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Our Tree Planting Journey 

Climate change has never been a hotter topic, and as a business, we’re always looking for new ways to do our bit for the planet.  

Tree planting seemed like an obvious place to begin, and in December 2022, we launched our Plant a Tree Christmas initiative with the help of our partner, Ecologi. We planted a tree for every order placed throughout the month, and by the end of December 2022, the number of trees planted during the project had reached over 1,000.  

In June 2023, we ran a week-long initiative for World Environment Day, planting 549 trees.  

As both projects were a success, we decided to make tree planting a regular thing at Luxury HQ. In April this year, we began planting 1 tree with every flooring order from March 2024 onwards, with the help of our partner, Carma.  

Total Number of Trees Planted

21^st March was International Day of Forests, and to celebrate, we planted an additional tree for every flooring order we received on the day, which brought the total number of trees we’ve planted to 2,571. You can see the trees we planted with our partner, Ecologi, here, and what we’ve planted with our partner, Carma, is shown below.  

How Tree Planting Helps the Environment

Reforestation (planting new trees to replace those which have been lost) is one of the best ways to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and prevent climate change. Climate specialists have recently revealed that there are more areas with room for trees than they originally thought. This means that if enough trees are planted, CO2 in the atmosphere could be reduced by 25% and the risk of climate change may decrease too.  

Other Sustainability Initiatives 

We’re looking forward to planting more trees as the years go on – keep an eye on our tree counter above to stay in the loop!   

We’re also looking into new initiatives to improve our sustainability as a business. Check out our sustainability page for all the latest news.  

Get Social  

Got any ideas for our next initiative? We’d love to hear from you! Drop us an email at [email protected].  

And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and TikTok for all the latest flooring content!  

The post International Day of Forests – Tree Planting Update  appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

This post appeared first on https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk

Debbie and Liam were renovating their Victorian terraced home and wanted a floor that would make their kitchen feel cosy and inviting, while still being durable enough for their growing family! After a little help from our free sample service, they chose our Painswick Sienna Engineered Oak.

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Floor used in this project:
Painswick Sienna Oak

Why did you choose Luxury Flooring?

We chose Luxury Flooring as there was a great variety of affordable flooring to choose from. We found it really easy to order samples to make sure we were 100% happy with our final choice. We were also looking for engineered oak with a thicker wear layer and Luxury Flooring was the best option for us in terms of style and price.

What was most important to you when designing your room?

The most important thing for us was to have a durable floor that feels warm and inviting. Our kitchen is a very high-traffic area and used at all times of the day, so the floor needed to be durable but also easy to clean with a baby and a dog around. 

What’s your story?

We were trying to achieve a cosy, inviting kitchen that feels homely and lived in. We have a busy home life so it’s important to us that the floor can withstand daily use, shoes on or off and dogs running around the place!

What does your home situation look like?

I (Debbie) live with my husband, Liam, our 3-month-old daughter, Heidi and our toy poodle, Monty in our Victorian terraced home in Derby. We bought the house over 3 years ago and have been slowly renovating room by room. The biggest project in our home has been the kitchen extension. 

How do you prepare your home before hosting?

We love to cook when hosting and before friends or family arrive we like to light candles, spray room sprays, light the log burner and turn on lamps instead of ceiling lights to make the house feel as cosy and inviting as possible.

Which rooms do you use for hosting?  

We use the kitchen and dining room for hosting. We use the kitchen when people arrive as we have a small sofa area as well as island seating which is perfect for hosting while having drinks and cooking. We then move to the dining room to eat.

What qualities were you looking for in your new flooring?  

We were looking for a warm, natural-looking floor that complements the style of our kitchen and works well with the original tiles that link the kitchen to the hallway. 

Have you ever had a ‘panic moment’ with your floor while entertaining? If so, how did you handle it? 

Before our new flooring, we had a very light-coloured vinyl and had a few red wine spillages that stained. Our new flooring has had plenty of spills and still looks brand new.

What advice would you give to someone looking to transform their floor?

I would advise people to consider what time of day they intend to use their room and order samples to try in different areas throughout the day to see how different lighting makes them appear.

How has your floor improved your home?  

Our new flooring has helped us to tie the old part of the house to the new part seamlessly and feels like it has been here for years. It also works perfectly for busy family life.

The post Customer Homes – @behind_door_84 appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

This post appeared first on https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk

Thinking of giving your laminate flooring a makeover? Painting it might just be the solution you’re looking for. While this type of flooring is hard-wearing and durable, over time it can inevitably get marked with scuffs and stains (Check out our handy guide on how to clean laminate flooring). Instead of shelling out for a… Read More

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Edd and Emma wanted a beautiful herringbone engineered wood floor to bring warmth to the living area of their Victorian home. After comparing all of their favourite samples, they chose our Painswick Paradise Engineered Oak to transform their space.   

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Floor used in this project:
Painswick Paradise Oak

Why did you choose Luxury Flooring?

We originally came across Luxury Flooring on Instagram and were initially drawn in by the massive variety of options they could offer. We knew we wanted to do Herringbone flooring with engineered wood, so the great range of options gave us plenty to choose from, and the reviews of how easy it was to lay the flooring were key! The free samples were super helpful in narrowing down the colour and finish we wanted, and it was so easy to get all of the products we needed from one place with quick delivery.

What was most important to you when designing your room?

The living space in the house felt cold and a bit bleak, so we wanted to create something cosy and welcoming, as it’s the space we spend the most time in. We stripped the room back, removed the brick fire surround, the fitted shelving and the old carpets to take it to a blank canvas, and took it from there!

What’s your story?

When we renovated our flat in London, we went for bold colours and kept it fresh and bright, so when we moved to the house, we wanted to keep things a bit more neutral and warm and make the colours throughout the house flow. We know this will be a long-term home for us, so we really wanted to spend the time getting it exactly right and being able to get free samples of different woods was so helpful before we went for it and bought a whole room’s worth of flooring. We also wanted to be sure that whatever we chose was going to stand the test of time.

What does your home situation look like?

It’s just the two of us, but we’re desperate for a dog, which is another reason wood flooring was our preference over carpets!

Which rooms do you use for hosting?  

Now we have the space, we love to host! The downstairs of the house is semi-open-plan, so we can be prepping in the kitchen while our guests are in the dining room, but the main reception room is at the front of the house. This is the space we spend the most time preparing when we host, making sure the lighting is right, candles are lit, the cushions are plumped, and everyone can relax comfortably. We hate a quiet house, so there’s always some background music!

What qualities were you looking for in your new flooring?  

Being a Victorian house, the original floorboards were not 100% level, so we wanted engineered wood that was easy to install to help us with any minor bumps! The reception room also sits directly above the lower ground reception room, so we wanted to ensure the new flooring insulated the floors and felt a little more solid than before!

Have you ever had a ‘panic moment’ with your floor while entertaining? If so, how did you handle it? 

Thankfully, our guests have been pretty well-behaved! But there have been a few occasions where we might have slid a coaster under a glass popped down on the floor!

What advice would you give to someone looking to transform their floor?

We knew what we wanted to achieve for the living room, but it all felt a bit overwhelming knowing where to start as we wanted to change everything. It also always looks worse before it gets better! But you have to trust the process.

How has your floor improved your home?  

The room is unrecognisable compared to when we started! The floor makes the room warm and welcoming and now complements the house’s overall period style. We know that when we change the flooring in other parts of the house, we’ll come back to Luxury Flooring!

The post Customer Homes – @thehouseatnumberseven appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

This post appeared first on https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk

Katherine and Ollie recently bought their first home together and have begun a big renovation to turn the 1930s property into the home of their dreams. After comparing lots of herringbone floor samples, the couple decided our Deluxe Brushed Suede Herringbone Click Vinyl was the one for them!

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Floor used in this project:
Deluxe Brushed Suede

Why did you choose Luxury Flooring?

We had decided we wanted to fit the flooring ourselves, with the help of our local handyman, so we searched for the best priced flooring online (and the prettiest colour), and after receiving a lot of samples, Luxury Flooring turned out to be the perfect fit! We were looking for a light oak colour with a slightly ash tone, without being grey, and Brushed Suede ticked all the boxes.

What was most important to you when designing your room?

We wanted to create a bright open space, where there was a clean line of sight from the front door, all the way through to the kitchen and garden. Having that view when you walk through the front door was key to the vision we had for our home and it was therefore important that the flooring contributed to the seamless flow we wanted  to create. I knew that Herringbone flooring would be the ideal choice to achieve this look.

What’s your story?

This is the first house we have bought together, and our first renovation. Although we were looking for a project, we didn’t really plan to do as much as we ended up doing. It kind of just happened, one day we had a kitchen, the next day, we had no wall on the back of the house… We both had the same vision for the house (luckily), and ideas just seemed to slot into place as we went along. It’s been a long journey and we still have lots to do, but it is definitely on its way to becoming our dream home.

What does your home situation look like?

It’s just the two of us at the moment, but who knows what the future holds!

How do you prepare your home before hosting?

Cleaning, of course –  I have to make sure all the carpet has hoover lines, and obviously a new candle or two!

Which rooms do you use for hosting?  

The kitchen/diner is always used for hosting; we wanted to create a space for that exact reason and it’s proven to be a great success. I initially thought I would be nervous having people in our newly renovated home, but it actually feels very natural for people to use the space, and the flooring has been so easy to keep clean!

What qualities were you looking for in your new flooring?  

I wanted a floor that felt and looked like hardwood flooring, without the cost – something that looked like it belonged in the amazing homes I see on Instagram!

Have you ever had a ‘panic moment’ with your floor while entertaining? If so, how did you handle it? 

The rule during the housewarming was no red drinks – a few drinks were spilt but luckily they all cleaned up perfectly.

What advice would you give to someone looking to transform their floor?

Prep, prep and more prep – making sure we had prepared our concrete floor/floorboards well made the process of fitting the floor simple and created a great finish.

How has your floor improved your home?  

We absolutely love the flooring, it’s exactly the colour and style we had dreamed of when imagining our home. I think the flooring adds colour and texture to the rooms, whilst being in-keeping with the neutral theme.

The post Customer Homes – @stylewithmuse appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

This post appeared first on https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk

When it comes to finding the perfect floor for your home, you may not find the exact look you want in a finished product. If you’re someone who loves to add those final touches to your own home, you may want to choose an unfinished floor so you can create a look you love. 

Even a finished hardwood or engineered wood floor can be refinished. After many years of use, you may want to update the look of your floor to complement your home’s decor, repair cosmetic damages or extend the lifetime of the floor.

Unfinished floors must be finished as the oil or lacquer provides vital protection for your new floor, while making it look beautiful.

What Options are there for floor finishes?

There are three main options for floor finishes: oiled, lacquered and invisible oil. We’ve broken them down to give you a little extra help!

Oiled

Oiled floors have a great natural look, as the oil soaks into the wood rather than sitting on top of the flooring. The oil gives the floor a matte finish, making the wood look even more authentic. If you want to enhance the natural beauty of the wood floor you’ve chosen,  oil is a great option. 

Oil also benefits from being easier to refinish, as you can sand and re-oil parts of the wood without having to refinish the entire floor.

Lacquered

A lacquer will give a more glossy finish as it sits on top of the floor. This means it has a higher level of protection compared with oil, as it forms a protective surface. Lacquers also have the ability to change the appearance of the floor more than oil, with endless shades and tones to choose from.

Invisible Oil

Invisible oil is the best option if you want the wood to maintain its appearance. This is a clear oil which has minimal impact on colour and sheen, while still protecting the floor.

Can you Refinish Hardwood Floors Yourself?

Finishing or refinishing floors is a big task, but with a bit of DIY experience, the right tools and a can-do attitude you’ll be surprised by what you’re capable of! 

Refinishing a floor will take slightly longer than if you finish a new floor, as refinishing will require you to sand your floor. However, when finishing a new floor, you’ll also need to account for the time taken to lay the flooring. 

You’ll want to make sure you have some time spare – ideally a long weekend – to get the work done. With furniture moving, sanding and drying times, finishing or refinishing a floor can be time-consuming.

What Product to Use to Refinish Hardwood Floors?

There are a number of great products on the market to use on your floors. Since we know there are plenty of existing products out there, we’ve chosen not to sell our own. Our recommendation is the Osmo brand of oils and lacquers – they’re made with natural ingredients and we’ve seen amazing results from them time and again. 

When it comes to choosing the shade you want, you should consider the colour scheme of your space and whether you want a lighter or darker look. If you’re finishing an unfinished floor, you can use leftover samples or offcuts to test colours and shades before committing to a final look. Alternatively, when refinishing, you can test colours on small patches of floor that will be hidden underneath furniture.

How to Refinish a Floor

When it comes to refinishing a floor, there’s a little more work to do. Firstly, you’ll have to sand the floor. A random orbital sander will give the best results as you’ll have more control over the work you’re doing and it’ll provide a more natural finish. 

Then, you can apply your oil or lacquer. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and take any necessary safety precautions.

FAQs

How often should you sand floors?

To preserve the life of your floors, you should sand and refinish them. We recommend doing this every 10 years, but you can do it more frequently if you’d like to update the style.

How many times can a floor be sanded?

This depends on the type and thickness of the floor. Engineered wood with a thin wood veneer should not be sanded, but a thicker one may be sanded two or three times. Check the manufacturer’s guidelines before planning your project. 

Solid wood flooring can be sanded more times, although the number also depends on the thickness of the wood. You may be able to refinish your floor up to 12 times!

Is it cheaper to refinish floors or replace?

New solid wood flooring is an investment and in most cases it will be much cheaper to refinish your floors. Not only that, but mending and upkeeping your floors is much more environmentally friendly. 

Hopefully this blog has helped answer your floor finishing questions, but if you need any further help, just get in touch with our friendly flooring experts.  

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and tag us in your flooring transformation posts #MyLuxuryFloor. We can’t wait to see your new floor in action! 

The post Options for Finishing your Floor Yourself appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

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If you haven’t heard of World Kindness Day, it’s pretty much what it sounds like; an international day that encourages us all to be a little bit kinder to each other. Established in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, World Kindness Day is celebrated every year on 13^th November.  

We considered several options for spreading kindness amongst our customers; a surprise discount code, an exciting giveaway or even some hidden treats in our sample packs – after all, who doesn’t like a good freebie!   

But after thinking on it some more, we agreed it was the perfect opportunity to give back to those in need.  

Having recently partnered with homeless charity, Simon on the Streets, we were very aware of their incredible work supporting people in West Yorkshire who are homeless and struggling. Knowing that their fantastic fundraising team are always in need of help, we felt there was no one better to support. 

We pledged to donate 5% of the cost of every order we received on 13^th November 2023, in honour of World Kindness Day.  

The amount raised was revealed in early December and we were delighted to be able to give a total of £3,650!  

We received a lovely response from the fundraising team at Simon on the Streets, who said, “Wow, what an absolutely incredible donation towards the Christmas Appeal. That will make a huge difference to our charity and the whole team at Simon on the Streets sends their gratitude to everyone at Luxury Flooring and Furnishings ” 

As we begin another year, we’re still committed to supporting Simon on the Streets as much as we can. Whether we’re lacing up our trainers for a sponsored run or tucking into some tasty treats at a bake sale, we can’t wait to see how much more we can raise in 2024! 

To find out more about Simon on the Streets and the fantastic work they’re doing, go to https://www.simononthestreets.co.uk/   

The post Support for Simon on the Streets on World Kindness Day appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

This post appeared first on https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk

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Jump straight to:
> Tools You’ll Need
> Your Installation Options
> Preparing to Fit Your Floor
> Installing Your Floor
> Finishing the Look
> Your Flooring is Finished!

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or Download the guide as a PDF

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Tools for Fitting Your Floor

To install these floors yourself you’ll need some tools to help with the job.

Have these at hand:

• Tape measure
• Spirit level
• Pencil
• Workbench or sawhorse
• Combination square
• Planks of flooring
• Spacers, Tapping block & Pull bar
• Rubber mallet
• Underlay and underlay tape (if needed)
• Handsaw or electric saw
• Chisel (for fitting around architrave)
• Drill (for covering pipework)
• Moisture meter – the correct type for your subfloor
• Beading or skirting boards (to finish the look)
• Adhesive and trowel (for gluing installation)
• Flooring nailer (for nailing installation)
• Safety precautions i.e. knee pads, safety goggles, dust masks, ear defenders

Your Installation Options

Our Solid Wood flooring can be installed in two different ways, so it depends on your subfloor
and what sort of method you prefer.

Nailing

With this method, secret nails go through the tongue to secure the planks to a wooden subfloor. Professional fitters tend to prefer this method as the result is extremely secure. You’ll need to fit a wood layer above any concrete because secret nailing cannot be done directly on top of a concrete subfloor.

Gluing

With this method, adhesive is applied to the top of the subfloor with a trowel and then the individual planks are laid on top. This is our favoured method for tongue and groove parquet flooring.

Preparing to Fit Your Floor 

1. Check the packs
   Once the flooring arrives you should check one box to make sure you’re happy with the product. Due to the nature of wooden flooring, each plank is unique so there might be some natural variation between the planks and batches. When you get to laying the floor you can make the most of these colour contrasts by mixing and matching planks from different packs to get a lovely natural look.

   

2. Leave to acclimatise
   Your solid wood floor should be left for 5-7 days in the room it’s going to be fitted in. This time allows the floor to acclimatise and will reduce the risk of swelling or contracting once the floor is installed. To do this, either lay the packs on the floor or in stacks, just as long as they stay horizontal and that there’s equal weight distributed across them all. Leave the planks in their packaging but open each end to let some air in. Try to make sure the room stays at the same temperature you’d usually have it at so between 18°C – 27°C and don’t allow the floors to be exposed to the elements.
   Remember: solid wood floors cannot be fit with underfloor heating.
   
3. Prepare the subfloor
   Before you lay your new floor, you’ll need to remove the existing flooring, prepare the subfloor and ensure it is clean, dry and level. We recommend a concrete or wooden subfloor for the best result. Use a moisture meter to check the subfloor is dry enough before you start. If you do have a concrete subfloor, make sure it’s completely dry before installation. A damp-proof membrane should be installed on top of the subfloor to reduce the risk of moisture reaching the solid wood boards. You’ll need to do this to prevent the wood floors from expanding and buckling. Any screws or nails in your subfloor should be fixed below the surface. Remove any old adhesive from previous floors and vacuum the floor to pick up any excess dust or debris.
4. Plan the look
   Before you start laying your floor, take the planks from the pack and look at the natural grains and deviations in the shade. Pick out your favourites and use these planks as a focal point. Mix and match shades and patterns around these so that you can get a look you’re happy with. If there are a few planks you don’t love as much you could set these aside to use for cuts, or in areas that will be covered by furniture or rugs. Think about the direction you’d like your planks to lie. As a general rule of thumb, lay the boards against the longest wall for the best effect. If it’s a square room you might want to follow the room’s light flow, or follow on from the entrance. If you’ve gone for herringbone or parquet you can choose the direction and style of the pattern and how you want the eye to be drawn when you enter the room. The majority of our fixed length planks come with a starter plank in the pack. This is a shorter piece of wood that you should use to begin laying the pattern so that the flooring has a staggered effect. For random length planks, mix and match the lengths so you get a dappled natural look.
5. And one last thing…
   It’s best to fit your floor as the last thing you do in a renovation project. Work your way from the top of the room to the bottom so that once you’re ready for the floor to go in, there’s much less chance of damaging it. This counts for new kitchens and islands too so always fit the floor after units have been installed rather than before. This way you’ll make sure your new floor doesn’t buckle under the weight.

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Installing Your Floor  

Nailing method

1. Before laying the boards, measure the width of the final row. You can do this by dividing the total width of the room by the width of an individual board. This will allow you to cut down the first row of boards to ensure the final row is at least 60mm wide.
2. You can then lay the first plank in the corner of the longest wall with the groove side of the plank facing the wall. Make sure this row is perfectly straight as this will set the direction for the rest of the floor.
3. Place spacers between the first row and the wall to create an expansion gap of 10-12mm.
4. We recommend surface nailing the first row of boards with a nail gun to guarantee they are well secured to the wooden subfloor.
5. Then you can lay and secret nail the new row with a powered flooring nailer or by hand with Tongue-Tite screws and a screwdriver bit. These nails will go through the tongue and into the subfloor and will be hidden when the tongue fits into the groove.
6. Continue to stagger the joints from row to row to create a natural wood appearance.
7. Make sure you place spacers consistently to ensure a standard gap from the sidewalls.
8. The last row might be tricky but a pull bar and rubber mallet will help to create a tight fit. You probably won’t have much room here so, as with the first row, you should surface nail.

Gluing method

1. Before laying the boards, measure the width of the final row. You can do this by dividing the total width of the room by the width of an individual board. This will allow you to cut down the first row of boards to ensure the final row is at least 60mm wide.
2. Apply the adhesive 1 metre out from the longest wall before laying your first row.
3. You should lay the first plank in the corner of the longest wall with the tongue side of the plank facing the wall. Make sure this row is perfectly straight as this will set the direction for the rest of the floor.
4. Place spacers between the first row and the wall to create an expansion gap of 10-12mm.
5. As you continue, ensure you place approximately 1 metre of adhesive ahead of the previous row and stagger the joints from row to row to create a natural wood appearance.
6. Make sure you place spacers consistently to ensure a standard gap from the sidewalls.
7. The last row might be tricky, but a pull bar and rubber mallet can help to create a tight fit.
8. Leave the floor for 24 hours before moving furniture back into the room or walking on it.

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Finishing the Look

To fit your solid wood floor around any pipes, first mark the position of the pipe in the board you’re
using. Drill a hole in this position and make two angled cuts with a saw. These cuts should form a wedge
from the edge of the board to the hole which can then be removed. Fit the board around the hole and
then reattach this wedge with glue behind the pipe so the plank looks intact.

For fitting around door frames, start by removing the door from the frame. Line up an offcut of flooring along with a threshold bar stacked on top to make sure it will fit underneath the architrave. If needed, use a handsaw and chisel to trim the bottom of the architrave to the correct height. You may also need to trim the bottom of the door before refitting.

You can then use matching beading and thresholds to cover expansion gaps and blend the new floors in with your existing walls, making it look professional and seamless. Make sure not to attach any trims to the flooring itself or it may affect the expansion gaps.

Any spare planks or cuttings can be kept in case any repairs need to be made.

If the expansion gap has been left too large and the skirting or moulding doesn’t cover it, you can use
spare floorboards to cut strips using a hand saw and glue these strips into place.

Forgotten something? It’s not too late to order these…

Browse beading

Browse pipe covers

Browse skirting boards

Your Flooring is Finished!

After putting in the finishing touches (like our range of beautiful radiator pipe covers, skirting boards, stair nosing, and door profiles), you can introduce your furniture, stand back and take it all in. You just fitted your very own Luxury Floor!

We’d love to see your accomplishments! So make sure you take plenty of pictures and post them online
@luxuryflooringfurnishings on Instagram. Tag us #MyLuxuryFloor

We hope you’re happy with your new Solid Wood Flooring but if you have any questions or issues, don’t hesitate to check out our advice centre or get in touch with our customer support team on 0333 577 0025.

The post How to Lay Solid Wood Flooring appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

This post appeared first on https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk

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Jump straight to:
> Tools You’ll Need
> Your Installation Options
> Styles of Parquet
> Preparing to Fit Your Floor
> Installing Your Floor
> Finishing the Look
> Your Flooring is Finished!

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or Download the guide as a PDF

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Tools for Fitting Your Floor

To install these floors yourself you’ll need some tools to help with the job.

Have these at hand:

• Tape measure
• Spirit level
• Pencil
• Chalk line
• Workbench or sawhorse
• Combination square
• Planks of flooring
• Spacers, Tapping block & Pull bar
• Rubber mallet
• Underlay and underlay tape (if needed)
• Handsaw, electric saw, chop saw or Stanley knife (depending on flooring type)
• Chisel (for fitting around architrave)
• Drill (for covering pipework)
• Moisture meter – the correct type for your subfloor
• Beading or skirting boards (to finish the look)
• Adhesive and trowel (for gluing installation)
• Safety precautions i.e. knee pads, safety goggles, dust masks, ear defenders

Your Installation Options

Take a look at the installation guide for your type of flooring for more information but this guide shows
two options for installing parquet. If you’ve gone for tongue & groove solid or engineered wood, you can also nail the floor. Take a look at those installation guides for guidance on this.

Floating floor

In a floating floor, the boards or tiles are joined to
each other, instead of to the subfloor. If you have a click-joining floor, floating is the way to go. For this method, we’d advise you to have underlay installed and prepped. We wouldn’t recommend floating your tongue & groove parquet floor as it won’t be as sturdy.

Gluing

With this method, adhesive is applied to the top of the subfloor with a trowel and then the individual planks are laid on top. This is our favoured method for tongue & groove parquet flooring

Styles of parquet

Parquet flooring is the term for flooring made from blocks arranged in a pattern.
This guide talks mainly about these styles:

Herringbone

The short planks are staggered to give a zig-zag effect.

Chevron

Short planks are sloped to meet in the middle, creating a clear centre line in an arrow-like pattern.

Versailles

The blocks are designed in a square shape with a pattern inside.

But you might want to customise your parquet to get patterns like these:

Double Herringbone

Basket Weave

Subway

Preparing to Fit Your Floor 

1. Check the packs
   Once the flooring arrives you should check one box to make sure you’re happy with the product. Due to the nature of wooden flooring, each plank is unique so there might be some natural variation between the planks and batches. When you get to laying the floor you can make the most of these colour contrasts by mixing and matching planks from different packs to get a lovely natural look.

   

2. Leave to acclimatise
   We know it’s tempting to get stuck into installing your new flooring as soon as it arrives but it’s important to leave it for a little while in the room it’s going to be fitted in. This time allows the floor to acclimatise and will reduce the risk of swelling, contracting or becoming brittle once the floor is installed. To do this, lay the packs on the floor or in stacks, just as long as they stay horizontal and that there’s equal weight distributed across them all. Leave the planks in their packaging. If you have a solid wood floor you should leave your packs to acclimatise for 5-7 days. For an engineered wood floor, 3-5 days will do the trick. Try to make sure the room stays at the same temperature you’d usually have it at so between 18 and 27°C and don’t allow the floors to be exposed to the elements. If you’re using underfloor heating, you’ll need to gradually increase the temperature to get the planks used to the heat. Refer to the advice given by your heating supplier on how to do this.
   Remember: solid wood floors cannot be fit with underfloor heating.
   
3. Prepare the subfloor
   Before you lay your new floor, you’ll need to remove the existing flooring, prepare the subfloor and ensure it is clean, dry and level. We recommend a concrete or wooden subfloor for the best result. If you do have a concrete subfloor, make sure it’s completely dry before installation. A damp-proof membrane should be installed on top of the subfloor to reduce the risk of moisture reaching the boards. You’ll need to do this to prevent the floors from expanding and buckling (many underlays now come with built-in damp-proof membranes). Any screws or nails in your subfloor should be fixed below the surface. This is so you can be sure they won’t puncture through the underlay (if you’re using it). Remove any old adhesive from previous floors and vacuum the floor to pick up any excess dust or debris. It’s very important to have a level subfloor with parquet flooring so take extra care to make sure. Now’s the time to get your underlay down if you’re using it. Roll it out in the same direction as you’re fitting the floor and secure the rows together with tape.
4. Plan the look
   Think about how you want your parquet floor to look. If you’ve gone for herringbone or chevron you can choose the direction and style of the pattern and how you want the eye to be drawn when you enter the room. If your flooring is solid or engineered wood, take the planks from the pack and look at the natural grooves and deviations in the shade. Pick out your favourites and use these planks as a focal point. Mix and match shades and patterns around these so that you can get a look you’re happy with. If there are a few planks you don’t love as much you could set these aside to use for cuts, or in areas that will be covered by furniture or rugs.
5. And one last thing…
   It’s best to fit your floor as the last thing you do in a renovation project. Work your way from the top of the room to the bottom so that once you’re ready for the floor to go in, there’s much less chance of damaging it. This counts for new kitchens and islands too so always fit the floor after units have been installed rather than before. This way you’ll make sure your new floor doesn’t buckle under the weight.

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Installing Your Floor  

Floating method

1. Start by measuring the longest wall (or whichever direction you planned) and divide by two to find the centre line of the room. Use a chalk line to mark it out. You’ll be aligning the first strip of planks to this line.
2. You may also want to add additional guide lines: a horizontal line to make sure you’re working at an exact 90 degree angle, and multiple guide lines parallel to the centre line to mark out the outer edges of each strip. Exact measurements are key for fitting parquet.
3. Separate the planks into two separate piles. One strip of planks refers to an A and a B plank connected together and then the connected planks underneath.
4. For herringbone flooring, align the planks so that the highest point of the entire strip is on the centre line. The pattern may look as though it is slightly to the right of the centre line (due to the nature of the pattern itself).This will look more professional once you’ve added further strips.
5. Begin laying the planks in your chosen pattern. Lay the planks by inserting the tongue of one plank into the groove of the next.
6. . After the first strip is complete, make sure to check all measurements and then continue to fill out the remaining strips.
7. Once you have laid all of the full planks, you’ll need to measure and cut the planks to fill in the pattern around the edges. Make sure to leave an expansion gap at the walls using spacers. The measurement to leave will depend on your type of flooring. You can use some glue to secure the smallest pieces, applying a small amount inside the groove.

Gluing method

1. Start by measuring the longest wall (or whichever direction you planned) and divide by two to find the centre line of the room. Use a chalk line to mark it out. You’ll be aligning the first strip of planks to this line.
2. You may also want to add additional guide lines: a horizontal line to make sure you’re working at an exact 90 degree angle, and two guide lines parallel to the centre line to mark out the outer edges of your strip. Exact measurements are key for fitting parquet.
3. Separate the planks into two separate piles. For chevron and herringbone, one strip of planks refers to an A and a B plank connected together and then the connected planks underneath. A Versailles strip refers to a column of connected squares.
4. For herringbone and chevron flooring, align the planks so that the highest point of the entire strip is on the centre line. A herringbone pattern will look as though it is slightly to the right of the centre line (due to the nature of the pattern itself). This will look more professional once you’ve added further strips. For Versailles flooring, make sure the centre of the square aligns with the centre of the line.
5. Begin by dry-laying the planks in your chosen pattern. Lay the planks by inserting the tongue of one plank into the groove of the next.
6. We recommend dry-laying a row of planks horizontally as well, to make sure the walls are a good enough guide point. This is because not all walls are straight and can cause the floor pattern to appear tilted. Following this you should adjust as necessary, maintaining a central vertical line.
7. Once you’re happy with the placement of your first strip, apply the adhesive with a trowel (following the adhesive instructions) and fix the planks in place, working vertically down the room in small working areas. With Versailles, start in the centre square and then fill in above and below it.
8. Once the first strip has set, you can use this as a guide for the remaining strips.
9. Once you have laid all of the full planks, you’ll need to measure and cut the planks to fill in the pattern around the edges. Make sure to leave an expansion gap at the walls using spacers. The measurement to leave will depend on your type of flooring.
10. Leave the floor for 24 hours before moving furniture back to the room or walking on it.

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Finishing the Look

To fit flooring around any pipes, first mark the position of the pipe in the board you’re using. Drill a hole
in this position and make two angled cuts with a saw. These cuts should form a wedge from the edge of
the board to the hole which can then be removed. Fit the board around the hole and then reattach this
wedge with glue behind the pipe so the plank appears intact.

For fitting around door frames, start by removing the door from the frame. Line up an offcut of flooring along with a threshold bar stacked on top to make sure it will fit underneath the architrave. If needed, use a handsaw and chisel to trim the bottom of the architrave to the correct height. You may also need to trim the bottom of the door before refitting.

You can then use matching beading and thresholds to cover expansion gaps and blend the new floors in with your existing walls, making it look professional and seamless. Make sure not to attach any trims to the flooring itself or it may affect the expansion gaps.

Any spare planks or cuttings can be kept in case any repairs need to be made.

If the expansion gap has been left too large and the skirting or moulding doesn’t cover it, you can use
spare floorboards to cut strips using a hand saw and glue these strips into place.

Forgotten something? It’s not too late to order these…

Browse beading

Browse pipe covers

Browse skirting boards

Your Flooring is Finished!

After putting in the finishing touches (like our range of beautiful radiator pipe covers, skirting boards, stair nosing, and door profiles), you can introduce your furniture, stand back and take it all in. You just fitted your very own Luxury Floor!

We’d love to see your accomplishments! So make sure you take plenty of pictures and post them online
@luxuryflooringfurnishings on Instagram. Tag us #MyLuxuryFloor

We hope you’re happy with your new Parquet Flooring but if you have any questions or issues, get in touch with our customer support team on 0333 577 0025.

The post How to Lay Parquet Flooring appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

This post appeared first on https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk

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Jump straight to:
> Tools You’ll Need
> Your Installation Options
> Styles of parquet
> Preparing to Fit Your Floor
> Installing Your Floor
> Finishing the Look
> Your Flooring is Finished!

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or Download the guide as a PDF

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Tools for Fitting Your Floor

To install these floors yourself you’ll need some tools to help with the job.

Have these at hand:

• Tape measure
• Spirit level
• Pencil
• Workbench or sawhorse
• Combination square
• Planks of flooring
• Spacers, Tapping block & Pull bar
• Rubber mallet
• Underlay and underlay tape (if needed)
• Handsaw or electric saw
• Chisel (for fitting around architrave)
• Drill (for covering pipework)
• Moisture meter – the correct type for your subfloor
• Beading or skirting boards (to finish the look)
• Adhesive and trowel (for gluing installation)
• Safety precautions i.e. knee pads, safety goggles, dust masks, ear defenders

Your Installation Options

Floating floor

In a floating floor, the tiles are joined to each other, instead of to the subfloor. All of our SPC luxury vinyl tiles use this method due to their handy click-fit system. For this method, we’d advise you to have underlay installed and prepped. All of our SPC-luxury vinyl tiles have an underlay already attached which is 100% waterproof and protects against mildew, mould, rot and bacteria. Just be sure to check your subfloor is clean and smooth before fitting your floor to make sure you get the best results.

Styles of parquet

Parquet flooring is the term for flooring made from blocks arranged in a pattern.
You can customise your parquet blocks to get patterns like these:

Herringbone

Double Herringbone

Basket Weave

Subway

Preparing to Fit Your Floor 

1. Check the packs
   Once the flooring arrives you should check one box to make sure you’re happy with the product. Some of our wood-effect laminate flooring is designed to look just like real wood which means there may be some colour variation between the planks and batches. When you get to laying the floor you can make the most of these colour contrasts by mixing and matching planks with different shades to get a lovely natural look.

   

2. Leave to acclimatise
   We know it’s tempting to get stuck into installing your new flooring as soon as it arrives but it’s important to leave it for at least 24 – 48 hours in the room it’s going to be fitted in. This allows the floor to acclimatise and makes the vinyl less brittle. To do this, lay the packs on the floor or in stacks, ensuring they stay horizontal and equal weight is distributed across them all. Leave the planks in their packaging. Try to keep the room at the same temperature you’d usually have it (around 20 – 21°C should be alright) and don’t allow the flooring to be exposed to the elements. If you’re using underfloor heating, you’ll need to gradually increase the temperature so that the planks acclimatise to the heat. Your heating supplier will be able to advise you on this.
   
3. Prepare the subfloor
   Before you lay your new floor, you’ll need to remove the existing flooring, prepare the subfloor and ensure it is clean, dry and level. We recommend a concrete or wooden subfloor for the best result. Use a moisture meter to check the subfloor is dry enough before you start. If you do have a concrete subfloor, make sure it’s completely dry before installation. A damp-proof membrane should be installed on top of the subfloor to reduce the risk of moisture reaching the boards. You’ll need to do this to prevent the floors from expanding and buckling (many underlays now come with built-in damp-proof membranes). Any screws or nails in your subfloor should be fixed below the surface. This is so you can be sure they won’t puncture through the underlay. Remove any old adhesive from previous floors and vacuum the floor to pick up any excess dust or debris. It’s very important to have a level subfloor with parquet flooring so take extra care to make sure.
4. Plan the look
   Think about how you want your herringbone floor to look. Choose the direction and style of the pattern and how you want the eye to be drawn when you enter the room.
5. And one last thing…
   It’s best to fit your floor as the last thing you do in a renovation project. Work your way from the top of the room to the bottom so that once you’re ready for the floor to go in, there’s much less chance of damaging it. If you’re installing furniture that is extremely heavy then you might wish to glue the floor down with adhesive for extra stability.

---

Installing Your Floor  

Floating method

1. Measuring the space
   
   Start by measuring the longest wall (or whichever direction you planned) and divide by two to find the centre line of the room. Use a chalk line to mark it out. You’ll be aligning the first strip of planks to this line. You may also want to add additional guide lines: a horizontal line to make sure you’re working at an exact 90 degree angle, and multiple guide lines parallel to the centre line to mark out the outer edges of each strip. Place spacers around the walls to make an expansion gap of 2mm. If you’re using underfloor heating, we recommend a minimum of 5mm.
2. Laying the planks
   Separate your A and B planks into two piles. One strip of planks refers to an A and a B plank connected together and then the connected planks underneath.

Align the planks so that the highest point of the entire strip is on the centre line. The herringbone pattern may look as though it is slightly to the right of the centre line (due to the nature of the pattern itself). This will look more professional once you’ve added further strips.

To fully connect the planks cover the outer end with an offcut or a piece of card and use a rubber mallet to gently knock it until the planks sit flush against each other. Continue to connect each plank by clicking each joint into the gap of the other plank, starting at a high angle and applying light pressure. After you hear a click, lower it flat on the floor. Repeat the previous step to make sure all planks are connected as closely as possible with no gaps.

After the first strip is complete, make sure to check all measurements and then continue to fill out the remaining strips.

Once you have laid all of the full planks, you’ll need to measure and cut the planks to fill in the pattern around the edges. This is the tricky part and takes quite a bit of time to cut down all of the correct sizes and to slot them into place. You can use some glue to secure the smallest pieces, applying a small amount inside the groove.

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Finishing the Look

To fit your luxury vinyl tiles around any pipes, first mark the position of the pipe in the board you’re
using. Drill a hole in this position and make two angled cuts with a saw. These cuts should form a wedge
from the edge of the board to the hole which can then be removed. Fit the board around the hole and
then reattach this wedge with glue behind the pipe so the plank appears intact.

For fitting around door frames, start by removing the door from the frame. Line up an offcut of flooring along with a threshold bar stacked on top to make sure it will fit underneath the architrave. If needed, use a handsaw and chisel to trim the bottom of the architrave to the correct height. You may also need to trim the bottom of the door before refitting.

You can then use matching beading and thresholds to cover expansion gaps and blend the new floors in with your existing walls, making it look professional and seamless. Make sure not to attach any trims to the flooring itself or it may affect the expansion gaps.

Any spare planks or cuttings can be kept in case any repairs need to be made.

If the expansion gap has been left too large and the skirting or moulding doesn’t cover it, you can use
spare floorboards to cut strips using a hand saw and glue these strips into place.

Forgotten something? It’s not too late to order these…

Browse beading

Browse pipe covers

Browse skirting boards

Your Flooring is Finished!

After putting in the finishing touches (like our range of beautiful radiator pipe covers, skirting boards, stair nosing, and door profiles), you can introduce your furniture, stand back and take it all in. You just fitted your very own Luxury Floor!

We’d love to see your accomplishments! So make sure you take plenty of pictures and post them online
@luxuryflooringfurnishings on Instagram. Tag us #MyLuxuryFloor

We hope you’re happy with your new Herringbone Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring but if you have any questions or issues, don’t hesitate to check out our advice centre or get in touch with our customer support team on 0333 577 0025.

The post How to Lay Herringbone LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tiles) appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

This post appeared first on https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk