We have Amtico in the Bathrooms ( fitted by me) - it's not rocket science proving you are not doing anything fancy.
In the Kitchen we have engineered Wood (Maple),which had been down for about 20 years and only been sanded and refinished once. Has worn very well considering the punishment it gets.
In the hall and lounge/study we have solid oak. The stuff we used in the hall and study was an expensive wax finish, but it has worn really well. The stuff in the lounge was cheaper with a varnish finish and has moved in a couple of areas, partly as a result of a water leak, but generally we are very pleased with the result.
In our bedroom we have solid Indian lotus mahogany, which was reclaimed and about 100 years old. It was a complete bugger to fit partly because of the amount of waste it generated and because it was as hard as nails, but once its gets its annual coat of Osma oil it looks fanstatic and is totally unique.
I would not go Amtico, etc in the lounge. If you go engineered, make sure it has enough wood to withstand a couple of standings. My preference would be go for a wax finished solid wood, expensive, but it's only money and keep it looking lovely with a regular treatment with Osma. Plus the older it gets, the better it will look.
Which ever you go for make sure you fit an underlay and remove all the skirting boads - otherwise it might be noisy and will look naff.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
I had Karndean quite a few years ago and must say I luv it.
Really hard wearing and still looks great.
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Don’t go for solid wood in my opinion, I put down 60sqm in my last house, looked superb when first fitted but marked very easily.
Got amtico fitted now and looks great and doesn’t mark, even with 2 kids and lots more at weekends.
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Sorry Chukas but as a cabinet maker I really don't get this view point. Thats the beauty of real wood, it looks better once its marked/used.
I agree with you that Amtico is a great product though. I've used/specified it many times.
Very much an inbetween, a lot like Danish Oil as that's essentially Boiled Linseed Oil cut with some varnish but more durable and longer lasting.
It's genuinely an outstanding product and it only takes 2 coats rather than the 3+ you'd need to build up a good oil finish.
You can get it in Satin, Matt or Gloss.
The application instructions are a little cryptic but after a lot of experimenting I finish all my furniture for clients in it now,
The basic process is:
Apply with a relatively coarse brush and agitate it into the surface, so really brush it in dont worry too much about brush marks,
20 minutes later whipe away all excess with a clean rag,
leave 24 hours,
Lightly sand with 400 grit to a smooth finish,
Repeat the same process but no need to go at it quite as aggressively with the brush, just brush it on evenly then again after 20 minutes whipe the excess,
leave 24 hours and you're done - if you like you can give it a little buff with fine steel wool, a green scouring pad (scothbrite) or 1000 grit paper,
as with all finishes go easy on it for 2 weeks or so while it fully cures.
This!
Kahrs has been around for years and I've yet to find a superior product for engineered board
I'm in the process of planning to have proper parquet flooring laid in the living rooms.
This is to go in the living room so not a high traffic area, therefore there’s no need to use the most hard wearing product. I think some of the suggestions above are overkill for such an application and better suited for high traffic areas such as halls and kitchens.
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Here's our Kahrs Oak London just laid.
Long wide boards of engineered oak giving it a more premium look.
But at £38/m2, a bit of a bargain, when you consider John Lewis are charging £75/m2 for the almost identical Kahrs wide/long plank engineered oak floor.
You can tell cheaper wood floors usually will be shorter boards, with many strips of the wood in each board.
Last edited by noTAGlove; 20th March 2019 at 09:44.
I completely agree. We have Osmo Polyx Oil on our (engineered) oak floors and solid oak kitchen worktops. It is a breeze to maintain when compared to varnish finishes and looks superb. The finish is like a half way between oiled and matt satin/matt varnish depending on which version you go for. Since I discovered this stuff, I would not use anything else.
The key is to not use too much of it, as a little goes a long way. Lay it on thick at your peril, as I learnt to my misfortune.
The worktops tend to need more regular maintenance than our floors due to the abuse the worktops get from water and scourers.
That kitchen unit straddling the different floor surfaces would drive me crazy, I would have to replace with a single unit to satisfy my OCD!Here's our Kahrs Oak London just laid.
Long wide boards of engineered oak giving it a more premium look.
But at £38/m2, a bit of a bargain, when you consider John Lewis are charging £75/m2 for the almost identical Kahrs wide/long plank engineered oak floor.
You can tell cheaper wood floors usually will be shorter boards, with many strips of the wood in each board.
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Look away now!
I hear you, I’m a carpenter to trade, it just didn’t work for me.
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