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How To Lay Wood Flooring

Laying of wood flooring is actually a very simple task contrary to many beliefs. First and foremost, before commencement of the fitting process, you must determine the direction you would like the engineered wood flooring to lie in. To do this the right way, they should lie in the direction of the the longest wall. However, if your subfloor is wooden, then having the boards positioned across the joists underneath would be your best bet to get started.

Here are some simple steps to follow to properly lay your wood flooring:

• Start from a corner, working from left to right and place the initial rows of the boards with the groove’s end directly opposite the closest wall.

• Make use of expansion spacers. Place them in between the wall and the board alongside an expansion gap of about 8 to 10mm.

• Place the board’s final rows at about 100mm wide. To achieve this, it is crucial to be pro-active with the measurement and cut the boards (if you deem fit) to adjust the first row.

• With the help of the click system, the boards will click together.

• Fit in the next board. Ensure to attach the tongues together (30 degrees from the floor) and once done, you can proceed to lower and lock it in place. Do this till you get to the end of the row.

• Cut the last board of the row to size if its too long.

• If the part cut off is up to 300mm, simply use it to start the next row. If not, cut a new board in half to use.

• Put the rows side by side in such a way to ensure the joints are staggered at each and every row. Keep a consistent gap between the wall and the planks via the continuous use of the spacers.

• Lay a plank over the last row to determine the width of the previous board. Position a new plank in a way that its tongue is directly against the wall. Once done, proceed to mark a line of plank underneath to get the required width. Then, fit the plank into the space with the help of a pull bar and hammer.

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Being the primary material used in wooden flooring installation, the floorboards are the main supply costs. With that in mind, you should also know that there are a large variety of wooden flooring types to select from, each with their unique pros and cons which should all be considered before making a purchase decision. If you’re looking to get the supply cost of wooden flooring in the UK, then you’ve come to the right place! Here is a basic price guide of various and some of the most popular types of floorboards.

If you wish to go for an engineered wood flooring, this looks better when compared to laminate and is more affordable than solid wood. You can expect to pay within the range of £20 to about £100 per square metre for this wood flooring type.

Laminate flooring, on the other hand, is also quite cheap, easy to install and quite hardwearing, however it tends to warp over time as a result of exposure to moisture and it also happens to be the least attractive of all the other flooring types. You can expect to pay within the range of £10 to about £50 per square metre for this wood flooring type.

Solid wood flooring is a great option with a better look and feel to it. However, it also tends to warp over time and more difficult to install as against laminate. You can expect to pay within the range of £20 to about £100 per square metre for this wood flooring type.

Parquet flooring is long lasting and very attractive, but quite expensive to have fitted.  You can expect to pay within the range of £25 to about £200 per square metre for this wood flooring type.

Wooden flooring is very popular flooring option amongst home and property owners in the UK and understandably so. It adds to your space’s curb appeal, it’s quite easy to maintain, it adds to the value resale value of your property if you later wish to sell and lots more. If you’re looking to have wooden flooring installed in your home, you have two options which includes doing it yourself or calling in a professional – the latter being more advisable. However, by following some simple but essential steps, you can also install your wooden flooring successfully by yourself. These includes determining the site is in the best condition before installation, removal of all floor coverings and underlay for a more stable and durable installation and incorporation of the right expansion gap of about 10mm to 12mm which would be maintained around the floor’s perimeter.

Wooden floor fitting can be done on two types of sub-floor - Concrete and Plywood. To install onto concrete, you can follow the guide below:

• Incorporate flexible wood on concrete adhesives.
• With the help of a 3mm toothed trowel, spread above 2 board widths of adhesive along the starting wall sub-floor, beginning at a corner of your room.
• Position the first row of flooring into the area that is glued using the tongue facing opposite the wall.
• Put 10mm spacers against the wall to see to the consistency in expansion gaps.
• Make sure the joints are at a minimum of 150mm apart from the first row when fitting the second row.
• Utilize pre-cut smaller boards if you’re to start a new row with staggered joints.
• Continue with this nailing method and make sure the 10mm expansion gaps are consistent around the floor’s perimeter.

To install onto plywood, you can follow this guide:

• Make use of a porta-nailer.
• Position 10mm spacers against the wall - parallel with the installation direction.
• Fit the first row using the tongue facing opposite the wall and with the help of the porta-nailer or flooring nailer.
• Lay the second row and make sure the short end joints are at a minimum of 150mm apart from that of the first row.
• Utilize pre-cut smaller boards if you’re to start a new row with staggered joints.
• Continue with this nailing method and make sure the 10mm expansion gaps are consistent around the floor’s perimeter.

After making the decision to install a new wooden flooring in your home, the next obvious step is finding the right installer to get the job done. When a wooden floor is fitted and properly maintained by the right professional, it will not only outlive the owner but also survive several generations. As a result, finding the perfect installer for your task should be a top priority to get the best return on investment. Here are a few sources that will put you in the right direction to finding a reliable wood flooring installation company.

• Friends, Relatives & Neighbours

If you have a friend, relative or neighbour that has a wooden floor installed in their homes, you can go for a visit to check out the work done. If you’re pleased with the work done, you can proceed to ask about the work ethics of the installer and get the contact if satisfied.

• Store Contact Lists

You’ll discover a long list of wooden flooring contractors on many stores trading flooring materials. These installers may not be affiliated with the store owners, but many stores see it as their responsibility to point you in the right direction so that the flooring material acquired from them can be put to good use.

• Internet

With the rapid rise of online technology, there’s hardly a service you can’t find on the internet. Websites like HomeAdvisor have been helping people find their desired service providers with relative ease for so long. To get the right installer online, it’s advisable to check reviews as well as testimonials before moving forward. Nowadays, you’re most likely going to find so many positive online reviews as some businesses now go to the extent of dubiously writing good reviews for their companies. As a result, it’s recommended to pay closer attention to the negative reviews and check if it’s something you can cope with before hiring an installer for your wooden flooring.

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If you’re thinking about making improvements to your home, it’s only reasonable to become familiar with the ins and outs of the requirements to make the project a success. Not just the cost involved to complete the project, but also the duration it’ll take to complete the job and lots more. When it comes to the installation of wooden flooring, there’s a need to find out whether or not an underlay is required for the task. In this article, we’re going to consider this in order to ensure that you’re on the right track. Let’s take a look!

First and foremost, underlays are common with carpets as they allow for an even surface with no lumps and bumps. It also provides a deeper barrier between the carpet and the floor as carpets, themselves, aren’t particularly thick enough to provide adequate comfort when walking on them. Underlay also helps improve insulation which in turn, helps cut down your energy bill. So, are underlays also needed with wooden flooring?

In general, wooden flooring does not really need an underlay. This is due to the fact that they’re perfectly comfortable to walk on without the need to add an extra padding underneath. However, the subfloor will have to be made prior to the installation, as a result, an underlay is needed at all there. With that in mind, it’s highly recommended to make use of an underlay when installing a boarded floor to a wooden subfloor mainly due to the fact that it’s able to provide a much-improved insulation. When it comes to wooden flooring, it’s always best to go for quality rather than looking for ways to cut corners. If you’re able to go for the best project with professional installation and little extras like undelay, you’d notice and enjoy the long lasting nature of your wooden flooring immediately after installation.

In order to get a good idea for how much is needed, there’s a need to measure a room for carpet. This is an essential step that should be completed before you shop for brand new carpets to install. Taking the measurement for a basic square or an oblong area is actually relatively easy as long as you put the doorways and entry stairs into consideration. If you’re looking for the best way to measure for carpet, then you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’re going to take you through room measurement for carpet procedures.

To get started, you’re going to need a measuring tape or a laser distance measurer, a paper and writing instrument or note taking app, a calculator or calculator app as well as a graph paper and a pencil if you wish to draw your layout.

1. Draw a simple diagram of your home. This doesn’t have to be perfect, but you’d have to ensure the measurements taken are accurate. All that’s needed is a basic drawing featuring all the rooms shown. What’s more? If the room happens to be square or rectangular, you can calculate the area simply by multiplying the width by the length.
2. Chimneys and recesses. If the room in question features chimneys breasts and recesses, take a measurement of the entire space and ignore them, the flooring or carpet will simply be cut around them.
3. Calculating the final figure. Take a measurement of each area and put it down in the relevant space on the diagram. Then, simply break the room down to smaller rectangular shapes, determine their area and add them together to obtain the total area of your room. You can make an allowance of up to 5 percent of the total for possible waste.

Adding brand new carpets is one of the quickest ways you can employ to revamp your room and update your home design. Whether you’re looking to inject a new lease of life through a splash of colour or perhaps you simply wish to replace the current worn out or tired looking thread-bare floor, a new carpet can go a long way to have a major impact on how your home feels and looks. At the same time, it can also be a relatively inexpensive way to make a significant change. However, it’s always essential to know the cost before carrying out such a project. In this post, we’re going to consider room recarpeting costs in order to help you make the best informed decision possible moving forward. Let’s take a look!

Generally, carpet are priced per square metre and the cost depends on a number of factors which includes the material as well as the manufacture of the carpet you opt for. On the lower side of the spectrum, you can expect to incur as little as £5 per square metre for a simple and synthetic carpet, while at the other end, a luxurious woolen carpet can cost in excess of £30 per square metre.

While the major and most significant part of the cost would be the price of the material itself, there are however other costs you’ll need to take into account. These costs includes the cost of the underlay which is usually within the range of £5 per square metre to about £15 per square metre, the carpet grippers as well as the cost of labour. Overall, the total cost for a carpet fitting job is normally within the range of £13 per square metre for a simple carpet and installation, and £50 per square metre for a luxurious carpet.

Do you have a busy household or a thriving business? When you have a carpeted stairs faced with a high traffic on a regular basis, you know its going to take quite a beating over time. As a result, the carpet tends to start looking tired and worn out almost immediately especially if it isn’t designed to withstand such an heavy usage. Hence, the importance of taking an extra little time when deciding on which new stair carpet or stair runners to purchase and install so as to identify those with sturdier properties which are designed to last and also durable. This way, regardless of the amount of traffic it faces on a regular basis, it’ll always stay looking smart and healthy with good maintenance efforts. In this post, we’re going to consider the best carpet for stairs with a high foot traffic. Let’s take a look!

When looking for a good carpet for a heavy traffic stairs, you need to be able to identify hard-wearing stair carpet runners most of which will be clearly labelled as such. These carpets are designed to handle a high level of footfalls primarily because of the way they’re manufactured and materials incorporated. These materials include sisal (one of the best materials to look out for when you’re shopping for a hard-wearing stair carpet) and polypropylene which is an extremely popular material used in hard-wearing carpets due to its incredible features.

Apart from the materials incorporated, a lot of the strength and resilience also comes from the way in which the fibres are constructed and woven. The most reliable types of carpet weaves to look out for when choosing a high traffic stair carpet runner includes flatweave, wilton weave as well as needlepunch.