Real Woods

** 25% OFF BAUSEN SOLID RUSTIC WHITE OAK 90mm lacquered finish - WAS £49.99 sq m NOW £37.49 sq m** 

 A real wood floor enhances any room. As with all flooring, there are numerous options available to you as you decide what sort of wooden floor to have installed.

Firstly, you must decide whether you require a SOLID floor, or an ENGINEERED floor. A solid floor is, as the name suggests, solid wood. Typically 15-18mm thick, the wood will be cut into planks or blocks, and is then installed. Solid wood will always need to be fully attached to the subfloor - either by nailing or using adhesive - and therefore gives a solid feel when walked on. Additionally, solid wood can be sanded and re-finished any number of times as required. An Engineered floor will normally be cheaper than solid wood, and is typically manufactured using a thin layer of wood on top of a thicker layer of plyboard. This type of flooring is fitted as a floating floor, therefore not requiring to be fixed to the sub floor. As a result, tiny imperfections in the floor can be overcome without the need for remedial action. An underlay will be required beneath the engineered floor.

If you opt for a SOLID floor, there are a number of options available to you. Parquet is available in a number of sizes, ranging from mosaic blocks to large (280mm x 90mm) pieces. Generally, the larger the block, the more expensive the floor. All parquet blocks are supplied unfinished, and will need to sanded and sealed on site once installed. This ensures a flat and smooth finish, and gives the option of a number of different seals. Blocks are available in Teak, Oak, and Mahogany. Planks are available in Oak, Pine, and Bamboo, and in a wide variety of different sizes and finishes.

Oak is the most popular solid floor, and is available in plank width from 80mm to 360mm. Generally, the wider the plank, the more expensive the product. You can select grades from Rustic (lots of knots and colour differences) to prime (uniform colour, no knots). You can also select a number of different finishes, including oil, lacquer, and wax. We also offer an FSC approved oak floor if you are concerned about the environmental impact of purchasing a new Oak floor.

Pine is available as a solid wood floor, and as we only use reclaimed pine, has the advantage of being environmentally friendly. Pine is available in widths of 160mm, 180mm, and 200mm, and gives a lovely gold colour in it's natural state. This will dull down in time, but pine can be stained to make it a darker colour if required. Pine is normally finished with a lacquer, as it is a relatively soft wood, and the lacquer gives a bit more strength to the surface. Pine can be fitted on battens in certain circumstances, thus eliminating the need to prepare the sub floor prior to installation.

Bamboo is also environmentally friendly, as it regenerates itself very quickly. Bamboo flooring is available in two colours, natural or dark, and two designs, horizontal or vertical. We have examples of both in our showroom for you to see. Bamboo is a very unusual floor that will enhance any room and provide a talking point for all guests.

Opting for an ENGINEERED floor is probably a bit more straight forward, as the planks sizes are generally the same (approximately 2 metres long by 0.30 metres wide). There is, however, a vast choice of species and finishes that you can select. We can supply engineered boards in Oak, Beech, Jatoba, Cherry, Maple, Birch, Merbau, and many others. As with solid floors, you will need to chose the grade of wood you require (from rustic to prime) and also the finish of the wood (oiled or lacquered). A number of the products also allow you to select the number of strips of wood that make up a plank - ranging from one to three. Generally, a three strip product will be cheaper than a one strip equivalent.

We always recommend that you have your wood floor professionally installed. We offer a full estimating and fitting service. We will always undertake a full moisture check on your floor to ascertain whether a wood floor can be installed without remedial action. Any moisture in the sub-floor is a problem if you want to fit a wood floor, and it maybe necessary to install a Damp Proof Membrane prior to installation in certain circumstances. We offer a full and thorough moisture check service - checking both the surface and the internal sub-floor. It is also necessary with a solid wood floor to have a smooth and flat sub floor, and therefore we may need to undertake remedial actions such as applying a self-levelling latex or a plyboard layer prior to installation. This will all be discussed at the estimate stage.

As part of the installation service, we can also uplift and dispose of your existing flooring, move your furniture, and remove and re-fit your skirting if required. We can also supply and install new solid wood skirting (to match the floor) if you require. All our wood floors are available with matching door bars, scotia beading, and radiator caps.

Please note that all wood will adjust to ambient atmospheric conditions (warm and humidity) as it is a natural product. Therefore, we will need to deliver your wood at least a week before the installation date, to ensure that this adjustment takes place prior to fitting. The wood will need to be stored in the room that is to be fitted, with the heating adjusted to the 'normal' setting.