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Guide to laminate, LVT and wood

Engineered Wood

These floors are constructed by bonding various layers of wood together in a cross-ply pattern. These layers, when combined, are significantly less sensitive to expansion and contraction than solid wood, which makes engineered wood a much more popular choice than a solid wood. This restriction of movement can prevent boards from cupping, gapping or pulling apart. A real wood veneer is then glued to the top of the plank to give a natural effect. The benefit of the real wood layer is that the plank can be repaired if it gets damaged. Just like a solid wood plank it can be sanded down and stained to bring back the original finish. The thickness of the plank will dictate how many times the floor can be sanded down.

Engineered wood floors can be supplied in planks of various widths and thicknesses. Wide plank wood floors are perfect for open plan living areas, whereas narrow planks are the perfect choice for hallways. Parquet, herringbone and chevron designs are all options available in engineered wood flooring.

Planks can be constructed from many different species of wood. Oak floors remain the most popular, but walnut flooring, rustic wood floors, white wood flooring and distressed wood floors are all very much sought after.

Laminate

This popular flooring is made by compressing fibreboard into planks and covering the plank with a photographic image of various types and designs of wood. The finished plank is then treated with a protective spray. Laminate is suitable for high traffic areas such as hallways and living rooms.

Laminate flooring is extremely tough and is typically guaranteed for many years. Laminate flooring is cost effective and simple to install. At 123floor we work with a selection of manufacturers to offer the widest range of designs.

LVT

You’ll see this term and probably wonder what it means. It stands for Luxury Vinyl Tiles. These are modern tiles which come in practically any design you can imagine. We have everything from wood effect, colours to mosaics. LVT is exceptionally hard wearing and when fitted properly it's water resistant, so ideal for high footfall areas, bathrooms and kitchens. 

Parquet

This type of flooring design is where we use short planks of wood to make a geometric design, the most popular designs are herringbone or chevron.

Solid wood

As you’d expect each plank is made from one piece of wood. The beauty of solid wood is that it will show the natural features of wood, for example knots, and it can be sanded down and refinished many times. The thicker the original plank, the more times you’ll be able to restore it. Some woods are softer than others and will therefore be more prone to dents and scratches.

A solid wood floor is best suited to hallways and living areas, the original classic flooring which comes in a wide range of woods and colours. Typically, a solid wood floor is more expensive than engineered wood, however its longer lasting and versatile.

Glossary

Adhesive: there are many types of adhesive, or glue, that we use to stick down flooring or join tongue and groove boards together. It’s vital to use the right one for the job as they have different properties and react differently to moisture, temperature etc. Rest assured when 123floor is fitting your flooring we’ll know what to use and where.

Click Lock: this is an alternative method to tongue and groove joining where the planks are made so that they simply click into place without the need for glue.

Door Bars: you might know these as thresholds. Essential these are aluminium, brass or wood strips that sit at the bottom of the door to provide a neat finish when joining flooring in a doorway. Similar to profiles they can be used to join carpet to carpet, or carpet to wood or LVT.

DPM: this stands for Damp Proof Membrane, it’s a moisture resilient barrier which can be an epoxy resin to a simple plastic type sheet, its laid over the subfloor of concrete and under wood or laminate. Its purpose is to stop moisture rising up into your floor from below.

Pipe Covers: these are circular covers made of wood, metal or plastic which provide a neat surround where a pipe enters the room through the floor. Colours can usually be matched to your flooring if using the wood variety.

Profiles: these are pieces of wood or aluminium that are used to tie together two types of flooring. They can be ramped to adjust different levels of flooring and can join wood to more wood, LVT, carpet, tiles etc. Essential to put the finishing touches to your floor.

Ply Board: Made from plywood and screwed or pinned over floorboards or chipboard panels to create a flat base to lay the floor onto.

Screed: used to make your subfloor level. There are different types of screed and depending on the thickness required to level your floor can take a while to dry, especially in damp or humid conditions. Latex is the most popular where a thin coat may dry in hours, not days.

Scotia: a beading type trim that comes in a wide range of colours and is used to edge your flooring where skirting boards are left in place.

Tongue & Groove: this is a method of joining planks together. Quite simply the tongue of one plank fits into the groove on the next plank and so on. These are usually glued into place.

Underlay: this is a layer of foam or felt which goes directly under the floor to provide a layer of cushioning and to alleviate minor undulations in the subfloor. Different types are available which increase insulation for both sound and heat.