Types of woodflooring

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Parquet wood flooring
Parquet flooring blocks are usually manufactured from the smallest pieces of wood flooring.

This is a very traditional style of wood flooring often used very effectively in period and older style properties, particularly true when laid in patterns such as herringbone, brick weave, or featuring mixed species and when used in conjunction with decorative borders or medallions.

Mixed flooring substances can be used to great effect - but care needs to be taken not over do the use of marble, slate or other inlays.

Parquet floors can be laid direct to the sub floor or onto constructed floors made from plywood or similar materials. In all cases we recommend a full stick down approach with Sikabond professional wood flooring adhesive.

The most common wood species used in parquet flooring is oak and the parquet blocks usually available in a mix of left or right sided tongue and groove options to enable easier construction and jointing when creating the patterns.

Laminate wood flooring
Early laminate wood flooring products were susceptible to scratching and damaging - particularly chipping at the corners. Another common problem was moisture getting into the joints and causing the edges to curl up and then chip, crack or flake away.

Laminate has a tendency to sound hollow and flat. Although there are underlay systems on the market to help alleviate this problem they are expensive - that's why we always recommend a real wood engineered board such as an oak three strip engineered board.

A top quality three strip board with an economy 3mm foam underlay may cost a little more than a budget laminate - but it will be much less expensive than a top of the range laminate product.

If you can afford a wood floor go for at least a three strip oak floor or similar. If you really do not have the budget be wary of cheaper laminate floors that simply will not last. If you must go for laminate flooring opt for a top quality product with a high density fibreboard, which is better than MDF as it will have more moisture resistance. Or alternatively, a board that carries the NALFA (National Laminate Flooring Association) mark on it.

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Some laminates now include embossed surfaces to create a fake texture to the boards. Tiny lines are imprinted onto the plastic to fake the wood grain and texture.

Be sure to choose a plank that has lots of variation so the wood grain pattern on the floor is not too repetitive - this will really be noticeable in a cheaper budget product.

Basically laminate come in two forms - glued and glue-less (click fit system).

The click fit system boards grab and lock into each other. They are difficult to prise apart if you make a mistake, but once they are down they are unlikely to move.

Glued systems are generally cheaper but there are less of these available because of the extra work involved at installation - and also because it is difficult to lift the floor if you ever need to access the subfloor.

There are also some pre-glued products on the market which simply need to be wiped over with a damp rag to activate the glue - but be careful not to over moisten the backing of the boards.

Hardwood floors - particularly oiled or hardwax oiled floors - can be locally repaired should the unthinkable happen and they get damaged.

While there are laminate flooring repair kits available, if the picture of the wood becomes damaged it's very difficult to do a professional repair job.