Engineered wood increasing in popularity as solid wood alternative

Advances in engineered wood have resulted in hardwearing floor coverings that have a thin layer of real wood. It is less expensive than solid wood and it has become a popular alternative to hardwood flooring.

People love the natural look of solid wood, but the thing that prevents many people from installing wood flooring is its high cost. Another disadvantage of solid hardwood is that it can warp in extreme temperatures and if flooded. Solid wood flooring in Chester’s flood risk areas is not advisable.

Engineered wood is available in wide planks. The vice president of Divine Flooring engineered wood says that engineered wood has:

“…really opened up the market. You don’t have to worry about dimensional stability and so we are now seeing five-inch, seven-inch, nine-inch and even twelve-inch wide planks.”

Though the favourite engineered wood is traditional natural brown oak, many people want a more contemporary look. This can be achieved with white or grey wash oak or maple. There is also a trend away from highly polished woods that have a high gloss finish. Grey or white wood with a matt finish is preferred.

A thick underlay provides acoustic properties. This is particularly important for upstairs rooms where sound can disturb people below. A further advantage is that engineered wood clicks together making it quicker and easier to install than solid wood.

Although engineered wood makes a good substitute for solid hardwood, some people still prefer the natural qualities of real wood.

New gadget lets you ‘hear’ your carpet

The annual Las Vegas CES exhibition took place last week, and among the gadgets at the show was the Sphero Specdrum, which could bring a whole new sensory experience to carpet.

Costing around £50, the device as a ring that, when worn and tapped against a colour, communicates the colour to a phone app, which in turn converts the colour to sound. It can also sense the tapping rhythm of the user.

Some people have a condition known as synaesthesia, which is the ability to perceive colours as sounds. The Specdrum system allows anyone to experience this.

By tapping the ring on different areas of a patterned carpet, it is possible to experience the sound of the carpet. The app also works the other way round, in that a user can assign sounds to different colours of the carpet.

The app can work with more than one ring, so in theory users could wear Spectrum rings on many fingers to create a symphony from the carpet.

Although the Specdrum is a toy, it could be used in education with children creating music from their colourful classroom environment. It comes with a coloured Play Pad that acts as a keyboard to compose tunes.

The Specdrum ring and phone applicators become available in the USA today (January 15) and may be available in Britain shortly afterwards.

Luckily, no gadget is needed to enjoy a new colourful pattern carpet in your Chester home. Flooring services in Chester have a wide range of new season designs that are guaranteed not to make a noise.

Vinyl flooring - suitable for most North Wales rooms

Vinyl flooring is a hardwearing floor covering that is easy to clean and maintain, and is suitable for most rooms too. Flooring services in North Wales have a large range of vinyl for you to introduce to almost any room in your home.

Bathrooms

Vinyl flooring is water and slip resistant, which makes it ideal for use in bathrooms. There are many colours and vinyl patterns that are suitable for what is usually the first room you enter after you wake up.

Kitchens

There can be frequent spills and moisture in kitchens. Any spills can be easily and quickly be wiped up with a cloth or mop.

Lounge and dining rooms

For living rooms, thick cushioned vinyl is best, and it feels warm and soft to the touch. Wood effect vinyl is particularity popular in lounges and dining rooms. Spills in the dining area can easily be cleaned up.

Bedrooms

Vinyl is also suitable for the bedroom, particularity in children's rooms where spills are likely to happen. Soothing, neutral, relaxing colours and patterns are perhaps best for bedrooms.

Halls

Hallways are high footfall areas. They also lead to the outside where, in North Wales, it is often raining. You need vinyl water resistant flooring that can withstand the arrival of muddy feet and dripping clothes.

Vinyl is also fine for landings and stairs.

Workplaces

Vinyl flooring is favoured by North Wales businesses because it is hardwearing and will last a long time. It is also quick and easy to clean.

In very high traffic areas such as busy cafes, good quality vinyl can last for at least 10 years before looking shabby and needing replacing.

Patterns and colours available from flooring services in North Wales

All sorts of options are available at flooring services in North Wales. The natural look is achieved through wood effect or stone effect vinyl. This vinyl looks so realistic that it is difficult to tell that it is not wood or stone.

If you like the minimalist look, you can install plain colour vinyl available in neutral colours or more vibrant ones.

Bold patterns are available to create a room with impact.

Types of vinyl flooring for North Wales rooms

You can buy vinyl in sheets, tiles or planks. Sheet vinyl can be cut to length and can cover a square or rectangular room in one piece.

Vinyl tiles can be laid in various patterns, brick style or lined up with each other. Self-adhesive vinyl tiles are quick to lay. Vinyl tile planks can be self-adhesive, and thick vinyl planks have a click together system for ease of installation.

Vinyl comes in various grades, so choose the best grade you can afford. Some will have a 25-year guarantee, or a bit less if installed in a commercial room. The thicker the vinyl, the longer it should last. Also, thick vinyl is usually cushioned to make walking on the floor feel soft and warm.

Flooring services in North Wales will show you samples of their large range of vinyl flooring.

Overall, vinyl flooring in North Wales is a great choice for all rooms, both domestic and commercial.

Flooring expert raises concern over glamour shots

Don Magruder, CEO of Ro-Mac Lumber & Supply, has complained that flooring and building material glamour shots can be misleading or dishonest.

In an article in Daily Commercial, Magruder accuses some companies of hiding quality issues in their photographs. He argues that floor covering photographs may not give a true idea of the thickness, quality and appearance of the material. He says:

“Consumers should understand that minor details can be embellished to make any item seem more than it is.”

Sometimes, shots are taken in rooms with luxury furniture and fittings, which has the effect of making poor quality flooring look more appealing.

Misleading information can also be contained in the description. Magruder says that every word can convey that the product is a much higher quality product then it actually is. He gives the example of describing pine wood flooring as:

“A two-by-four #2 grade southern pine board with limited wane and knots.”

This, according to Magruder, is embellishing what is simply a standard two-by-four #2 pine plank.

If you visit high-quality flooring services in Cheshire, you do not have to rely on photos in floor covering manufacturers' brochures to assess the quality of floor covering. A flooring company in Chester has many samples of flooring for you to examine. Look at and feel luxury vinyl tiles, solid wood flooring and carpet samples. You can take samples home or to your workplace to see how new floor coverings will look in your rooms.

Wood vs. laminate flooring in Chester rooms

Many people love the look of natural wood for their Chester homes or workplaces. Real hardwood is expensive and is unsuitable for some areas, but laminate is a good alternative.

What’s the difference between hardwood and laminate?

Hardwood is made from harvested trees that are made into planks.

Laminate is made from composite wood layers pressed together. The wood image is then printed onto the surface. Modern laminate wood patterns are very realistic looking.

The cost of laminate flooring in Chester

Some woods are more expensive than others, but hardwood flooring is generally more expensive than laminate. If you are installing flooring on a limited budget, laminate is a better choice.

Laminate is quicker and easier to install than solid wood, so installation costs will be as much as 50% less. You can attempt to install laminate flooring yourself, but flooring services in Chester can install them at a reasonable cost.

Durability

Hardwood can get scratched or damaged, but scratches can be sanded off and the area resealed. If hardwood looks shabby and worn, it can be sanded down and varnished again to look like new.

Quality laminate is durable and scratch resistant and should last a long time. Although laminates have wood content, they cannot be sanded down like hardwood.

If hardwood is looked after, it will probably last longer than laminate, but if cost is an issue, laminate is a good option.

Maintenance

Laminates are easier to keep clean than wood, and are less susceptible to staining. A quick brush and a mop using cleaning products formulated for laminates are all you need. A vacuum cleaner suitable for hard floors can be used on both laminates and wood.

If wood is stained or scratched, it can be sanded. Laminate flooring cannot be repaired, but if you buy a few more planks than your need, individual planks can be replaced.

Water resistance

Laminate floors are more water resistant than wood. Laminate flooring can be installed in the kitchen where some moisture is expected, but it is not recommended that laminate is installed in bathrooms or other high-moisture areas.

Wood will warp under a lot of water. A floor that has a door to the outside can be made of wood, as long as a mat is used to catch drips and any water is removed quickly. In rainy Chester, it may be better for halls and other outdoor leading areas to be covered in laminate.

Of course, no floors like being flooded, but a laminate floor will have more of a chance of recovering after flooding than wood. Even so, it must be installed so that edges are sealed.

Sunlight

Wood can fade under prolonged sunlight. You may believe that Chester does not get a lot of sun, but it receives more than many of us realise. The sun does not fade laminates.

Flooring services in Chester offer a full range

Laminate flooring in Chester is available in many grades and wood patterns to choose from. Visit your flooring services in Chester to see their full range.