When it comes to choosing the right wooden flooring for your home, there certainly is a lot to consider. Your floors, wall and ceiling are the three fundamental elements that create the feel of a room. Further, the colours, patterns and amount of available lighting will also feed into this. Here’s our guide on everything you need to know when it comes to choosing the right wooden flooring for your home.
Before we jump in, here’s a few factors to consider:
- – Darker floors will swallow light, lighter floors will reflect it
- – Darker floors create a deeper sense of warmth and cosiness. Light adds space
- – How much traffic your floors will be taking. If you have a busy household, you will also need to consider:
- – How easy the floor is to clean and maintain
- – Whether you want to mix and match flooring
It may also be worth bearing in mind lacquered surfaces are easier to clean, however you can restore and bring out the grain and natural colour of solid wood with oil. Floors should be installed lengthways towards the window to reflect light. This means for larger rooms, 1 or 2 strip floors would give a better finish compared to 3 strips for smaller rooms. You can also design the features of your wood to be hand scraped or brushed so as not to draw attention to planks. Here’s the four most common types of wooden flooring.
Laminate wooden flooring
A popular choice that has been preceded only by solid wooden flooring in improving the value of your home, laminate wooden flooring is a cheaper and easy to clean material. It can be maintained by cleaning with a vinegar or alcohol solution of one part, to three parts water. We recommend using a slightly damp mop and using too much water can leave water spots. Although hard to scratch, you can also use a soft brush or vacuum head extension to avoid scratching. An ideal material for homes on a budget but want to create the appearance of wooden floors, or for busy family homes.
| Pros | Cons |
| Hard to scratch | Lacks the feel of authentic wood |
| Long lasting | Boards can create a pattern which can takeaway a seamless effect |
| Easy to install | |
| Great for DIY projects | |
| Largest choice of decors and styles than other wooden flooring solutions | |
| Water resistant options | |
| Pet friendly | |
| Low maintenance | |
| Suitable for underfloor heating |
Solid wood flooring
Solid wood flooring is also a hugely popular option due to the range of solid wood available. Choose from Birch, Maple, Oak, Beech, Walnut or Jarra to create a uniquely textured solid wooden floor that will last for lifetimes. Maintenance requires wiping away water spills immediately due to solid woods ability to retain moisture and not adapt well to this or heat changes. Every 20-30 years the floor may require oiling, and sealing the wood so as not to lose its authentic colour grains or the surface being eroded away. You can help prevent this by removing footwear before waking on this, sweeping away dirt and not dragging heavy objects across it. Cleaning can be done with a soft brush and mop, but this should be with hot water so that it evaporates quickly. Homes that traditionally have solid wooden flooring are historic, graded or listed buildings but this is quickly becoming a popular choice in more contemporary homes, especially for hallways, kitchens and living areas.
| Pros | Cons |
| Can last potentially hundreds of years | Harder to install, we recommend using a professional installation company (cannot be floated) |
| Can be refinished or treated to look brand new | Not the best option for underfloor heating due to the depth and thickness of wood |
| Wood can be stained to any colour | Colour variation due to it being a natural product may mean inconsistency in the colour scheme. Batches vary in terms of colour |
| Authentic wooden feel | Some planks may not be suitable to install due to it being a natural product. Batches may vary in terms of form |
| Comes with a luxury finish | |
| Pet friendly | |
| Low maintenance | |
| Aesthetically beautiful and a great texture to walk on |
Engineered wood flooring
With the look and feel of solid wood flooring, engineered wood flooring offers the best of both worlds between solid wood flooring and laminate. Typically engineered wood does have a real wood surface, but has a stabilising base layer for versatility and to allow for functions such as underfloor heating. One of the easier materials to clean, you can dry clean, vacuum, use a soft brush or mop. Engineered wood can be oiled however it already will have been if it has a lacquered finish. In this case the wood would need to be sanded down before applying the oil. Engineered wooden flooring is popular as an eco-friendly choice, for renovations in older buildings and for family homes.
| Pros | Cons |
| Long lasting, especially on thicker top layer floors | Professional installation is recommended due to having two components |
| Can be stained to any colour | Can scratch due to the real wood finish |
| Authentic wooden feel | Colour variation due to being a natural product and batches may not have the same colour |
| Comes with a luxury finish | Extra waste may occur if the planks do not fit |
| Pet friendly | |
| Low maintenance | |
| More stable in terms of heat and moisture changes than solid wood flooring | |
| Suitable for underfloor heating | |
| Has 2 methods of installation; wood floor underlays or floating |
LVT Flooring
Also referred to as vinyl click flooring, LVT (luxury vinyl tile) flooring is not technically made of wood but is still counted for its properties. Similar to laminate, it gives the appearance of a lush wooden finish and can be easily cleaned by brushing and mopping. More high end homes are now turning to LVT flooring as it allows for underfloor heating and can be clicked in easily if you are considering a home DIY project.
| Versatile material makes it easier to install with quick click installation. Ready to use immediately | More expensive than laminate flooring |
| Water resistant | Lacks the authentic feel of real wood |
| DIY Friendly as it is easier to cut | Boards can repeat in a pattern |
| Highly durable | |
| Suitable for underfloor heating | |
| Decors for all tastes | |
| Low maintenance | |
| Hard to scratch | |
| Pet friendly |
Contact Us
There we have it, everything you need to know about wooden flooring. If you have any questions regarding what styles would make the perfect choice for your extension or renovation project, contact us today on 01535 653530 or fill out our online contact form.