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Get the Look for a Small Apartment…

Wooden flooring for a small apartment..


Wooden flooring is incredibly popular in every type of home nowadays, as it can look the part when coupled with classic or contemporary décor. In many years gone by, wooden flooring was only accessible to select few- so more often than not; it was only ever seen in large grand homes. Things couldn’t be more different nowadays though, and as well as being a common sight in large properties, it’s also a common sight in smaller ones.


Over the course of the past few years, wooden flooring has become a popular choice with those living in smaller apartments- and it’s really easy to see why. Within small living spaces, the look of larger areas of décor can have a huge impact on the look of the entire property, and with flooring making up the largest area, it needs to look amazing.

Choosing wooden flooring for a small apartment requires careful consideration. Those who want to make a small apartment look a little more spacious often opt for light wooden flooring, as it can create the illusion of more space. On the other hand, those looking to create a warm, cosy ambience often opt for darker flooring- it’s all up to the individual.

Please feel free to contact us on 08456 021781


Wood: Which Type are you….

Wood Types

If you are worried about the type of flooring that you must use, you need to understand that solid wood flooring is one of the best decisions that you will ever make. This is because of the fact that it is durable and last for more than a lifetime and future generations can use the same without the fear of any damage being caused to the same. All that is required is occasional care to ensure that wear and tear can be avoided. Definitely people do ask that if they want to go through a major renovation in the structure of the house, what will happen to the floor. Well, wooden floors can be easily renewed. The best part, keeping aside everything, is that the wooden floors increase the valuation of the property which is not possible in case of carpets.

As of today, wooden floorings are available in different types. This was not the situation a couple of decades ago. The increased number of varieties have actually helped the homeowners to get what they want desire. If you are worried about dirt and dust, you can go for strips of pre-finished wood. These strips can resist dust and dirt very well because of the fact that they are laminated.



Solid Wood: Solid wooden flooring is not meant for use anywhere and everywhere. This is because of the fact that solid wooden flooring will need a special layer beneath it so that the wood can be nailed to the layer. They are generally very strong in nature.

Unfinished Wood Floors: The wood surface is sanded and left bare, ready for any finish you wish. There is a vast range of coloured oils available in both matt and satin finishes to really make the floor your own.

Oiled Wood Floors: The wood is impregnated with layers of specially designed oils that sink deep into the layers of the wood, protecting it from dirt and dust. The oil is more or less transparent, unless you choose to go for coloured oil. Oiled floors require a little maintenance as they need oil re-applied every now and again, but are useful in that small areas of damage can be touched up without the need for major work.

Engineered Wood Flooring: This type of flooring when compared to solid wood has its own advantage. Engineered wood flooring does not require any kind of special base. They can be installed directly on the concrete or any other base similar to concrete. These are not affected by heat and moisture because they are layered wood.

Matt Lacquered Wooden Floors: Matt Lacquer gives the floor a very natural look very similar in style to an oiled floor. The main difference between oiled and matt lacquer is that matt lacquer does not require the same periodic maintenance. All that is required is a quick sweep and wipe over. However unlike oiled floors, you cannot do small touch ups.


Red and Wood

Red Rooms and Wood Floors

Whatever your room, or furniture, some of you like the dramatic look of  red in vibrant or dark walls, that show the true form of your personality Whether you go for the dark  red look or the oriental colourings to vibrant reddy pink or muted dark ruby red, sometimes it is hard to think of a wood floor to match. Wooden flooring is fashionable modern and affordable today. It has become hugely popular within young professional circles. Wood flooring can be seen in city centre townhouses and flats.

 The floors are also being used in the suburban household. Whether you have a contemporary flat of town house to barn conversion or a small terrace, the stamp of colour reflects the loving pride that you have put into your room. Not only are these stylish and contemporary features visually pleasing but wooden flooring is also easy to maintain which is very appealing to young professionals today. Wooden flooring can also have under floor heating installed to make your home feel more warm and relaxed.

Wood floors are capable of producing heat much better than carpet. Carpets are fast becoming a thing of the past. Styles can range from dark walnut wooden floors which offer a room warmth and comfort to lighter shades of alder wood floors which gives a more edgy contemporary feel to a space. Colour choice and options are wide varying and give wood flooring an option in anyone’s home. Interior design is all about elegance and simplicity. Create rooms to have an expensive feel to them is to create an elegant looking room. From contemporary to traditional to simple can have hints of modernism and the key to creating an amazing looking space is putting everything together correctly.

Please  feel free to contact us for any queries regarding your floors on 01379 652613 or 08456 021781


Source Online has the best wooden flooring

Source Online has the best wooden flooring

Available online and at the best prices on the market, Source Online offer the very best in hardwood flooring. High quality oak flooring is absolutely vital if you are thinking of putting wood flooring into your home. There are all kinds of wooden flooring available, as you can see from our site. However, you can be sure that once you see our range, you will always find what you are looking for.

Quality hardwood flooring at unbeatable prices

Wooden flooring can be an expensive luxury, but we appreciate that our customers want quality at affordable prices. There are many companies out there who will sell you wood flooring, but here at Source Online, we know that our prices will provide you with huge savings. We are committed to providing the highest of quality in hardwood flooring – and this will only continue to improve.

Oak flooring like no other

Solid wood flooring needs to be of quality manufacture, as well as being made from the highest standards of materials. We can guarantee that all of our flooring is nothing but the best. Our reputation – as one of the leading hardwood flooring companies – is in place because we are passionate about what we do. We know that our customers need premier wooden flooring that is built to last.

Advice and information for all your wooden flooring needs

As you can see from our site, we don’t just sell hardwood flooring. If there is anything you need to know about oak wood floors or any other kind of wooden flooring, you will find the information within our pages wood floor info centre. It’s sometimes confusing to know which kind of wooden flooring would be more suitable in your home, which thickness you would need, or whether the wooden flooring you prefer would be suitable for your house in the first place. If there is anything you need to know, we have the answer.

Hardwood flooring delivered directly to your door

As soon as you have decided which kind of wood flooring you would like, you can then have this dispatched directly to your door. Oak wood floors, adhesives, underlay and anything else you need are available directly through this site, and will be with you the very next day.

An impressive range of hardwood flooring

We have an extensive range of oak flooring, as well as many other wood flooring choices. In the comfort of your own home, you can browse through our selection of oak wood floors, underlays and much more, instead of trawling through the high street shops. Sit back, relax, browse at your own leisure and just request a sample to view in the comfort of your own home.

Bringing you the latest news in hardwood flooring

Would you know which adhesive is the best for your oak flooring?  These are some of the facts that are available in the news centre within this site. Source Online bring you the very latest in flooring news; this enables you to be more aware of what we provide, and what is best for your needs. For example, if you need to provide a damp proof membrane beneath your oak flooring, you would need a specific liquid DPM for the job – this is where our news centre would be helpful.

Without leaving home, you can sit down at your leisure and avoid the hustle and bustle of high street shopping. There are so many high street shops out there for you to choose from, and you will often find yourself wasting time by visiting all of them. Shopping online means you gather all the information you need whilst at home, and once you have decided which product you would like, the ordering process is just as simple. So contact us for any queries on 01379 688667 or 08456 021781


The Minimalist Home and Wood Floors

 Suit your décor down to the last grain

A minimalist home is less stressful. Clutter is a form of visual distraction, and everything in our vision pulls at our attention at least a little. The less clutter, the less visual stress we have. A minimalist home is calming and certainly the feel and beauty of wood flooring can make the room more appealing. The ones with almost nothing in them except some beautiful furniture, some nice artwork, and a very few decorations, and of course the beauty of a simplistic wood floor are the ones that appeal to some of you.

Minimalist architecture uses the idea that less is more; ornamentations are quality rather than quantity. The house is stripped to the bare minimum leaving only necessary walls, simple large windows and a flat roof. This can produce the great room, the combining of the living room, kitchen and dining room that looks spacious. The style can use natural colours that can easily be seen in nature and the beauty of natural materials for finishes like real wood floors. A room could be modern and minimalistic, or old-fashioned and cosy, but will still benefit from the added element of a wooden floor due to it being so versatile.

There are actually no set steps to making your home minimalist, except to change your philosophy and go for the ideals in the previous section above. This article merely presents you with some ideas for how you might approach changing your home into a minimalist one. In choosing natural materials when your furnishings and décor are few, natural materials convey a wonderful sense of warmth. With wood you a great way to add visual interest, especially the styles and types of wood. The floor can be dark, light stained or natural, whichever you feel will suit your room. The minimalistic feel can be created to suit your décor down to the last grain with the beauty of wood flooring.

If yourlooking for wood floors for your minimalistic room, then please feel free to contact us for advice: 01379 652613/08456 021781


OSMO: NATURAL HEALTHY LIVING

Love Your Floor:

Good for both humans and wood: The Sunflower, soya, linseed and Thistle oil, the basis of our wood finishes as well as the waxes and the pigments which Osmo uses are classed as food safe. Osmo finishes contain an unusually high amount of pigment and oils and as such they have a much better coverage than more conventional finishes, they leave a stunning surface finish after just one or two coats, without the need for a primer or base coat.

The result: with just one tin of Osmo you can achieve near to double the square meter coverage of an ordinary finishing system, and in comparison to other paints, which need primers etc: the time you need to uses Osmo is massively reduced, saving you time and money.

Osmo natural wood finishes can easily renovated at any time without the need for sanding.It may not even be necessary to re-finish the entire surface but simply touch up damaged or faded areas.  Wood is a natural material, the cell structure, similar to our skin, can take on and release moistures, it breathes.

To ensure that this exchange is not prevented Osmo have created finishes especially trimmed to the character of the wood. Osmo natural wood finishes are based on oils and waxes, the oil penetrates into the wood surface, protecting from deep within. The wood remains naturally beautiful, protected and durable. Only oils and waxes can give wood what it needs.

Osmo Products:

For any information about our Osmo products please feel free to contact us on  01379 652613 or 08456 021781


Conservatories: Wood flooring

Wooden Flooring for Conservatories

 

Your choice of conservatory flooring will play a major role in the overall appearance of your conservatory interior and it is important to find a suitable floor that will suit your needs in terms of desired appearance and your budget. It is also important that your conservatory flooring materials are suited to the type of space that you are trying to create.

Wooden flooring for conservatories and your home can provide you with the perfect flooring to suit your individual needs and requirements. It’s living, breathing natural wood material that will last a lifetime. Little wonder it’s become the most popular natural floor covering-nothing else can compare. Unlike thin plastic laminates, wooded flooring is warm and extremely durable, and with just a little basic care, will last for decades. You’ll get the very best in hardwood wooded flooring – 100% genuine timber. Conservatory wooden flooring can provide you with the perfect flooring to suit your individual needs and requirements. There are a number of different types of wood conservatory flooring that have various degrees of suitability for use in a conservatory. Until recently hardwood floors were not recommended for use in a conservatory, especially if there was a wet area which could make the planks shrinkage, warp or split. Using natural hardwood flooring in a south-facing conservatory was also not recommended due to the excessive heat and danger from shrinking, warping and splitting.

However Engineered Hardwood can withstand heat and moisture with minimal movement. Unlike laminate, engineered hardwood has a real wood surface which sits on top of several layers of other wood, such as plywood, high density fibreboard or just another hardwood. This “sandwich” gives great strength to the flooring and helps minimise warping and allow various types of real wood surfaces to be used in the extreme environments of a kitchen or conservatory.

Parquet flooring is small thick pieces of wood used to make traditional parquet flooring, were less prone to warping and splitting than planks of wood when used in a conservatory. Thinner modern parquet flooring may be less suitable and it is best to seek advice before specifying parquet flooring for your conservatory.

Bamboo flooring, if sourced from a responsible manufacturer, is an environmentally friendly and hardwearing choice of materials for a conservatory floor.  As bamboo grows to maturity in around 5 years, it alleviates some of the issues associated with destruction of hardwood forests which are being destroyed at an alarming rate and are extremely slow to recover – the harvesting of bamboo does not preclude the plant itself from continuing to grow either.

With greater directional stability than the majority of hardwoods it eliminates the warping and distortion issues associated with solid wood floors and laminate flooring. Tough and durable, its installation is similar to that of solid wood flooring. If you are looking for a beautiful, tough and eco-friendly floor for your conservatory, bamboo may be the answer.  It is available in a number of different colours and shades although interestingly these are not stains or dyes for the most part – they are normally determined by the amount and duration of heat and pressure applied during manufacturing. Bamboo contains natural sugars, which when exposed to heat and pressure begins to carbonise and as they do so, the appearance of the material darkens. This is a natural colouration and can be sanded without degradation.

A flooring solution that is beautiful, natural and enduring – for today, tomorrow and a lifetime.

 Please feel free to contact us for any enquiries about your Conservatory flooring. 01379 652613 0r 08456 021781 


WALLS AND WOOD

                                 From walls to floor: The look

Whatever your room, or furniture, some of you like the dramatic look of vibrant or dark walls, that show the true form of your personality.

Whether you go for the dark look or the oriental colourings to vibrant pink or muted yellow, sometimes it is hard to think of a wood floor to match. Wooden flooring is fashionable modern and affordable today. It has become hugely popular within young professional circles. Wood flooring can be seen in city Centre townhouses and flats. The floors are also being used in the suburban household. Whether you have a contemporary flat of town house to barn conversion or a small terrace, the stamp of colour reflects the loving pride that you have put into your room.

Carpet is no longer the trend in modern or traditional for that matter. Wood floors have the ability to make a room stand out with any style of room. Many of the most beautiful and spacious flats seen have incorporated wooden flooring. Not only are these stylish and contemporary features visually pleasing but wooden flooring is also easy to maintain which is very appealing to young professionals today. Wooden flooring can also have under floor heating installed to make your home feel more warm and relaxed. Wood floors are capable of producing heat much better than carpet. Carpets are fast becoming a thing of the past.

Wood flooring is the first option for home improvements. Carpet is an outdated for form of flooring that has been overtaken by wood floorings capabilities. The initial improvement from carpet to wooden flooring takes little time. They can be installed relatively easily and cost effectively. Once in place they can reinvigorate a room substantially. With wood floors cleaning becomes much more time effective. The options available for style and colour are endless. Wooden flooring is the future. But deciding what colour or type of floor will match your choice of walls is another matter.

Styles can range from dark walnut wooden floors which offer a room warmth and comfort to lighter shades of alder wood floors which gives a more edgy contemporary feel to a space. Colour choice and options are wide varying and give wood flooring an option in anyone’s home. Interior design is all about elegance and simplicity. Create rooms to have an expensive feel to them is to create an elegant looking room. From contemporary to traditional to simple can have hints of modernism and the key to creating an amazing looking space is putting everything together correctly.

Flooring can change a room’s look and feel. Any rooms tend to have a darker tone wood floor which is one of the things that make them look rich and expensive. Laminate wood floors are a great way to save money without losing the quality look of hardwood floors. Bamboo flooring is often used in contemporary rooms because it is very simple and eco-friendly. When choosing furniture for a room makes sure that there is a contrast between the flooring and your furniture so your room does not appear boring and dark.

Please feel free to contact us for any help with your flooring   01379 652613/08456 021781


GIVE YOUR FLOOR SOME ACCESSORIES

Accessorising Your Wood Floors

So you have finally got round to having a beautiful wood floor instead of a carpet! it’s laid and it’s something to behold, you didn’t realise just how much it would change your room. Now all you have to do is accessorise the floor.

WOOD DOORS:

By changing the  interior doors to match your wood floors can make a huge difference. There is a huge variety of doors available, especially oak doors. Also a full range of veneered Oak doors, walnut doors, Cherry, Beech, Pine, Pitch Pine, and white doors.

If you decide to go down the route of having bespoke doors then be aware that these will be more costly due to the individual manufacturing processes. A large number of Oak doors are unfinished when bought, so you can seal them to match the floor with either oil or varnish, and they can be colour oiled to blend in with similar coloured oiled floors.

Oils are the most common finish for doors however varnish / lacquer is adequate. The majority of doors are veneered hardwood for both conservation and stability however there are a small number of solid wood doors available.

External doors also come in various timbers – usually veneered again for stability due to the high exposure to cold, heat and moisture. A new front door is a perfect finish to the front of your house. Wood doors range in style from Victorian style, 1930s style to the modern and contemporary – there is a door style to suit all tastes, colours and styles.

Skirting, architrave and door casings.

Having a wonderful looking wooden floor sometimes isn’t enough, so the best way to complement a new wood door is to accessorise with the matching door frame, architrave and skirting. There is a large range of door casings, architraves and skirting’s available to complement the wood flooring and doors you have chosen in many styles and timbers.

The most popular is the oak – there are both engineered and solid door casings. There is very little difference between the solid and engineered casings however joiners will often specify the types preferred or there will be a preference due to location.

Skirting board and mouldings are often used around the perimeter of rooms to cover the expansion gap between floor and wall. There are several different profiled door thresholds that can be used to join flooring to flooring at the same or different heights. R-Ramps can be used if the difference in height is more than 10mm.

All of our skirting’s, mouldings trims and thresholds are manufactured from solid pine grade oak, and are finished in natural oil, lacquer, or left unfinished. We can also stain match all of our skirtings and mouldings to match your floor or furniture. Also to compliment your flooring there is a wonderful selection of different profiled skirting boards, all made to order from the very best solid prime oak. They come in Taurus, Ogee, Chamfered, plain square edge, Bullnose and Castle profiles. All our skirting boards can be matched if required and we even have profiles available in white primed made from Tulip wood.

Skirting’s can make your new floor look completely finished – they enhance the hardwood floor giving clean lines around the edges of the room – the floors look like they have been part of the home for some time. Once again, oak skirting is the most popular timber to blend with the oak floors. Oak skirting’s have often been used to complement light coloured carpets as well as oak flooring to break up the room between light floors and light walls – this is often done in bedrooms where people often want the comfort of carpet but with a hint of wood.

If you require something a little more minimalistic than skirting boards then we have a selection of scotia, perimeter or quadrant mouldings to choose from.

Architraves also come in both solid and engineered timber. The style of architrave varies and matches most skirting board profiles. It is also possible to have architrave blocks – small squares on the corners – an older design now becoming popular once again. Styles of architrave include original designs such as Taurus, ogee and plus other more contemporary styles such as pencil round (bullnose), chamfered and square edged.

DON’T FORGET THE RUGS!

Hard surfaces (tile, hardwood, laminate) are very popular flooring choices, but sometimes too much wood can feel cold. A great way to counter this is to use an area rug over your hard surface flooring. Area rugs can add warmth, soften sound and create a focal point for your room.

There are such a wide variety of colours and styles available to suit everyone’s taste. Whether your home features oriental decorations, is more traditional or contemporary; a well-placed area rug can be a great anchor for the accessories in the room.


Area rugs fit well in front of a settee, under a coffee table, dining room table and the foot of the bed. You can add a spark to your room with fluffy shag or elegant wool. There are even water-resistant rugs that are designed for outdoor areas such as patios and lanais.

If you think your furniture needs a pick-me-up or your room needs a new punch of colour, consider accessorizing from the floor up with a stylish area rug.


Bona's finishes awarded emicode ec1

Bona lacquer assortments

Bona lacquer assortments

Bona has been awarded a licence to label eight of its waterborne finishes with the EMICODE EC1 trademark which classifies them as very low emission products. Bona’s lacquers are the first in the industry to receive the EMICODE licence from GEV, the German based association for the control of emissions in products for flooring installation, adhesives and building materials. Several of the company’s adhesives received the classification in 1997.

Bona introduced waterborne finishes in 1979 pioneering the move away from solvent based products. Today Bona’s waterborne finishes contain 100g/1 or less hazardous solvents. All Bona formulations are designed to avoid unnecessary emissions and to contribute to a healthier environment for contractors and floor owners. “We’ve been working continuously over several decades to improve the green aspects of our products,” said Nils Erik Persson, senior vice president R&D at Bona. “This has always been the key focus of Bona’s research and development.

The air quality in rooms where the floor is finished with our products is very important to us. With the EMICODE EC1 trademark on our finishes we can clearly demonstrate the health advantages for both home or building owner as well as for the contractors installing the product. All Bona EC1 certified products contain below 8% solvents.”

GEV was established to safeguard and promote the general economic and idealistic interests of producers of chemical flooring installation products and building materials in the field of occupational, environmental and consumer protection. It carries out measures to control, classify and label such products in respect of their emission behaviour. The EMICODE classification was initially developed to classify adhesives but has developed over the years to classify the emission properties of a range of building products.

Today the trademark can be applied to adhesives, primers, levelling compounds, tile and joint mortars, flat underlays, sealants and – since July 2009 – wood floor finishes. Thomas Brokamp, VP and director of Bona’s fastenings division has more than 10 years of experience with adhesive emission measurements. He was chairman of the working group that led to the inclusion of finishes in the EMICODE system. He said “After a year of meetings, measurements and discussions, the EMICODE for parquet finishes was established. This will be a trigger for a further development of the total industry, as the defined requirements are demanding. And further demands are in the pipeline as from Jily 2011 the total allowed solvent content will be just 8%. All Bona products which are licensed to use the EMICODE EC1 trademark already fulfil the 2011 requirements.

Posted in Lacquers & varnishes on Sunday, 4 July 2010 | Comments (0)


Member: National Wood Flooring Association