Take a fresh look at laminate flooring for North Wales rooms

People who are used to cheap laminate floor coverings should take a fresh look at modern laminates that will enhance North Wales rooms.

Living in North Wales

North Wales is a great place to live in with beautiful natural areas, fantastic restaurants and many attractions. There are many successful businesses in the area that provide employment. Welsh residents appreciate nature influenced design, which means like the look of natural wood in floors in homes and businesses and don’t like cheap looking décor.

However, it has to be of good quality. A poll by the homeware store Dunelm found that people disliked cheap laminate flooring only slightly less than they hated woodchip wallpaper. The respondents in the poll were likely influenced by the cheap laminates of the past, which were not very durable and often had patterns that didn’t resemble real wood.

Modern high-quality laminates, on the other hand, are a different ball game.

Modern laminates

Cheap laminates are thin so will not last as long as higher-quality thicker ones. For a durable floor covering, choose laminates where the bottom layer is at least 8mm thick.

Modern printing technology means that wood grain patterns on laminate planks look very realistic. The patterns can be embossed to add a real wood-like texture. Laminate flooring is a great alternative to natural wood, offering the look of wood at a less expensive cost.

Premium quality laminate planks have a polyurethane topcoat that protects the laminate from wear. The better the coating is, the longer the laminate floor will last. Most manufacturers provide a guarantee that the floor will last for a number of years. Good quality laminates are suitable for high-traffic areas in commercial premises.

Water resistant

You need a floor that will withstand the effects of the North Wales weather, especially in areas with an outside entrance. People coming in with umbrellas and wet clothes are bound to cause water to drip on the floor. Laminate floors are water resistant, which means that although they probably won’t survive prolonged immersion during a flood, as long as spills are mopped up promptly, a little water won’t damage the laminate floor.

Laminates need to be fitted correctly. Click-together locking systems join the planks in a way that means no water can penetrate to the subfloor.

Laminate flooring used to be unsuitable for high-moisture areas like bathrooms, but a new type of extra water-resistant laminates has been developed that is fine for wet areas.

Cost

This increase in quality means you can expect to pay a little more for quality laminate flooring these days, but because of the extra lifespan, the lifetime cost of premium laminates is very reasonable.

Additionally, laminates are generally cheaper than engineered wood or solid wood floors while providing a similar natural wood look. They are quick and easy to install too, keeping fitting costs low.

Buying laminate flooring

Take a fresh look by visiting a supplier and fitter of laminate flooring in North Wales, who will show you samples of modern laminate floors you’re sure to love.

The benefits of water resistant laminate flooring in Chester rooms

Chester, as you’ll know if you live there, is not a dry city with many rainy days each year. Plenty of local homes and business have installed laminate flooring, but how does it stand up to moisture?

Traditionally, laminates are not recommended for high-moisture areas like bathrooms, but new water resistant laminate flooring has changed that.

The difference between water resistance and waterproof

Some laminate flooring is claimed by the manufacturer to be “water resistant”, but this is not the same as waterproof. Water resistant materials will withstand liquids, but waterproof floors mean that water will not penetrate the floor.

Water resistant laminate floors are suitable for bathrooms, laundry rooms and other wet areas. If your home is on a Chester or Cheshire flood plain, however, water resistant laminates may not survive prolonged immersion in water.

Water resistant laminate in bathrooms are fine, but if the bath or sink overflows, water should be mopped up as soon as possible.

Some laminates may swell with excess moisture, but water resistant laminates are designed to keep their shape even when there is a large amount of steam in the bathroom.

Wear

You need laminate flooring that will last a long time. Water resistant laminates are designed to withstand impacts and heavy footfall.

Where to install waterproof laminate flooring

Laminate flooring is suitable for residential and commercial use in all areas that are likely to get wet. This can include entrances and hallways where people enter with muddy shoes and dripping clothes during Chester rainy weather. A business does not need to be concerned about hundreds of wet visitors entering their premises on laminate floors.

Water resistant laminate is suitable for kitchens as they withstand spilt liquids. Laminate flooring is quick to install with a click and lock system.

Design

Water resistant laminate flooring comes in a number of attractive designs including realistic looking wood and stone effect patterns. Laminate is available in large or small format tiles that create different looks to the floor.

Maintenance

Like all laminate flooring, water resistant laminate is easy to clean and maintain. Cleaning with a mop and laminate flooring cleaning solution is recommended. Laminate flooring is coated with a stain resistant layer. A vacuum suitable for hard floor can be used to remove loose dirt and debris.

It’s a good idea to purchase a few spare planks or tiles from your supplier in case an area of the floor gets damaged. If it does, remove the damaged planks and replace them with new ones.

Cost

Water resistant laminate flooring tends to be more expensive than other laminates but should last a long time.

Further information

Visit a local laminate flooring supplier and fitter to see their range of water resistant and other laminate floor coverings. They should have samples for you to place in the room to get a good idea of how the new floor will look.

They will discuss with you if water resistant laminate flooring is the best solution for you. What’s more, they will show you water resistant and waterproof floor covering alternatives.

Twickenham chooses LVT flooring

Twickenham has opted to use LVT flooring for its new East Stand development.

The main reasons why the designers of the new stand at the English national rugby stadium chose LVT were for its premium look, durability and cost-effective price.

Debbie Power of architects KSS that designed the stand said:

“We wanted to replicate the structure’s original materials such as timber and concrete, with an authentic looking product that was also robust enough to withstand the demands of a busy venue such as Twickenham.”

In Union Ale House, a large pub-style venue, KSS used a combination of herringbone laid Country Oak and stone effect tiles. This created a premium look well within the budget for the project.

The development of the East Stand has 3,000 square metres of floor space that needed covering. IVC’s 55 specification LVT flooring was chosen to deal with the high footfall. This LVT has a 0.55mm wear layer which is designed to resist wear and scuff marks, and is easy to clean.

The vinyl tiles used at Twickenham contain over half (55%) recycled materials.

There are many LVT design options available to create floors that are both practical and aesthetically pleasing. However, there’s no need to have to have a large floor area like Twickenham to benefit from LVT tiles. LVT flooring in Chester homes and commercial premises is perfect for people who want a quality, long-lasting floor available in a wide range of colours and patterns to suit all décor styles, and is reasonably priced.

Your guide to carpets for Wrexham homes and businesses

There has been a trend over the last few years for hard floor coverings like laminates, vinyl and wood, but many Wrexham households and commercial buildings are returning to using carpets. So why is this?

Style choice

There is a huge range of carpet colours, styles and patterns to choose from to satisfy all types of people. Whether you like a contemporary look in a room or a more traditional style, there are carpets to suit everyone.

Acoustics

A good quality carpet adsorbs sound. For example, some restaurants are covered in hard surfaces which reflect the sound, making them noisy at busy times. This may be fine for fast food establishments, but many diners prefer the quieter atmosphere that carpets create so that they can easily hear their conversations and have a leisurely relaxed dining experience.

At home, carpets can deaden the sound of noisy children or teenagers in other rooms.

Cost

The average carpet costs less than many other types of floor covering, though a luxury wool pile carpet can work out more expensive than cheap laminate flooring.

Safety

Carpets are a non-slip surface, which makes them particularly suitable for homes with elderly people as the carpet can prevent injury by cushioning falls. Items dropped on a carpet are less likely to break than with hard surfaces.

Maintenance

Most carpets need regular vacuuming and the occasional deep clean. Many are treated with stain and soil resistant treatments to make them easy to clean.

Water resistance

Water resistance needs considering in Wrexham because the area has a high annual rainfall. Carpets don’t like a lot of moisture, which makes them unsuitable for bathrooms and other wet areas. They’re fine for halls, but a moisture-absorbing mat is recommended at the entrance door to catch the water drips from people coming in from a typically rainy Wrexham day.

Carpet types

There are four basic carpet types:

1. Nylon is durable and is ideal for heavy traffic areas. Nylon carpets treated with stain resistance are recommended.

2. Polyester has a luxury feel and is good value for homes or business areas with medium traffic.

3. Olefin has good stain resistance and is good value for money, but is not as durable as nylon and polyester.

4. Wool is the favourite carpet for people who like natural materials. Quality wool carpets are not cheap but they will last a long time and have a luxury feel and look.

Textures

Carpets come in cut pile, loop and cut-loop textures. Cut pile carpets are soft are comforting. Loop pile makes carpets are more durable in high traffic areas. Cut-loop carpets combine high cut tufts with lower loops to create a sculptured look, and are good performance carpets but not as durable as loop carpets.

Choosing the best carpet

The best carpet for a room depends on how the room is used, and the volume of footfall. There is a huge variety of carpet qualities, styles, colours and patterns. Visit your local supplier to discover the best carpets for your Wrexham home or business.

Where to install artificial grass in Wrexham

There are many Wrexham homes, businesses and schools that have installed artificial grass, since there are a variety of roles it can fill and places in can be used.

Why would you use artificial grass?

Wrexham is an area of high rainfall, which keeps the rural areas around the town lush and green and usually provides ample water for the grass. However, climate change indicates that Wrexham may increasingly experience hot and dry spells in the summer, which means that grass will be starved of the water it needs to look healthy.

In summers when there is enough water, grass grows swiftly and has to be regularly cut. On wet days, school children are discouraged from playing on the grass at school because it is too muddy.

People like artificial grass because needs no watering, no cutting, and can be played on in all weathers. Yet despite all that, it looks real.

Gardens

Artificial grass can replace lawns in busy households that do not have time to regularly cut and maintain the lawn. An artificial grass lawn can be enjoyed all the year round as water drains through its surface, allowing the lawn to dry out quickly.

Artificial grass is suitable for households with pets and small children. Any mess they make is soon cleaned up.

Sport

Some sports clubs want all-weather grounds so that matches are not cancelled because of a very muddy or waterlogged pitch, or perhaps just artificial grass training facilities. They also appreciate that artificial grass needs little maintenance as many sports clubs cannot afford to hire a groundsman.

Schools

Artificial grass is ideal for schools that want a hard wearing playing surface that requires little maintenance and is safe for children to play on all year round.

Indoors

Artificial grass is great for using at exhibitions, especially for businesses that sell garden or sports products. Artificial grass can be used in shop displays to create an imitation garden.

Roof gardens and balconies

Many commercial buildings in Wrexham have flat roofs or balconies that are ideal for recreation and rest areas for staff. Artificial grass and a few house plants in pots make a pleasant garden area that needs very little looking after.

Artificial grass is easy to install on the concrete floors of balconies and roofs.

Golf putting greens

Golfers get better with lots of practice especially to improve their putting skills. An artificial grass green at home or in the office is a place to practise putting in all weathers.

Hotels

Hotels are increasingly finding uses for artificial grass to improve the look of entrances and courtyards, and to form grassy areas that guests can enjoy in any weather.

Quality artificial grass in Wrexham

Artificial grass is a versatile material that can be used in so many places. Unless you are using artificial grass for a short time, such as at an exhibition, it pays to invest in good that will last outside for many years. It needs to be installed well by professional artificial grass fitters in Wrexham to make sure that the water will flow off the grass efficiently.