123floor News
GUIDE TO KIDS’ PLAYROOM FLOORING
Looking for kids’ playroom flooring? Here’s our guide to child-friendly flooring that keeps grown-ups happy, too.
Is carpet in a kids’ playroom a crazy idea?
Well, carpets and kids don’t go together at the best of times – and put them in a playroom and things could get very messy. Think drinks spillages, paint marks and other horrors. But then again, carpet in a kids playroom has lots going for it – it’s warm, soft on little knees and feet, and will help cushion any falls. And if the playroom is above your main living space, carpet will add a nice bit of insulation against noise. If you’d like your kids’ playroom flooring to be carpet, look for stain-repellent ones in the thickest pile you can afford.
What’s wood flooring got going for it?
Quite a bit, since you ask. For starters, unlike carpet it won’t harbour dust so wood flooring is great for a kids’ playroom if your child has allergies. And while carpet can breed mould and mildew if drink spills aren’t swiftly sorted, wood won’t. Of course, wood doesn’t give a soft landing for tumbles and falls, but you can always add a colourful rug until the kids are a bit older. Also, the beauty of wood flooring is that once the children are grown you can easily repurpose the kids’ playroom for another living space.
Why should you love laminate?
When it comes to kids’ playroom flooring, laminate ticks a lot of boxes: it’s splash-resistant, tough-wearing against scratches, a doddle to clean and pretty darned durable. Plus you won’t have any worries over dust mites and mould. With laminate, you can still get the look of hardwood if that’s what you want – but because laminate comes as individual boards it’s less expensive than wood flooring if you need to replace bits.
How can vinyl perk up a kids’ playroom?
Vinyl has got ‘fun’ written all over it. It comes in a rainbow of colours, with all manner of styles, patterns, textures and borders to choose from. Your kids’ playroom flooring will never have looked so exciting! Vinyl flooring has got lots of kid-friendly benefits, too – it’s water-resistant, warm on little feet, durable and easy to wipe clean. Vinyl is sold in sheets and tiles so you can mix and match, as well as easily replace any sections at any time.
HARDWOOD FLOOR RESTORATION
Remember that beautiful hardwood flooring you used to have? If scratches, wear and tear and general dullness have made it a distant memory, don’t worry – hardwood floor restoration can bring back its beauty.
Now you might want to bring in the professionals for this. Hardwood floor restoration takes time and effort – particularly when you have to get down on your hands and knees to sand those tricksy edges and corners. And if you’re not confident in the job, you could sand off more than you bargained for! But if you’re up for the challenge, here’s how to do a DIY hardwood floor restoration…
Clean, repair and fill
Get things started by using a standard wood floor cleaner. Once the flooring is completely dry, break out the wood filler for touch-ups on scratches and dents. You might also want to fill gaps for a more aesthetically pleasing look not to mention preventing draughts.
Start up your sander
With your sander – a random orbit floor sander is a good option – go over the floor to remove the old oil, wax, lacquer or varnish. Repeat the process with increasingly finer grit paper until the bare wood is super-smooth – the smoother it is, the better it will take stain and lacquers.
Stain and seal
Colour-test your chosen stain on a bit of scrap wood before starting to paint. When you get going with your brush, work from one side of the room to the other, being sure to cover the whole floor. Once the stain is dry, you can add the sealant – a hard wax oil or water-based polyurethane lacquer – to protect the floor and give it a hard-wearing finish.
Now that your hardwood floor restoration has brought your wood flooring back to its former glory, use these preventative measures to keep it looking lovely...
Do...
* use protector pads on furniture legs and cabinets to avoid dents and scratches
* keep your pets’ nails trimmed
* use a cleaner made for wood floors every couple of week
Don’t...
* use a sopping-wet mop for cleaning – it could warp the floorboards
* be a stranger to the vacuum cleaner – grit will be like sandpaper on your floor
* leave spills to penetrate down through the wood
Choosing the best living room floor
Is the living room the focal point of your home where everyone kicks off their shoes and hangs out? Then you’ll probably want to choose the best living room floor for comfort and relaxation. If you’ve got a living room that doubles up as a kids’ playroom or a party hangout – or both – when deciding on the best living room flooring you might need something that’s ultra-hard wearing and easy to clean. And of course there’s style to consider. The best living room floor for you might be one that gets envious glances when the neighbours pop in!
Traditional carpet
Many of our customers decide that the best living room floor for them is carpet. They love the traditional look, not to mention the soft feeling underfoot. Carpet is also the best living room floor for making a large space look more warm and cosy. At 123floor our carpets come in all sorts of colours and patterns in both soft wool and chunky loop-pile – one of our friendly staff will talk you through the best living room floor for you.
Hardwood flooring
When you’re choosing the best living room floor for your home, you might just fall in love with hardwood flooring. It can really make a room stand out and it’s a look that never dates. Always think about the size of your room when deciding on the best living room floor – for example, hardwood flooring can help to open up a small space. Colour-wise, 123floor have things covered with a choice of dark wood, black wood and rustic oak flooring – we’ll show you what we’ve got and let you pick the best living room floor for you.
Laminate flooring
Got kids and pets? Laminate flooring could be the best living room floor to go for as it’s super-resistant to scratching and scuffing and it’s easy to clean, too. You’ll get the look of wood with durability and easy maintenance – certainly something to bear in mind when you’re searching for the best living room floor.
Vinyl flooring
Vinyl flooring before could be the best living room floor you’ve ever chosen. It’s ideal for high-traffic rooms because it’s durable, hard-wearing and easy to clean – plus it’s warm on your feet as well. Vinyl flooring can look like stone, ceramic and concrete and comes in everything from subtle tones to eye-popping primary colours and mix ’n’ match patterns. Definitely the best living room floor if you want a show-stopper in the room!
* Pop into 123floor’s St Albans showroom to find your best living room floor today
What is Karndean flooring?
Karndean flooring is the new cool kid on the block. It’s a high-end range of vinyl flooring that cleverly mimics natural materials such as wood, stone, marble, mosaic, ceramic and concrete. The result is a sleek, sophisticated look that will instantly give your home a modern makeover.
It’s not just a great looker, either. Karndean vinyl flooring combines chic, contemporary style with impressive functionality. For a start, it’s water-resistant and non-slip so it’s ideal for bathrooms. Kitchens don’t have to miss out on the Karndean experience either – the easy-to-clean vinyl flooring means spillages won’t stress you out. And did we mention what a tough cookie it is? Karndean vinyl flooring is durable and hard wearing enough to withstand areas of your home that get heavy footfall, such as hallways.
Even bedrooms can jump on the Karndean bandwagon. If you’re looking for an alternative to carpet, this vinyl flooring can add real style and pizazz to your sleeping space. And because it’s warm to the touch, your feet will love it! The vinyl flooring can also be a real hit with teenagers who want their ‘den’ to look modern and cool.
As for the living room, well, what better place to show off Karndean’s stylish credentials?
Versatile enough for any room, there’s no limit to where your Karndean vinyl flooring can go. And with an inspiring colour palette to choose from, the possibilities are endless. Think subtle coffee tones of Mocha and Espresso, pared-down greys like Nimbus and Atlantic Slate, the vivid hues of Venetian Blue Mosaic and strong tones like Galician Quartz. Don’t want a single block of colour? No problem. Karndean vinyl flooring comes with a choice of strips, borders and inlaid designs so you can create a statement look that perfectly complements your home.
* At 123floor we have a wide range of Karndean vinyl flooring that we can’t wait to show you. Just pop into our St Albans showroom and let us help you fire your imagination...
Amtico Launches 26 New Spacia Flooring Designs
Amtico have recently launched an additional 26 new designs and colours to their award-winning Spacia collection. The new designs complement their already stunning range by adding yet more sophisticated, contemporary, hard-wearing floor covering options.
Inspired by an appreciation for beautiful materials, the 26 new Spacia products bring elements of the natural world indoors with a dynamic blend of rustic textures, neutral colour palettes and warm woods.
At 123floor, our St Albans showroom was one of the first retailers to receive these exciting new additions to the Spacia collection.
Create a sophisticated, contemporary interior with products like Nordic Oak, which hints at chic Scandinavian style, or Spiced Timber, bringing the woodland theme alive with its rough-hewn surface and natural, rustic grain.
Mixing with elements like metallics, rough concrete and exposed slate create a clean and striking finish. Spacia’s new stone designs are the perfect choice for introducing an urban, edgy feel to your home.
If the animalistic trend has got your attention, Amtico have introduced three new designs to bring the species trend to life! The delicate feather-like detailing in Zephyr, Sumatra and Mistral give these tiles instant texture and appeal. The different brush strokes reflect light around the room and mimic the movement of bird feathers.
The new Spacia collection is available now from 123floor, 118 London Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 1NX.
So why not pop in store for advice, information or just a chat and take away samples of these new Amtico Spacia ranges?