Laminate Floors and Vinyl Floors come with an AC rating which indicates how much traffic, stains, impact etc they can withstand. To receive an AC rating the laminate flooring must pass a series of tests. So when you buy a Laminate Floor or Vinyl Floor with a certain rating you know beforehand if it will stand up to your lifestyle. At Discount Flooring Depot we only sell floors with a rating of AC3 or higher. This ensured that any floor you buy from us with be able to withstand average household use. 

 

What Is AC Rating For Laminate Floors?

When looking to buy a new laminate floor or vinyl, the thickness of the laminate or the length of the warranty offered isn’t always the best measure of its durability or lifespan. Most laminates are now graded with an AC rating, which is a much more accurate measure of how tough and durable a particular laminate is. AC stands for Abrasion Class, and it was introduced by the European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF) who must be a fun bunch of people at parties. Most European laminate flooring manufacturers belong to the EPLF.

They develop and regulate industry standards as a means to help consumers understand the differences between the vast array of laminate flooring types out there and make informed purchases to get the perfect floor, just for them.

 

What Are The Different AC Ratings?

 

AC1 – Moderate Residential

Floors with this rating are suitable only for moderate residential use such as a bedroom or a closet. We really can’t recommend using an AC1 rated floor for any room of your home, as even the average bedroom gets a fair amount of traffic. The inside of a closet or walk-in the area would probably fare decently with an AC1 floor, but as we said above, we always recommend AC3 or higher.

 

AC2 – General Residential

AC2’s are suitable for “Normal residential” applications, such as living rooms and dining rooms. They’ll stand up to the average day to day foot traffic, though I’m sure that most of you will agree that the kind of wear and tear your floor goes through in your home could in no way ever be classified as “normal”!

 

 

AC3 – Heavy Residential/Moderate Commercial

Good for all residential applications, and the lowest grade of laminate flooring we stock here at Discount Flooring Depot. This will do the job for the average home and will withstand daily wear and tear easily in any room in line with the wear and stain year guarantee, as long as it’s treated right and cleaned properly. If you want a little more durability out of your laminate or vinyl floor, then read on – you’re looking for an AC4 or AC5.

An AC3 will also do the business in business, too. A moderate commercial environment will be just fine for the AC3 variety. “Moderate” generally means something around a hotel room or a small office. The floor here in the DFD office is an AC3 and three years later it still looks good as new, despite the footfall from nervous pacing, and the wheeling of chairs across it. Common sense prevails here, and a floor that frequently has chairs scraped across it, receives a lot of traffic from high heels and boots, and isn’t properly cleaned and maintained will face problems.

For peace of mind, go tougher.

 

AC4 – General Commercial

Now we’re talking. An AC4 is good for any and all residential applications, within reason. It’s also perfect for general commercial applications, such as offices, boutiques and cafes. Be aware that while an AC4 laminate can be good in a bar, cafe, or restaurant, not all laminates are water resistant, and spillages, heavy duty mopping, or steam mopping will cause severe damage to the floor and could cause it to squeak, or even worse, buckle.

For more on this, check out our blog posts on Why is My Floor Creaking? And Why Is My Floor Lifting?

 

AC5 – Heavy Commercial

More than enough for all residential applications. Plus it’ll do the business for heavy commercial applications like public buildings, department stores, and so on. Just be aware once more that AC5 means that the laminate is thicker and more durable, but it has little to no effect on the laminates ability to resist water, so care will have to be taken when washing or mopping the floor.

 

 

Or To Sum It Up…

Laminate Tips

 

1 – If water resistance is the issue, thicker floors will only help a minimum amount. Spillages and high moisture will still cause issues, making a laminate relatively unsuitable for bathrooms or kitchens, unless great care is taken. For this reason, we can’t recommend using a laminate for a busy commercial kitchen or bathroom.If you’re set on a laminate, check out our Hydro Guard range. which are fully resistant. Alternatively, we’d recommend our Vinyl floors, which are all fully water resistant and come in a range of styles, from tiles, through to wood and stone effects.

 

2 – Make sure you’ve got a floor strong enough for what it’s going to be used for. Don’t think that you can skimp and get an AC3 floor for heavy commercial use. Your floor will wear away and break before too long and the money you saved on a cheaper product will be wasted when you have to replace it.

 

3 – Get the correct underlay.

 

4 – Leave expansion gaps in your laminate to allow for moisture and swelling, and make sure you leave it to acclimatise before you lay it. The strength of your floor doesn’t mean much if it buckles because there wasn’t an adequate space for expansion left. Spend a little time and effort on correct installation and you’ll reap the rewards from a longer lasting floor.

 

Have you got any further questions about AC Ratings or installing a laminate floor, or do you have any other great advice for our readers? Let us know in the comments below!

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Say Hello To High Gloss Laminate Flooring

If you’re looking for a floor that’s as bright as you are, then you’re looking for high gloss laminate flooring. This floor is shiny enough to almost see your reflection in if you were so inclined, and while you can see yourself in this floor, can you see it in your home?

All joking aside, if you’re looking for a floor that’ll stand out, then our range of High Gloss flooring is perfect for you. We have a huge range of high gloss laminate flooring that really is a cut above the rest.

These high gloss floors come in a range of effects, from ever-popular grey laminate flooring to high-quality tile effect and wood effect. These high gloss floors give the impression of a beautifully lacquered real wood floor and high gloss marble and tile.

These super shiny floors are available in 8mm and 10mm thickness with a gorgeous glossy coat that will look wonderful in your living room and keep in shining all day long, no matter what the weather is like outside.

The finish on these high gloss laminate floors could easily be mistaken for a high polished and meticulously kept the solid or engineered board. While our high gloss marble laminate flooring will give the impression of genuine tiles.

How Is High Gloss Laminate Flooring Is Made?

The manufacturing process of a high gloss laminate is the same as with all laminate flooring. A high-resolution photograph of the desired wood, tile or stone design adheres to the top of each laminate plank. It’s then sealed under a tough, high gloss coating. This finish reflects the light beautifully, giving the room a unique, unrivalled shine. It’s perfect in small rooms without much natural light, as it can emphasize what little light you’ve got and really bring out the character of the room.

 

Laminate flooring has a range of advantages over other floors. We have a wide range of high gloss laminate flooring and It’s got a low price starting from just £7 per m2. It’s got an easy, glueless installation. This means the installation is quick, cheap, and with no mess, and it also means if you’re careful with the tongue and groove or click system, you can potentially lift the floor at a later date and refit it, though we wouldn’t necessarily recommend this.

Plus, a high gloss laminate requires the fraction of the maintenance that a solid wood floor needs. Your high gloss laminate flooring does not need to be waxed, polished, sanded or resealed to maintain it’s shine. A regular sweep, vacuum and mop will remove any dirt or grit and leave your floor clean and polished.

Does High Gloss Laminate scratch easy?

If you treat high gloss laminate flooring right, it’ll remain gorgeous in your home for years to come. Just make sure to be careful with furniture, heels, and small stones and debris on the floor. Your glossy sheen is thick and will last a long time, but carelessness can easily scratch the gloss coating and dull some of the sheens.

What High Gloss Laminate Floor is best for me?

For an entirely unique look, you’ll want to have a look at our next gloss floor. It’ll fit perfectly into the most modern of homes. It’s a floor that’ll definitely be a talking point when you’ve got guests over, for all the right reasons. Our Emperor Gloss Frost Oak is really something else.

Walnut Wood – Glossy Varnished Laminate Floor

Introducing our fabulous glossy varnished range of wood effect laminates. This dark high gloss laminate floor will create a refined polished looking finish which will compliment any interior design scheme.

Grey Marble – Tile Effect laminate flooring

Our tile effect dark high gloss laminate floor is perfect for your home if you are looking to have the look for a marble floor but with the added benefit of being much warmer underfoot. It is also much cheaper and easier to install!

Grey Wood – High Gloss Laminate

If you are looking for a high-quality grey high gloss laminate floor then this is the floor for you! This Grey Oak wood floor is perfect for adding a modern twist to your home.

 

So what do you think? If you see a floor you like, why not head on over to our website and order yourself a free sample? Go on…

 

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Now that you’ve finally installed the laminate, solid wood floor or engineered wood flooring of your dreams, you’ll want to look after it for as long as possible so that looks great for years.

There’s more involved in protecting your wooden floor than just taking your shoes off before you walk over it (although that does help!), so here is your full guide to protecting your wooden floor properly and making sure you guard this beautiful investment in your home.

Daily Wood and Laminate Floor Care

• Dirt and debris are quickly noticeable on a wooden floor, even more so than a carpet where the dirt gets engrained in the fibres, so it’s important to sweep or hoover every few days to lift the surface dirt. Make sure you’re using the right setting on your hoover so that the bristles aren’t too low to scratch or scrape your floor when you vacuum. A microfibre mop is also a wonderful investment

 

• Use a soft mop to wash the floors once a week with a diluted cleaning solution which won’t cause any discolouration or damage to your floors. Always check the manufacturer’s recommendations for diluting ratios, or make your own natural floor cleaner from everyday household ingredients.

 

• Try to remove shoes before you walk across your wooden floors and especially high heeled shoes which can leave marks and indentations in the floor. If you have small children playing in the room with your new floor, a rug or a playmat might be a good idea to protect your floor, and their knees.

 

• Heavy furniture should have felt pads attached to the feet so that you don’t accidentally scrape or scratch the floor when moving the furniture or cleaning. These are really cheap to pick up and take seconds to apply.

Different floor types have different maintenance and care practices to keep them in great condition, so make sure you’re following the right advice for your floor type. In addition to the general care points above, here are the essential tips for maintaining the type of wooden floor you might have at home.

Caring for Laminate Floor:

• Never use a buffer or polishing machine on a laminate floor – this will ruin it entirely.
• Dry your floors after you’ve washed them to ensure they retain their lustre and don’t show any ugly watermarks.
• It’s also really important to never leave liquids on your floor as they can stain, especially if your floor is a light colour. The liquid can also get into the floors click system and cause damage to your laminate flooring as well.

For all the information you’ll ever need to look after your laminate floor, check out this handy guide on our website.

 

Caring for Real Wood Floor:

• Never leave liquids on the surface of your solid wood floor, as this can cause the boards to swell and buckle.

 

• Sunlight can bleach your floors causing them to discolour and look shabby. Tilt the blinds in your room to avoid these shafts of light causing noticeable colour differences, and if you plan to put a rug down on your floor, try and move it around regularly so that the colour differences are more evenly spread across the floor.

 

• Solid and Engineered wood floors naturally require more care and maintenance than laminate flooring – they will need to be sanded, oiled or lacquered consistently over their lifetime to retain the same gleam they had when they were first installed. However, they also can last for generations when looked after properly, so a little bit of extra attention on your part is definitely worth it.

For everything, you need to know about the long term upkeep of a solid wooden floor, see our comprehensive guide on the website.

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Keeping up with interior design trends can be difficult. If you plan on making upgrades to your home, there are a number of key decisions to make. Do you want to create a modern living space, or take a more traditional approach? Luckily, herringbone flooring covers the full spectrum when it comes to beautiful interiors.

When it comes to home renovations, your own style needs to be prominent throughout. After all, you’re the one who will be living in it. If you’re not comfortable or in love with your own home, then how can you expect others to be?

Herringbone flooring comes in many different colours and variations. Whilst some lend themselves to contemporary interiors, others will look just as at home in older interiors – just as they did when herringbone wood flooring first made its way into homes in the late 16^th Century.

A form of parquet flooring, herringbone arranges wooden blocks in a zig-zag pattern to produce beautiful results. This is how parquet flooring is defined – using wooden blocks to create geometric patterns.

We’ve collated our six favourite home interiors that use herringbone flooring in different ways. Hopefully, this can give you some inspiration if you’re considering herringbone for your home!

Grey Herringbone Flooring

If you’re looking to combine two of the hottest interior trends, then grey wood flooring in a herringbone pattern is a perfect choice. Beautiful, eye-catching, hard-wearing, versatile – grey herringbone ticks all of those boxes and more.

Featured above is our Marylebone Apollo Grey Oak. It’s an engineered wood, so it boasts an authentic wood look and feel. It’s also a flooring that’s suitable for use with underfloor heating.

Herringbone on Herringbone

If you can’t get enough of the herringbone design, why not double-up? We love how this dining room uses herringbone parquet on both the floors and the table! If you like this style and fancy taking it on, one of our customers made a great DIY herringbone table. If not, you can buy handmade tables in a range of sizes and styles, whilst supporting small businesses, on Etsy.

Combine with Velvet Upholstery

Herringbone is a dynamic design choice when it comes to wood flooring. Meaning, it can be combined with a varied range of styles to suit your personal taste. We love how this home uses velvet-upholstered furniture to complement the natural tones of this parquet.

Herringbone Parquet in Your Kitchen

It’s now a common occurrence to see the herringbone pattern in kitchens. A match for both traditional and modern kitchen units and appliances, it oozes class regardless of its setting.

If you do plan on using herringbone parquet in your kitchen, we advise you use an engineered wood. Because of its composition, it’s less susceptible to damage from fluctuating temperatures or moisture. You could even substitute the real wood for herringbone luxury vinyl tiles, which are even more suited to life in a busy family kitchen.

Experiment with Different Colours

Herringbone doesn’t always need to play the leading role in your home’s interior design. It can be a subtle element that simply complements bright colours and varied textures. This room features a gallery wall, memorabilia and different coloured furniture

A Luxurious Living Room

We’ve seen it in kitchens, but herringbone wood flooring also works perfectly in living rooms and lounge areas. A lightly-coloured wood will make the most of natural light and can make a room look bigger. It’s also better-equipped for accidental spills – ideal if you have young children or a significantly clumsy other half.

Herringbone wood flooring can make a huge difference to your home improvement project. With its popularity showing no signs of slowing, there’s no doubt this is a design choice that will stand the test of time.

If you’d like to order free herringbone samples, you can do so online. For advice on styles and what would work best in your home, our friendly expert team are on-hand to help. Call 03308 088777 or email [email protected] today.

The post Herringbone Flooring in Your Home: 6 Styles appeared first on Direct Wood Flooring Blog.

When pricing the cost of installing laminate flooring, sometimes you can be in for an unexpected surprise. The cost of the actual work of installing the floor can actually rival the price of the floor itself.

Crazy, right?

Laminate flooring can be picked up for as low as less than £6.50 per square meter, but a standard installation could cost anywhere between £8 to £12 per metre squared. Most fitters will charge per metre squared, while others will charge a daily rate – generally around £150.

Most fitters or installation companies offer a free, no obligation estimation service so it is advised that you get a few quotes to compare prices before making your decision. There is also a multiple of different fitting systems for laminate floors, so ensure that your floor fitter is familiar with these before proceeding. You will be able to find the type of fitting system 

If you’re looking for a fitter, try having a look at MyBuilder, where local tradesmen can quote you prices and compete for your business, ensuring you get the best deal with well reviewed and legitimate floorers.

Choosing the best fitter to install your laminate floor

The fitter will usually expect the room to be cleared of furniture, so they can get easy access to the floor. Don’t expect them to clear the room for you. Your old floor will then be torn up and disposed of, and the cost of the removal and disposal may be passed onto you. For this reason, it might be a good idea to pull up the floor and dispose of it yourself beforehand, to save some precious pennies. The fitter will ensure your subfloor is sound before installing underlay and then fitting your laminate and accessories.

What’s underlay? We can help with that too. Check out our guide as to Why Should You Underlay Your Floor? We also take you through what underlay goes best with each floor type and subfloor type.

Fitters will put a mark-up on the accessories required to fit the floor such as underlay, scotia and door bars, For this reason, you’re better off buying everything beforehand and having it good to go. It’ll also save any costs if the fitter has to hang around longer or has to order accessories and come back on a different day. We’ve got great prices on everything you’ll need right here at Discount Flooring Depot, so why not order with us?

If you’re not sure what accessories you need, give us a call and speak to a member of our experienced customer service team who knows enough about floors that it’s kind of depressing. They’re happy to help wherever possible, and love to chat about flooring more than anything else in the world.

Okay, maybe not. But they really know their stuff. You can also use our call back request to save your minutes, and we’ll call you as soon as we can.

Advances in laminate flooring technology and the introduction of ‘click fit’ installation systems has lead to laminate becoming a popular DIY product. More and more, average Joes and Janes who aren’t superhero fitters are saving bags of cash by installing the flooring themselves. A laminate installation kit works wonders here, as does following step by step installation guides.

Need More Help? Talk To Us!

Check out our guide, Why Should You Underlay Your Floor? For advice on why underlay is vital and choosing the right one for the right floor and subfloor.

Have a look at one of our step by step installation guides.

Email us: [email protected]

Call us on 0844 8118 292 or Whatsapp us on  07789 596773

Or request a call back!

 

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

There are many benefits to laminate flooring options over solid and engineered wood flooring. One of the main benefits is that it is a cheaper flooring option. Our oak laminate flooring starts from as little as £7.99 per square meter (don’t worry we can also work in square feet).

Laminate floors are more resistant to scratches, moisture and general wear and tear. This also makes it easier to clean as well. While real wood Oak flooring is desired for its character and texture of deep knots and elaborate grain. The technology in creating oak laminate flooring has advanced dramatically in recent years.

This has lead to the laminate flooring having a similar texture and appearance to real wood flooring. So our oak laminate flooring emulates the effect of real oak floors without the cost, installation difficulties, or maintenance issues of real wood floors.

We have a huge range of quality Oak laminate flooring options. From the ever-popular grey oak to natural oak parquet, we have quality laminate flooring that will make any house a home. These laminate floors are also suited for underfloor heating and are fitted with an easy click system.

Our most popular Oak Laminate Floors

Our Signature Collection of laminate flooring in a Natural Oak and Light Oak Parquet effect is ideally suited for a reserved living area. This is one of our most popular floors thanks to its herringbone finish. This gives you the look of a parquet floor without the hassle.

Grey Oak effect laminate flooring is an extremely popular flooring design. This laminate floor has an extremely realistic appearance of aged hardwood flooring. With its rich smoked tones and natural grain appearance, this laminate floor is perfect for your hallway, dining or living room.

This stunning Premier Select 8mm Oak Laminate flooring is perfect in its modern grey colour tones. This shade of grey is perfect for creating a modern look to your space and is a quality flooring option for those who favour a contemporary look.

All of these cheap floorings are available for free samples.

What Laminate Oak Flooring is right for my home?

With such a huge range of oak laminate flooring available it can be difficult to know what will be best for your home. The two most popular options, however, are Grey Oak Laminate and Natural Oak Laminate flooring.

Grey Oak Laminate Flooring

Grey oak laminate flooring is available in light and dark shades. The light grey flooring is a wonderful way to let some light into your home. The light shade helps to reflect natural light and can help make a smaller space look much bigger and brighter.

The darker a floor the more difficult it is to keep clean as they show up dirt very easily. That is why we would recommend a mid to dark grey rather than a black laminate floor. Dark grey floors can create a modern and contemporary look in your home. They pair well with both light and dark coloured furniture.

Natural Oak Laminate Flooring

If your room has a little less square meterage than you would like a light coloured floor can create the illusion of space. The lighter laminate flooring also masks dirt and damage better as well. Lighter wood floors are better suited for homes with a more traditional design.

How do I clean my laminate floor?

You’ve got yourself a gorgeous new laminate, freshly installed and looking the part in your home. Everything is fine and dandy until someone (who shall remain nameless) spills a glass of wine or a cup tea on the floor.

Especially when they do it at least once a week. At that point, how do you keep your shiny new laminate looking in tip-top shape? Even more importantly, how can you protect it from scrapes and scratches that’ll inevitably appear in a busy house, especially when its full of kids and pets?

Make sure to check out our guide here and have a look at our flooring products that will help keep your laminate looking good!

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

 

Mediterranean tiles

Colourful motifs and abstract patterns…

Inspired by traditional Moroccan tiles our laminate Mediterranean collection makes a practical flooring option.

The influence of Morocco’s position in North Africa, boarding the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, is prevalent through its local art and design. With cobalt and saffron being reminiscent of the of the oceans and sweeping deserts. While the epic mountain ranges and ancient medinas have inspired travellers for centuries.

Originating in Morocco in the 10th century the original tiles were in subdued hues of white and grey. The pattern features geometric triangles, diamonds and delicate fauna. This is due to the representation of living beings being increasingly prohibited in Islamic tradition from the 9th century. As the style developed rich colours soon became the most popular option. There was an emphasis on cobalt and saffron being used as kitchen and bathroom walls.

The patchwork appearance of the traditional hand laid tiles is replicated in our flooring through the misaligned pattern and grout. This will also ensure that your floor will be unique to your home once laid. Each laminate piece is finished with a smooth surface to give a sleek look, reminiscent of natural stone tiling.

At the centre point between east and west, north and south Morocco’s architecture and interior design are influenced by its European and African neighbours. This results in amazingly vivid prints and patterns, with a strong focus on feature walls and mosaic tiles.

Moroccan decor is perfect for adding bohemian flair to your decor. The bright and carefree style is perfect for homes in the United Kingdom as it adds much-needed colour during winter. The use of lively colours, intricate details and texture can be found throughout walls and floors in Moroccan interior design. This is perhaps one of the easiest ways to introduce Moroccan style elements to your home. Think mosaic patterns, lantern-style lamps and textured throw pillows.

View our full Meditteranean collection now

 

 

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