Floored by Floors? Not sure of what you want or where to put it? Try starting with these tips on choosing your new flooring.
One Floor or lots of different floors? If you put one flooring through a large area of a small house, it can make the space feel larger as you get a better ‘flow’, particularly if you can avoid having thresholds at the doorways where the floor runs through. This rule applies whatever your floor – carpet, wood, stone or porcelain.
If it is a hard floor, like wood or stone, try and get the widest and longest planks or biggest tiles you can manage as this makes rooms feel bigger. So check those dimensions before you buy. Often the much cheaper floors are much smaller tiles/planks.
Small Spaces love a pattern:
If you love a patterned floor, fear not – there is definitely room in your house for it. Smaller spaces can be brought alive with a patterned floor. As an added bonus, some of the patterned tiles out there can be quite pricey, so using them for a small space won’t break the bank, but will give you a chance to enjoy them, without getting bored of them.
A word in your ear…
If you are longing for a wide open space, with huge windows and acres of hard flooring do be aware that there is a knock-on effect on the acoustics with all those hard surfaces. The sound will bounce around and you will not find it as restful as you were hoping. Curtains and upholstery will help to absorb sound, but if those are not an option, you may end up wanting a rug under your dining table just to help to calm the sound down.
Grouting:
Avoid having large, fat grout lines on your floor. It will make the space very ‘grid-like’ plus the grout does get dirty over time. Ideally, pick a grout that is as close to the floor colour as possible and keep those grout lines thin.
Thin Veneer?
When choosing an engineered wood floor, check out not only the size of the planks (I always recommend looking for planks at are at least 180mm wide and 1200mm long as a minimum) but also look at how thick the veneer of the wood is. A thin veneer of less than 2mm will wear out and you will never be able to sand and refinish it. Your bargain floor will no longer be a bargain. There is a reason that some floors are cheap and others are more – it’s all in the detail.
Vinyl is Back:
LVT, or luxury vinyl tiles, have come on dramatically in the last few years and can be an ideal solution when you are not altering the subfloors ruling out thicker floors like wood or stone. There are some brilliant wood effect planks and good stone effects as well as patterned floors. I always try to use the glue-down version, rather than the click and fit. It is more work to prepare the floor beforehand, but it sounds more like a solid floor when down and so is well worth the effort in making the subfloors good. Look at Harvey Maria (pictured) for some great options in LVT wood, stone, and patterns. It also has the bonus that a dropped glass or bowl is less likely to smash!
Carpet:
Don’t knock carpet. It’s warm and affordable, and depending on what you choose, it can radically change the look of your house. Always look at your samples on the floor (not in your hand) and remember, it will be lighter en masse than it looks as a small sample. Also the thicker your underlay, the better your carpet feels. I always try to go with a single colour, rather than a flecked finish as it looks more elegant and expensive. Do consider a pattern for your stairs and common parts. It can decorate a space brilliantly and will show the dirt less.
Underfloor heating:
Nearly all of the above floors will work with underfloor heating including LVT but do check that your wood floor or carpet in particular is suitable.
Budget early…
Whatever floor you think you want, it is really important that you know your square meterage of flooring so that you can budget properly. Floors are expensive to buy and to lay and even with a cheap floor the cost will be in the thousands. Your floors have to work hard so it is worth getting them right. Make sure you know how much you will need, including 5% overage, and what the laying cost is for your floor to add to the purchase price. Don’t leave it to the end and then get a horrible shock when you come to buy the floors and realise what the costs are.
You may also like:
