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Flooring News
Flooring firm gives old wood a new lease of life22/03/2010
A flooring firm in Texas has given old .... |
Laminate flooring 'durable and easy to clean'22/03/2010
Laminate flooring is a good option for .... |
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UK Flooring Direct is a company with over 25 years experience in the flooring industry. During that time, we have built up strong partnerships with a number f the world's leading flooring product manufacturers. Theses close links and our bulk purchasing power means we can bring you a range of great deals.
Carpet
Carpets offer warmth, comfort and a wide range of colours and designs for the floor. They are gentle on the feet and if maintained properly can be durable and provide years of good service. While not ideal for every room in the house, they are particularly suited to cosy environments like bedrooms. While many carpets come in synthetic fibres, real wool products are also available and there is a variety of styles including different thicknesses to choose from.
Vinyl flooring
Vinyl flooring is tough, scratch resistant, waterproof and long-lasting, while also being one of the least expensive flooring types. Vinyl flooring is available in a wide range of styles and designs, which can mimic wood, tile, stone and even metal, offering a choice of various different colours and hues. It is easy to clean and can come cushioned, which makes it softer and therefore kind to the feet when walking on it.
Cork flooring
Cork flooring is a popular and eco-friendly material that is culled from the bark of the cork tree rather than being sourced by felling. For this reason, it is a sustainable and renewable wood. Its softness makes it kind to the feet and it is also fire-resistant and sound proof. The substance does need to be kept clean and dry, which will also help it to retain its attractive appearance and feel. Products are available in a surprisingly wide range of colours and tones.
Hardwood Flooring
A real wood floor is a thing of beauty and can come in many varieties, with different styles, finishes, patterns and materials, meaning there should be something for every taste. Such floors can also come in solid wood and engineered wood types, which offer different attributes and will suit different situations. Bamboo Flooring, is a new age hardwood that many people are using, it is a greener more sustainable option that also provides some different qualities to normal wood, it is moisture-resistant but is very durable like other hardwoods. Oak Flooring is one of the more popular types of wood in this range.
Solid Wood Flooring
Solid wood flooring is a product made from one single piece of hardwood timber and averages 18 mm in thickness, while the width can vary from 90 mm to 210 mm. The wood is installed according to strict guidelines, in order to account for the potential for expansion and contraction when the air gets wetter or dryer.
Buyers can choose between two ways of installing the wood, these being to either glue or secret nail it to the subfloor. Secret nailing is the more popular, whereas gluing can depend on how moist the subfloor gets if it is made of concrete.
Using the correct glue and taking account of potential moisture are the key issues when installing this wood, in order to ensure it remains in good shape.
Engineered Wood flooring
Engineered wood flooring is constructed of three pieces of wood, which include a hardwood layer on top, with the three glued together very firmly. The top layer is responsible for the appearance of the floor surface and is usually about 2 - 6 mm thick, while the middle layer adds strength and the bottom layer balances it all out.
This structure means an engineered floor can be installed as a floating floor on top of any kind of subfloor and is the easiest way to install a floor.
Laminate flooring
Laminate flooring is not actually real flooring but looks like it, with the appearance being provided by a photographic image of wood. This is placed on top of a core board made of compressed fibres and the material is covered in a melamine wear layer, which is what gives laminate flooring its famed toughness. It is less likely to scratch than wood and easy to clean, making it ideal for a crowded and busy house.
It is also easy to install as it has click system installation, which means everything just fits together like a jigsaw without any need for glue or nails. Laminate comes in different grades with the highest (and toughest) ones - AC5 and AC6 - being suited to large commercial premises.
