Advantages and Flaws of Wood Flooring
Laminate Flooring: £3psm
Laminate flooring is a very popular choice of flooring and people use it in many different rooms in the house. From children’s rooms to kitchens, laminate flooring is widely available and very cost effective. Some of the advantages are it’s very easy to maintain as you can clean laminate with a simple wipe and sweep.
Laminate flooring is also quite easy to install and if you are planning a DIY job this is probably the easiest type of floor to install. There are different ways to install laminate and some cater for the DIY lovers making it very easy to click them into place. Laminate flooring also isn’t as tough on your feet and skin as let’s say the stone is. So children can quite happily play on laminate flooring without worrying about hurting themselves too much.
Another great advantage to laminate flooring is it comes in a wide variety of patterns so if you’ve always wanted a natural stone floor and don’t quite have the funds to make that dream come true, you can get laminate flooring with a stone design printed on it, or pretty much any other texture you want to go for.
The disadvantage to this, however, is that it will never feel like the real thing, so make sure you have a pretty active imagination if you’re looking to fool yourself with your floor. Another disadvantage is that laminate flooring can wear over time and also once the surface is damaged it can’t be repaired. The material also slightly swells with temperature changes and can perform quite poorly if not properly laid.
Engineered Wood Flooring – £19psm
Engineered wood flooring is more expensive then laminate psm coming in at around £19psm and this is because it consists of 3-4 layers of wood glued together which make up a plank of wood around 14mm thick and is way more sturdier and stronger than laminate flooring. Some of the advantages to this type of flooring is if it get’s damaged, thanks to its thick layers the wood can be sanded down and fixed, unlike laminate flooring which is permanently damaged. It’s also less prone to changes in temperature and humidity which is another benefit over laminate flooring. The only disadvantages to this type of wood are it’s harder to install and is more expensive than other kinds of wood flooring, laminate for example.
Solid Wood Flooring £15-80
Solid wood flooring consists of single wood planks unlike the engineered wood flooring but it’s also thicker. The one plank of wood is around 19-20mm thick and looks incredible. The quality and finish is part of why the wood is as pricey as it is and it ranges from £15psm for wood such as parawood and up to £80psm for Tropical wood. This would similar to something like natural stone maintains it’s value when it comes to re-selling as its a sought-after feature in homes. The only disadvantages to Solid Wood Flooring are that it’s the toughest to install having to be glued or nailed down and it costs the most but, it does look pretty damn good.
If you are still unsure about which wooden flooring is best for you, then contact us and our team of experts can have a conversation answering all of your questions to ensure that you are 100% happy with the type of flooring you choose. We also have blogs such as http://www.fairfaxflooring.com/2018/03/22/best-flooring-choices-playrooms/ and http://www.fairfaxflooring.com/2018/06/04/choosing-kitchen-floors/ if you are choosing a flooring type for a certain room in your home.