HomeFeatures Flooring it – our guide to flooring your home
Flooring it – our guide to flooring your home
Rubber, stone, wood, carpet, vinyl, linoleum, slate, leather, ceramic, the list goes on. The choice of flooring available today means you can create a look to suit your exact design. You can let your imagination flow and visualise almost any type of floor you want, from the classic to the contemporary to the totally whacky.
But practicalities are a consideration too.
There are many points to think about when making your flooring selection:
Do you want a coloured floor or a natural finish or something completely unusual?
Does the surface need to be soft? Does the material need to be water, stain or slip resistant?
Who will be the primary user of the room?
Will the area be a thoroughfare / take heavy use, or is it a low traffic area?
How much time do you have to maintain your floor? Do you want to use under-floor heating?
Will there be quite significant changes in temperature? Will the floor be exposed to strong sunlight?
Is moisture/condensation likely to be regularly present in the room?
What
is the substrate / sub-floor (what will your new floor be laid on) –
not all floors can be laid on all types of substrates? Who will
install the flooring?
You may also have more specific
requirements particular to your room, say a piece of antique furniture
that the flooring must complement. Or something resilient enough to
hold a heavy marble table. Think about all these elements as you design
your room, as well as the usual matches to colour, style and texture of
any paint & furnishings.
Not every flooring is suitable
for use in every room. One type that covers most areas is vinyl. Brands
such as Amtico or Karndean offer a wide variety of looks to give the
effect of a real stone or wood or metal for example, whilst providing a
low maintenance finish that is extremely easy to live with. Vinyl is
generally very strong in terms of slip and stain resistancy. The
overall authenticity of the look, however, varies depending on what end
of the budget you veer towards.
For those seeking a more
’natural’ product Marmoleum may be the answer. Being made predominantly
from linseed oil and wood pulp results in a very hygienic floor that
may benefit allergy sufferers. Marmoleum can take quite heavy wear and
is often laid in commercial as well as domestic situations.
If
natural tones don’t fit your design a rubber floor could be for you.
Available in a vast palette of colours from the bold to the muted,
these can be further personalised with textures and patterns, to create
endless possibilities. Depending on your choice of these qualities,
rubber can be used in a wide range of applications.
Wood is
always a popular floor, particularly oak, but there are many other
different types of wood now easily available too, from the palest ash
to the darkest wenge. And as they vary from rustic with knots, sapwood
and lots of colour variation to more modern, with a cleaner more
consistent look, they can be added to any interior scheme. As a truly
natural product one has to embrace its tendencies to scratch, dent, gap
and change colour over time. Sunlight particularly can alter the colour
of a floor and too much could cause warping because of the temperature.
Moisture can also have an adverse effect, and therefore it’s a flooring
not recommended for conservatories, bathrooms, and only with care in
kitchens. But it makes a fabulous choice in hallways, living &
dining areas, studies, bedrooms.
Natural tones can also be
achieved through the use of stone; limestone, travertine, marble, slate
are a few. It is now possible to find super sleek straight cut polished
stones for contemporary interiors & town houses to more relaxed
tumbled and textured versions for farmhouses and cottages. With proper
sealing and upkeep stone can be successfully used in any room in the
house. Many people incorporate under-floor heating to take away the
chill that stone may have and add that extra feeling of luxury.
Or
perhaps you want a very soft feeling underfoot. Natural wool carpets in
different weaves, colours and textures give a beautiful appearance
whether as fitted or as a loose laid rug with a bound edge. Traditional
twist carpets are always popular, and after years of beiges and creams
dominating, a resurgence of stronger colours is now appearing. Coir
& sisal are fashionable too with those who prefer a more rustic
look.
There are hundreds of floors out there to choose from and
at least one will be absolutely perfect for your area. If your room is
being completely renovated consider the floor early on, do not leave it
to the end of the project when budget may be strained and the floor
doesn’t get the attention it needs. A fantastic new designer kitchen
can be let down by a floor that isn’t up to the standard.
Remember
that a room can be newly plastered, decorated and furnished but until
the floor is down it will never be finished. The flooring brings all
your design elements together and completes the room. Be sure to give
it the time and attention it deserves!
