Wood, laminate, vinyls & how do I choose?Published 29/05/2014

Making a choice between the different types of hard flooring and what is right for you takes a lot of honesty on what you expect from it, how you will look after it and how long you want it to last.

There are several key questions you need to ask yourself:

How much maintenance do they need – daily, monthly, yearly etc?
Am I worried about denting, scratching or do you like the distressed look?
Do I mind if there is colour variation or graining/knotting or do I want it to be more uniform and know the colour I’m getting
How tough does it need to be? – even children’s toys can damage some surfaces
Do I want a product that needs an expansion gap or something that fits right up to my skirting?
What is my sub-floor (i.e. what will be underneath it)? Will what I choose be suitable to go over it?
How much work am I prepared to have done to give a level surface if my floors prove uneven?
What will suit the style of my home and the look I want?
Do I need any water resistance and moisture/steam resistance?
If it’s a new concrete floor have I allowed enough time for it dry before laying? British Standards state – 1mm depth per day for drying time

As a general rule:

Woods:

will need a regular maintenance routine
surface can be softer than other products
variations in colour, texture, graining, hardness
specific fixing required on some – will depend on sub-floor you have
not good in areas of temperature variation or moisture

Laminates:

will need a regular but far less onerous maintenance routine
what you see is what you get with colour and patterning/grain
does need some expansion room, easy to lay in most instances
good quality ones have a good tough, scratch resistant surface

Vinyls:

soft backed vinyls offer comfort but less durability
Solid vinyl tiles are far more durable and available in both tile & woodplank form
will need a regular but simple maintenance routine
good scratch resistance, water resistant, reasonably warm under foot

Still unsure? Then feel free to come in and chat about your home and what you need.