Month: December 2019

Over time, your wood floor may start to lose the sheen and colour that it once had. This is very likely down to the fact that your floor needs refreshing and reviving with oil. Oiling wood floors helps to enhance the overall appearance of its surface, as well as adding protection and nourishment.

If you want to oil wooden flooring, it’s important to consider its benefits, the proper steps to take, and how often you should replenish its coat.

Why is it Important to Oil Your Wood Floor?

Firstly, oiled wood flooring helps with its longevity. The oil revives the appearance of the floor. It also protects the floor’s surface, to keep it looking brand new for longer.

Your floor is thirsty

Wood flooring is thirsty. It may sound strange, but it’s true. 

Without oil protecting the surface, your wood will drink up any water and moisture. If this water gets into the wood, the floor will move and can cause long-term damage. 

On the other hand, with a protective oil coating, your floor is unable to soak up this moisture, therefore protecting your flooring. 

Are you a pet owner?

The longevity and durability factors of oiling wood floors makes it perfect for pet owners. For instance, any scratches caused by claws or teeth can simply be sanded down and oiled over.

A lacquered floor, in comparison, is less of  a quick fix when it comes to scratch marks. 

Bringing out details in design

Oiled wood flooring brings out the amazingly fine details and grains of each plank. This, as a result, provides a wide range of tones and colours depending on the oil you use. 

Our selection of Osmo Oils does a perfect job of making your flooring truly unique, offering warm, rustic tones, to lighter and more subtle finishes. Similarly, even clear oils can help show a floor’s natural beauty.

 

Floor protection

Unfinished wood flooring leaves vulnerability for liquid stains such as wine, cola, or sauce. A simple oiled finish prevents unwanted stains. 

The oil itself acts as a protective layer, so that liquids can’t be absorbed into the wood’s fibres.

Prevent your floor from drying out and cracking

In extreme cases, your floor can crack due to the lack of oil that it receives on a regular basis. Although this is only in extreme circumstances, it’s important to be mindful about the necessity of regularly oiling your wood floor.

Ongoing maintenance

Any form of hardwood flooring requires maintenance. 

However, taking proper care of your oiled wood flooring means that you won’t need to re-sand and finish your floor too often. 

Oiling your wood flooring should be part of your wood floor maintenance routine. We’ll go into this more in a moment.

 

 

Quick re-cap:

1. Helps with longevity.
2. Protects against pet scratches. 
3. Quick and easy fix if any marks appear.
4. Brings out detail, tone, and colour.
5. Helps maintain the look of your floor
6. More protection against liquid stains.
7. Prevents your floor from drying out and cracking.

How to Oil Wooden Flooring

Below is a quick step-by-step guide on how to prepare and oil wooden flooring:

Prepare your flooring

1. If your floor has previously been oiled, you can apply the oil directly on top. For floors with different finishes, such as varnish, you’ll need to sand the surface until you get to the bare wood. This is to make sure you are not adding additional layers of a different oil onto a different existing layer. 
2. If you’re adding a touch-up layer after receiving new oiled flooring, you don’t need to sand it down. You can apply the new coat straight on top, due to the fact that the oil is the same as the previous layer.
3. Be sure to wipe away any kind of dirt or debris from the surface of your flooring, as this stops any debris from setting under the oil.
4. Make sure the room is well ventilated. This is to make sure any fumes from the oil are able to escape, and not linger in the room.

The process

1. Stir the container of oil thoroughly to make sure all of the components are well mixed
2. Use a stiff brush or roller and apply the oil evenly, going with the wood grain. Be sure to apply the oil thinly, as to keep your layers even.
3. Leave the oil to dry before applying more layers. Use the same technique as the step above and go with the grain, applying thin layers at a time
4. Depending on the type of oil, use anywhere between 1 to 3 layers, making sure each layer is dry before applying a new one.

To ensure the best results for your oiled floor, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. This should be located on the container of the product.

How Often Does Your Floor Need Oiling?

For domestic use, we recommend to oil wooden flooring every 2 years, you may want to do this sooner depending on how much your flooring is used. 

This also adds an additional layer of protection from daily foot traffic or day-to-day mishaps that may damage your floor.

If you’re buying a range of flooring that comes oiled, we recommend oiling the floor again once it has been laid. 

This is because your flooring could have been stored for a number of months, and maybe a little dry. Re-staining your new flooring tops up the slight moisture that is needed. By doing this, you can also add more colour to the finish and increase its durability.

 

Oiling Wood Floors FAQ

What types of oil can you use for wood flooring?

Bona hard wax oil: One of the most popular waxes available, bona is easy to apply and dries quickly. It’s highly effective at combatting wear and tear that you would commonly see in unfinished flooring, this makes it a great option for high amounts of foot traffic in your home.

WOCA hard wax oil: This particular oil is more expensive, but provides a more effective result. WOCA oil is more commonly used by professionals, who have the necessary machines to apply the oil correctly.

Blanchon maintenance oil: Blanchon is very effective at reviving wood flooring. Its matt finish results in a professional-looking result if you are doing this on your own. Blanchon oil is known for quick drying if time is of the essence.

GRANWAX hard wax oil: This oil is completely clear, providing a great form of protection, without altering the appearance of your wood. GRANWAX is a great option for preventing any signs of daily wear and tear from showing on your flooring.

Will oil change the colour of your floor?

This depends on the oil you choose. Some change the overall colour or tint of your flooring, on the other hand, some simply add a protective layer to its surface. If you are looking for an oil that provides a different tint, our ranges of tinted Osmo Oils offer a wide range of options.

Osmo Polyx Oil – White	Osmo Polyx Oil – Honey	Osmo Polyx Oil – Terra

Should you oil wood flooring immediately?

We recommend that you oil wooden flooring as soon as possible after laying it. This is because the flooring can be slightly dried out during the storage period. Re-oiling acts as a little top up to the existing oil layer. This helps to bring some additional colour and tone, as well as added protection. 

Do all floors need oiling?

Not all floors need oiling, however, there are a few specific factors to consider depending on what flooring you have.

If your wood flooring comes oiled, as previously mentioned, we recommend you re-oil your flooring with a clear finish. This re-hydrates the wood.

Lacquered wood flooring will need to be sanded down to the bare plank in order for it to be oiled. This is because of the lacquer acting as an already existing protective layer. The oil will not absorb into the wood if a lacquer finish is already present.

Engineered wood flooring features a solid wood veneer as the surface of the plank. This means that you can apply oil to the planks of engineered wood, however make sure that the flooring does not have a lacquered finish already applied. Otherwise, you will need to sand down the veneer before applying the oil.

Laminate, LVT, Vinyl, and EvoCore flooring cannot be oiled, as they have no wood surface for the oil to absorb in to.

How do you maintain oiled hardwood floors?

To maintain your wood floor, we recommend our Impero Elite Wood Flooring Kit. This kit is efficient and effective at both reviving and maintaining the look of your wood floor. Included in this kit is our Reviving Wax, which provides optimum protection for your wood flooring.

To Conclude

Overall, the benefits of oiling wood floors are very important to know. As well as preparing your flooring for a new coat, using the procedures will guarantee the best outcome. As long as you keep on top of your flooring maintenance, your wood flooring will look much better and last a whole lot longer. It’s a no-brainer!

The post Oiling Wood Floors: How-to and FAQ appeared first on Direct Wood Flooring Blog.

2019 has been a busy year for us here at Luxury Flooring. This year we’ve reached more customers than ever before, helping each and every single one achieve their dream floor. With this in mind, we’ve decided to take a look at some of our bestsellers of the year, and explore exactly what makes them so popular.

If you’re familiar with us, you’ll know our specialty is solid and engineered wood, with an incredible range of products which come in so many different patterns, colours, wood types and  thicknesses, so that you can choose exactly what it is you’re after! Not only does wood flooring have charming good looks, but is also incredibly hard wearing and practical. Don’t panic if stains and scratches do occur though, wood flooring can be sanded down a number of times to remove any damage. This shouldn’t usually be necessary for the first 15-20 years however! We do also offer some fantastic Luxury Vinyl Tiles and laminate choices too if you need something a little easier on the wallet.

Our most popular product in 2019 is the exquisite: ‘Brimham Aged Whisky Oak’ (SO1070) and it’s easy to see why! This product boasts a sophisticated, affluent dark look that will add tremendous luxury to your home. It would suit a clean-cut contemporary interior, and work well with a traditional interior due to its rich look. It has been hand distressed to create a beautiful worn out look, complementing a rustic style interior due to the cracks, knots and scrapings. Once the planks have been through this intense distressing process, a lacquer finish is applied to the surface to protect it from any stains, however we’d always advise cleaning up anything as soon as possible. Solid wood flooring not only offers us astonishing durability to the trails of everyday life, but a beautifully stylish enhancement to our space. Oak is the most popular choice of wood for our floors, due to its easy-going and versatile appearance.

Our most popular engineered product is quite different, however. ‘Elgin Farmhouse Oak’ (EO2020) shows off a much more rustic appeal, something very on trend at the moment so it’s no surprise it’s such a hit with our customers! It comes with a stunning bevelled edge and a brushed finish, increasing its character and charm. After it’s brushed, oil is applied to the surface to give added protection as well as a slight desirable shine. Engineered wood can withstand the differing temperatures of underfloor heating, giving it at least one advantage over its solid counterpart!

In terms of parquet flooring, our most sought-after product this year was: ‘Painswick Garden Oak’ (PAR218). Parquet wood really gives the ‘wow’ factor, making a grand statement in entrance halls, giving kitchens a stunning appearance and welcoming visitors into living spaces. The bevelled edges on this flooring add depth and definition, making the room look larger. The oak wood adds atmosphere and the grains and knots present elegance, whereas the easy-going shade would complement many different colours.

Finally, many people opt for either laminate or vinyl as an alternative to wood flooring, with both options offering impressive practicality and a cheaper price tag. Both laminate and vinyl have been revolutionised to look so similar to real wood, that it’s almost impossible to tell them apart. This is shown by our best-selling vinyl: ‘Nest Rigid Core Golden Herringbone Luxury Vinyl Flooring’ (NESTV311). The gorgeous distressed look and honey tone makes it easy to see why it’s our most popular vinyl. Once more, the herringbone pattern makes for an affluent, deluxe appearance, and we wouldn’t be surprised if this is one of our best sellers next year too, as the trend of herringbone LVT continues to grow.

Our best-selling laminate of 2019 is the: ‘Kronotex Robusto 12mm Harbour Oak Grey Laminate Flooring’ (LAM2080). Again, this stunning laminate shows off a very convincing imitation of real wood, through the distressed wood look with the cracks, grains and knots. Equally, the ashy grey presents us with the very sought-after rustic feel, as well as going with many different furnishings.

Our most popular samples include: ‘Painswick Glacier Oak’ (HE2021) Painswick Rabbit Oak (HE1196), and Painswick Champagne Oak (HE1194). All of them have the popular design of herringbone, as well as beautifully versatile tones and imperfections that flow charmingly throughout.

So there we have it, our most popular floors of 2019! Have we mentioned yours? If you’re still on the lookout for your dream floor going into 2020, then we’re sure we’ll have the perfect solution for you. Take a look at our range and order your free samples today, and do not hesitate to get in touch with our friendly, helpful team if you have any questions!

The post Year in a review for Luxury Flooring appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

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Christmas is prime time when it comes to cleaning. Your friends and family coming over means you have a lot more foot traffic than normal, which could mean disaster for your flooring. Glitter from Christmas decorations, dirty shoes and possibly even snow are all culprits for creating an unclean floor in your home. 

A thorough Christmas clean is needed, and we’re here to help! This blog will help you in looking after real wood, laminate, LVT, and EvoCore flooring during the festive period. Family, friends and pets are the usual culprits for making your flooring dirty, or even causing damage in some cases.

 

Whatever your flooring type, it’s important to know what cleaning products and methods you should be using for the perfect clean. We’re going to walk you through step by step on protecting flooring, as well as tackling mess caused by a real Christmas tree. 

Preventing Damage

The first step for preparing your flooring for Christmas is always prevention. It’s always best to make sure your floor is the least vulnerable it can be, otherwise, you might be stuck trying to mend it. There are a number of different precautions and steps that can minimise the risk of damage and dirt this Christmas.

 

Shoes

Christmas time is the most dangerous time of year for flooring; there are bound to be high heels and wet shoes around your home throughout December and into the New Year.

 

Don’t be afraid to set some rules for your guests. Not letting shoes past the front door is an easy and effective way of keeping the mud out of your home. Alternatively, if you want to be a little more lenient, ask your guests to not wear high heels. High heels can seriously damage by leaving small holes, scratches and dents as they walk across your flooring. 

 

Use a shoe rack for your guests when they take off their shoes. This keeps things organised and prevents your front door from being cluttered with shoes. If you want to be a little more subtle about your no-shoes policy, try a festive-themed sign that gives your guests a gentle reminder your home is a shoe-free zone!

 

Moisture and dirt

If you’re worried about moisture or grime finding its way into your flooring, joint protector is a great way of protecting it. Joint protector is a water-based sealant that works as a waterproof protective layer for the joins between your planks, which increases the lifespan of your flooring. This is perfect for keeping those outside elements from making their way in, and can really come in handy if you’re expecting a lot of guests. Additionally, the joint sealant is completely odourless and transparent.

 

Cover your floor

To prevent any scratches or bumps from appearing on your flooring, something as simple as covering certain problem areas of your floor with a protective film can make this less of a worry. While it may not work to cover your entire floor, this works well in doorways where dirt is more likely to be an issue. This is a very common hack that a lot of people do for parties or get-togethers. It’s cheap and easy, so give it a try.

 

If you’d rather keep with the aesthetics of your home, using a large floor mat of your choice will look stylish and inconspicuous. Make sure to look for a nice thick mat for the best results.

 

Vacuum regularly

Make sure to vacuum your flooring throughout the day. This removes any chunks of dirt, litter, or any sharp objects that come off your tree. Keeping your flooring clean removes the chance of any sharp objects scratching the surface of your wood, laminate, or LVT, as well as preventing any liquids from setting into your flooring.

 

Preventing furniture damage

At Christmas time, it’s likely your furniture will be moved around to accommodate guests at parties. It’s the same when finding the spare chairs to squeeze everyone around the table. Using furniture pads protects floors from unsightly scratches while you chop and change your home’s layout for the festive celebrations. Furniture pads apply easily to the legs of your furniture, and allow them to glide easily without causing damage to your floor.

 

So, now we’ve focused on preventing damage, let’s move onto keeping your flooring clean and how to deal with dirt in your home this Christmas.

Real Christmas Trees

Real Christmas trees are a different beast compared to the fake trees you commonly see.

 

Before you bring your tree inside, make sure to give it a good shake to get rid off all the loose pine and dirt that may be on it; this means there will be less of a cleaning job in the long run.

 

If you are able to, be sure to water your tree regularly. Keeping your tree regularly hydrated will make it shed less of its pine leaves, therefore causing less of a mess for you to clean up.

 

 

 

Pine leaves on a real Christmas tree have a tendency to fall off and be a real nuisance.

To keep on top of things, it’s best to remove any loose debris or grit that may have fallen off the tree. We recommend using a vacuum with a brush attachment to get rid of any pine leaves or muck. 

 

If you’re struggling to keep on top of that regular vacuuming, using a decorative blanket to cover the floor from the tree is a great option. The blanket will look right at home while simultaneously protecting your flooring from any pine leaves or dirt.

 

When removing your tree, lay some spare blankets or sheets across the path that you plan to take your tree through. This will catch any last bits of debris that might fall off, saving the job of vacuuming up the mess after.

Use the Right Cleaning Equipment

Our Impero Elite Wood Flooring Kit professionally cleans and protects your wood flooring, restoring solid and engineered wood back to life. The advanced spray mop mechanism results in only a small amount of water being used, which is very beneficial for your flooring, as a high amount of water may cause long-term damage.

 

Our Impero cleaning kit includes: 

•         1 x Spray Mop
•         4 x Microfibre Cloths 
•         1 x Universal Floor Cleaner: 1L
•         1 x Reviving Wax for Wood Flooring: 1L
•         1 x Graduated Measuring Cap
•         1 x Detachable Cleansing Brush
•         1 x Instructions & Assembly Guide
•         1 x Wood Flooring Care & Maintenance Guide

 

For Laminate, LVT, and EvoCore flooring, we recommend using our Impero All-In-One Cleaning Kit. This floor cleaning kit is suited to all types of flooring and offers a professional, thorough clean. This cleaning kit also does a very effective job of removing greasy marks off your flooring. 

 

Included in the Impero All-In-One Cleaning Kit is:

• 1 x Spray Mop & Bottle
• 2 x Machine Washable Microfibre Cloths
• 1 x Litre of Concentrate Floor Cleaner
• 1 x Measuring Cup
• 1 x Brush

 

This cleaning kit does a very effective job of keeping your flooring clean and stain-free for long periods. This makes that post-cleaning session much more bearable.

Cleaning Your Flooring

Real Wood, Engineered Wood, and Parquet

For any kind of solid wood, engineered wood and parquet, the cleaning process is the same.

 

We recommend our Impero Elite Wood Flooring Kit. Firstly, use a microfibre cloth to remove any dust before cleaning. This kit is fantastic at dealing with stains and marks that may accumulate during Christmas time. Our kit uses a small amount of water as to not damage or warp the wood during cleaning. This results in an equally clean flooring. What’s more, our Reviving Wax is included in the kit and will help minimise the appearance of any damage and help to further protect your flooring. 

 

When cleaning your wood floor, it is vital that you do not use high amounts of water. Wood absorbs moisture, and the moisture can cause the wood to lift, warp, and in some extreme cases, the wood can even crack. Therefore it is highly recommended that you don’t use a lot of water, for your flooring’s sake!

 

Laminate

A Christmas clean of your laminate flooring is fairly simple and doesn’t differ from regular cleaning. Simply brush off any large bits of debris and mop the surface down with a slightly damp mop (although we recommend a flat-headed spray mop instead). For those slightly tougher stains, scrub the surface with a slightly damp cloth and some floor cleaner.

 

LVT

LVT is very easy to clean and requires little more than a sweeping brush and a mop. This particular type of flooring is water-resistant and offers great durability, which are both great features for flooring, especially during Christmas time. 

 

To clean LVT, Simply get rid of any large pieces of dirt and debris using a sweeping brush and mop. For tougher stains, similar to laminate, use a cloth and some floor cleaner and the stain should come right off.

 

EvoCore

Our EvoCore flooring is extremely durable and hard-wearing, this coupled with the addition of a completely waterproof surface means that you can clean this flooring extremely thoroughly if needed. 

 

Cleaning Evocore flooring is simple: sweep away any large pieces of debris, this is followed by a thorough mop down. 

 

For laminate, LVT and EvoCore, our All-in-One Cleaning Kit contains a spray mop and floor cleaner, perfect for any flooring type. 

 

What to Avoid

Wood Flooring

For any kind of wood-based flooring, as mentioned previously, it’s important to avoid water. If your wood flooring is exposed to a high amount of moisture, the flooring can curl, warp, or crack. Also, be sure to avoid any kind of DIY cleaning liquids that you may find guides on. Any kind of DIY cleaning product can damage your floor if you aren’t careful. As previously mentioned, it’s also important to avoid anything that can cause a bump or scratch on your wood floor.

 

Heating is used more regularly for the winter months, so it’s important to be mindful of not using the heating constantly. The constant heat can actually dry out your wood flooring and cause shrinking and cracks in some extreme circumstances. 

 

If you’re worried your floor may be drying out, there are ways to treat it. Keep a close eye on the humidity of your home; the air will be drier during the winter months, which means it’s worth using a humidifier. Be sure to introduce moisture into the air, not the flooring. For a simple fix, Close your curtains in the room with the flooring you want to keep from getting dry.

 

Laminate & LVT

As for laminate and LVT, be sure to not use excessive water on the surface when attempting to remove stains. Using anything abrasive on your laminate or LVT will create marks and scratches, so be sure to avoid this too. It’s also worth being mindful of not using soap-based polishes or detergents. Using soap-based detergents or polishes can leave a dull film on the laminate. This can lead to the need to replace your flooring if you don’t take the appropriate cleaning approach.

 

Although EvoCore Flooring is extremely durable, be sure to not use anything abrasive to remove stains. Constant heavy use of an abrasive object to clean the floor, such as steel wool, will eventually create unsightly scuff marks.

Prevent Future Damage

Preventing any future damage is as important as protecting and cleaning your floor. Our Impero Elite Reviving Wax provides optimum protection for your flooring. It creates a protective layer that will prevent any wear and tear from appearing on your flooring, and revives your floor and further protects it from any future damage. Perfect for once the festivities have ended!

 

Using Felt Adhesive Pads is a simple and effective way of protecting your flooring from abrasive damage. Place the pads on the contact points that your furniture or decor makes with your floor. This helps massively with preventing any scuffs or scratching, especially if you will have chairs and other furniture moving around your home. 

 

If you’d rather not use felt adhesive pads, placing a blanket or rug underneath your tables and chairs can do an effective job at protecting your flooring. Using a rug or blanket that matches your décor will make it more seamless, so you don’t need to worry about sacrificing your aesthetic.

Fix Any Damages

Fixing damaged wood and laminate flooring can be made much easier with our Floor Repair Kits. We offer many different colour variations to suit the shade of your flooring. These include:

 

• Grey
• Dark Wood
• Light Wood 
• Medium Wood

 

Simply give your flooring a clean down with a cloth and a small amount of water before using our kit. It works by filling in small sections of damage with colour-matched wax, and works on solid and engineered wood as well as laminate floors. 

 

For more serious damage, which is sometimes unavoidable, you may need to sand and refinish your floor. Note however, this is only for solid and engineered wood – if you have laminate, you can repair or replace laminate planks fairly easily. Sanding down the surface of your flooring and adding any range of our Osmo Oils can get the job done and makes your flooring look brand new. Sanding down the surface of your wood flooring can also open up new possibilities different shades.

We recommend you add 10% of the flooring onto the amount of LVT and laminate you buy. This extra amount of flooring accounts for any tiles that have been wasted during fitting. The extra flooring can also account for any damage that a tile may receive and needs replacing.

Conclusion

After these useful tips, your annual Christmas cleaning panic should be a little less stressful. Small and helpful tips can go a long way, especially when some problems can be so regular. These tips may even come in handy once the festive period is over

The post Christmas Clean: Protect Your Flooring This Christmas appeared first on Direct Wood Flooring Blog.

We come from a green and pleasant land, so it’s no wonder us Brits love the striking green of our lawns.  Grass is the defining feature of our gardens, parks and countryside, it would be strange to not to have access to at least some green space. However, like anything worth having they do require regular upkeep, if it’s not yanking out weeds, it’s having to mow it constantly in the summer, not to mention the challenge of growing it in the first place or fixing bald patches!

If you’re lucky enough to enjoy fresh looking grass on your lawn, then chances are you will want it to stay like that. But not all of us are as fortunate, and we just can’t keep the grass how we like it no matter how much time and effort we put in. So let’s look at why artificial grass might be the perfect alternative…

Real grass

Even if you have nothing else, beautifully kept grass really brings even the plainest gardens to life. Soft and comfortable to play on, we can guarantee your pets and kids will live on your lawn in the summer.

Preparation isn’t so attractive however. You need good, clean soil, making sure the old lawn is totally stripped and be prepared for a lot of weeding and digging. Then it’s time to put the grass seed down, which can be a lengthy process and you’ll need a lot of patience. Even when you give it plenty of love, attention and watering, sometimes it still doesn’t want to play ball. Even if areas do grow, then chances are they’ll be bald patches, we can’t lie to you that it can be very frustrating! Who even has time for all this?

Artificial grass

As you’ve probably already guessed, we are hugely in favour of artificial grass. We can’t deny that real grass has its own unique charm, but you’d be surprised by how you can get that same appeal with artificial grass along with an array of practical and easier maintenance benefits.

More and more of us are opting for materials that are more easy going and require little if no attention, with modern life getting busier we just don’t have time to be tending things! The best thing about artificial grass it that it needs minimal upkeep, something we just can’t say no to. They also work well in small spaces and patches of your garden that don’t get much exposure to sunlight, where real grass just won’t grow!

It goes without saying that artificial grass won’t need mowing and watering all the time, as well as remaining green all year round – say goodbye to the yellow grass that appears when something is over it for a long time! This is perfect for those who find garden maintenance difficult, expensive or just don’t like it! Additionally, it can’t be dug up, perfect if you have dogs who are constantly digging holes on your prized lawn…

Artificial grass sales have soared in recent years. Previously, it looked shockingly similar to the mats you get at the greengrocers displays. Now it has been revolutionised to mimic real grass so well that it’s almost impossible to tell it apart from the real thing.

However, this fantastic product doesn’t come completely maintenance free, as much as we would like it to! You don’t get the lovely freshly cut grass smell, and it will need sweeping and watering occasionally. But there is no way it needs as much attention as real grass.

So, should you fake it or not? If you’re fed up with your grass letting your gardens aesthetics down, with bald patches and dry areas, or if gardening just isn’t your thing and you just don’t want to worry about, then what are you waiting for…

The post Why we love artificial grass appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

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Engineered wood flooring is a great alternative to real wood flooring, in terms of both price and practicality. In addition, engineered wood can offer more variety in styles and colours.

In this blog, we’ll cover the different styles of engineered wood flooring, as well as the species of wood, the different plank widths available, varying thicknesses and finishes. Using our advice, you will be able to find the perfect wood for you.

What is engineered wood flooring?

While solid wood is made from one piece, engineered wood flooring is made up of a combination of different layers:

• A bottom layer; this layer is used as a supportive backing to the rest of the flooring.
• A central layer; usually consisting of plywood, this makes up a large portion of the flooring.
• A top layer; this layer is made of hardwood veneer and is what is shown when the flooring is installed. 

The benefits of engineered wood flooring

Firstly, engineered wood flooring is very affordable. While engineered wood uses less real wood compared to the real thing, it has a very authentic wood look and feel at a much friendlier price.

 

Engineered wood flooring is also extremely durable. The multiple layers of plywood, coupled with a protective surface, makes for a highly resistant choice for high-traffic areas of your home and is a great benefit to having engineered wood flooring in your home.

 

You will be able to find very similar, if not identical, engineered wood flooring styles when comparing to solid wood flooring. This is because the surface layer of engineered wood flooring is a real wood veneer. The wood grains and patterns, as well as stains and colours, create a truly authentic look and feel to your flooring.

 

You can also sand down the veneer on the surface, which can then be refinished to your desirable stain. This can be done a number of times during your flooring’s lifespan, which makes it a very long-lasting option. 

 

If you’re looking at laying your flooring in a kitchen, engineered wood is an ideal choice. Engineered wood is extremely strong and durable, which means it won’t flex or change shape from the changing temperatures or moisture in your kitchen. This means it’s also compatible with underfloor heating.

 

In fact, engineered wood flooring is a great option for almost any room. Its durability and strength make it a top candidate for busy family homes. The ranges available also mean you don’t need to compromise looks for practicality.

Colours

Here at Direct Wood Flooring, we offer a range of engineered flooring styles, these include black, grey, white, brown, golden and natural colours as options for our engineered wood flooring.

 

Our selection of golden engineered wood flooring goes with both modern and traditional interiors, it also fits into more rustic interiors. additionally, this can fit in well with the “farmhouse” style that’s so popular right now.

 

Grey engineered wood flooring is one of our most popular engineered wood flooring styles. It goes very well with similarly grey interiors, while white or light-coloured walls help complement a contemporary interior. 

 

White engineered wood flooring complements pastel-coloured walls and makes the most of natural light, as the bright tone reflects the light around your interior effectively.

 

Natural engineered wood flooring is very versatile and can go with anything. It’s timeless, yet trendy appearance makes for great all-round colour and tone, whether you want to keep it traditional or go for something more contemporary.

 

Brown and black engineered wood flooring go hand in hand, as both colours compliment lightly coloured walls and furniture. You can spice up your interior even further by adding dark highlights to your furniture. 

 

Shades

As well as a variety of colours, we also offer different shades to suit the exact engineered wood flooring styles that you’re after.

 

Our various options of light engineered flooring make the most out of the natural sunlight that makes its way into your home, creating a welcoming atmosphere. This type of flooring is available in a wide variety of colours. 

 

Although many people see grey as a fairly dark option for flooring, we offer a range of lighter grey options that couple great with modern interiors.

 

Our range of medium engineered wood flooring styles offer a similar versatility to the natural colour range we offer. The neutral shade, coupled with dark wood grains and knots, means that this range can fit into both light and dark interiors. Natural coloured flooring is always a great option for any interior. Our ranges of medium, natural shades offer that classic wood flooring look.

 

Dark shaded engineered wood offers a rustic, warm tone. Dark engineered wood flooring brings out the colour in lightly coloured interiors, or for a little less contrast they’re just as at home in homes with a darker colour scheme. Our range of colours within our dark engineered wood range all offer a high quality, each having their own different aesthetic appeals.

 Styles

Our engineered flooring styles offer a wide selection of designs:

 

Herringbone flooring is an extremely popular choice among other engineered wood flooring styles; the layout design achieves a timeless look. The angled planks create a beautiful pattern, aptly named after the bones of herringbone fish, which you can pair with a modern or classic interior. A huge selection of colours and shades to choose from means you can add your own personal preference to a beautiful design.

 

Distressed wood is also a popular choice when it comes to engineered wood flooring styles. This specific style offers a rustic, raw appearance, perfect for both modern and classic interiors. We offer this type of engineered wood in a range of different shades and colours, so you can find the flooring that suits you best.

 

If you’re wanting a flooring that’s all your own, look no further than our unfinished engineered flooring styles. As the name implies, this particular type of flooring is completely unfinished, this means you can stain this flooring with your desired oils. We offer a wide selection of Osmo oils, to create different shades for your flooring. 

Plank width

Engineered wood comes in different widths. The width you choose comes down to personal preference the different thicknesses of planks can offer different visual effects.

 

Standard width engineered wood flooring offers the classic flooring look. The width of each plank will be around 130mm. If you are looking for the simple, go-to width, standard is a great choice.

 

Narrow width engineered flooring styles are great for making your room look bigger. The small width of each plank results in a higher number of joins which cover the surface of the floor. This creates an elongated, linear look. Narrow boards are commonly found in a herringbone design. Narrow flooring is usually around 90mm in width.

 

Wide width engineered wood flooring works great in big rooms, making the room appear smaller and cosier. Wider flooring results in a smaller amount of joins in each plank, which gives the illusion that the room appears smaller. Wide engineered wood flooring is usually around 190mm in width.

 

Extra-wide engineered wood flooring is our widest variant, ranging between 220mm and 300mm in width. These planks work very well with large rooms, similar to wide width floors. Our ranges of different colours and shades make this a great option for versatility in terms of style.

 

Engineered woods commonly start off at a standard width of 120mm, however, we offer a narrow plank width witch comes in a herringbone style.

Wood species

Engineered wood flooring can come in a wide variety of different species. The species refers to the solid wood veneer which creates the design of the flooring. Two of the most popular are oak and walnut.

Oak is our most popular and common choice. This species of flooring is widely available due to its popularity and quality. Our oak is sustainably sourced, strong and resilient. Oak provides a very attractive natural grain which is great for flooring. Additionally, oak is very easy to sand down and re-stain, so you can change your flooring to whatever shade or colour you like using one of our Osmo Oils. If you’re looking for a classic wood look and feel, oak is a great choice. 

Our other option is walnut. This particular wood species is of high quality while remaining budget-friendly and easy to find. Our walnut is also sustainably sourced. Walnut flooring is considered a classic choice as it has been used for centuries, similar to oak. Walnut flooring is also excellent at absorbing shock and reducing noise levels in your home.

Different finishes

The different finishes that you can find on engineered wood flooring alter both the look and feel of the flooring. It’s important to know the difference between them so you can choose the right flooring for your needs.

 

Brushed and Oiled flooring means that the flooring has been lightly brushed to expose more of the natural qualities of the surface. It is then layered with coats of oil to protect the wood from daily use.

 

Unfinished Flooring simply means the wood has not been touched in any way with any kind of oil. The surface can be sanded and stained with an oil of your choice to create a unique style.

 

Brushed and Lacquered floors have been lightly brushed to expose some natural quality of the wood surface, then a thin resin is applied over the surface. This resin allows for the woods natural grains and knots to be defined while being protected from regular wear and tear.

 

Oiled floors have been lightly covered in layers of oil, this oil helps protect the surface from daily use. The protective oil is effective and can come in a different range of colours and shades. A clear oil is also used if you want a natural look to your floor.

 

Lacquered floors have been covered in a thin, protective resin. This resin defines the woods natural grains and textures, while simultaneously acting as a great protective layer to keep the flooring in good condition against daily use.

Thickness

Choosing a thin or thick Engineered wood is down to personal preference as well as practicality. In order to choose the thickness that suits you, it’s important to know the differences. The overall thickness of an engineered wood plank refers to the entire plank, including the layers and veneer.  A thicker wood plank results in thicker layers and a thicker veneer

 

10mm is the thinnest thickness that we offer, the veneer surface, as well as the plywood layers would be a little thinner compared to the thicker options, but still offers a similar amount of strength. This is no problem for low traffic areas of your home such as guest bedrooms. However, we suggest going for thicker, more durable engineered wood for other rooms.

 

14mm flooring offers more versatility in terms of practicality and strength. You Can place 14mm flooring in areas with higher traffic, such as kitchens and living rooms.

 

15mm flooring, although just a millimetre thicker, offers more durability overall. Similar to 14mm flooring, you can place 15mm flooring in high-traffic areas of your home, due to its added strength.

 

18mm thickness is considerably more dense and resistant, with a larger amount of material. Wood this thick is a great choice for commercial areas, as the density and thickness of the plank offers a high amount of resistance to wear and tear.  

 

20mm is the thickest option that we offer. This particular thickness makes for a thick, strong plank. The strength and thickness of 20mm flooring means subfloors are not a necessary requirement, unless the floor it is being laid on is uneven.

Although there are many different engineered wood flooring styles, colours, widths and thicknesses, the process can be made a lot easier when you know exactly what you’re after. We hope you’ve gained a little more knowledge of the different options that we offer, and remember, you can order your free samples and take a closer look at our engineered wood flooring.

The post Engineered Wood Flooring Styles appeared first on Direct Wood Flooring Blog.

Most people would agree that the basement is far from heart of the home, and is usually used as a storage space, the dumping ground or even somewhere to do the washing and other mundane tasks. Now we know that there’s got to be somewhere to put your festival tent, your Christmas tree or even expensive sports gear that doesn’t come out much, but that’s what attic or garage is for, right? With this in mind, there’s no reason why you can’t make your basement into an enjoyable space, all while holding that much needed storage space. The idea of dark, dingy spooky basements is a thing of the past, with basements which have been renovated to meet the stylish, groovy demands of the modern era having become increasingly common.

Your basement might have much more potential than you might have first thought, so don’t let such a large space go to waste. Also, what better way to have some fun with interior design? Before you get too excited with planning and buying new accessories, it’s important to carefully consider what you’re going to use the space for. Will it exclusively be a playroom for the kids, chill out zone with a pool table and dartboard, home cinema, minibar or will it still have an element of practicality, such as somewhere to do your washing.

Once you’ve decided on the use, we’d recommend looking at lighting first. Basements tend to be windowless or very limited natural light, so good lighting is key. Typically, basements have low ceilings, so we’d perhaps recommend having built in spotlights, wall lighting and perhaps stylish lamps. Of course, the lack of light is great if you’re creating a cinema room, which is a perfect idea if you have a box shaped room in your basement, as it creates the perfect dimensions for a large cinema style tv and big comfy sofa with no annoying unused corners! If you’re lucky enough, maybe even a popcorn machine to really get into the mood…

The basement is the perfect space to accommodate your hobbies. You might feel like you can’t justify using a room upstairs in your home dedicated completely to your hobby, however somehow using the basement for it makes you feel slightly less guilty. If you’re crafty and artistic, then a room to do all your painting, sewing and creating is a really popular use for basements, it will really get your creative juices flowing! If you’re a budding musician, perhaps it could be somewhere to practise your music and bring your band without disturbing your household or neighbours?

Keeping the palette white and bright is a good way to give the illusion of more space too, as well as keeping away from the dark colours than can make it look dingy.

Do not fear, there are ways to combat those awkward corners and transform them into useful space! Install shelves into small grooves to make the most of that storage space. Corner cupboards are a great way to make the most of awkward corners, and you can keep the things you only get out once a year or so.

An entertaining party room is always a good idea with basements. The darkness makes way for a fantastic dance floor with a disco ball or even strobe lights if you are a total party animal! If you’re lucky enough to be able to install a bar, then go for it…

If your basement does have a decent amount of natural light coming through, then there’s no reason you can’t make it into a guest or normal bedroom. Be careful with this one though, nobody wants to be shoved in a cold, dark basement!

And here it is, one a lot of you have been waiting to be mentioned…create your very own gym! It you’re lucky enough to be able to afford gym equipment and keen on keeping fit, then making your basement into a gym is the perfect idea. It keeps the unsightly equipment out of the way of the rest of the house, and you’ll have your very own exercise space…you’ll never have to drag yourself to the gym again! Don’t forget to invest in some rubber mats to protect your flooring from the heavy equipment though!

Flooring should be at the top of your basement revamping ideas! Create an affluent space with real wood accompanied by a comforting rug. Once more, you can get this look with vinyl and laminate at a cheaper price…

Don’t feel guilty however if you do need to use your basement for the washing and drying, it’s got to be done somewhere! It keeps it out of the way of the rest of the house and somewhere (hopefully) the wet washing won’t get knocked down by playing children! Make your washing area a pleasant place to be, with coloured cabinets and a shiny new washing machine, increasing your storage space too!

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