Wood flooring will be able to give your room an effortlessly superior finish. Often that’s all it takes to make all the difference and to bring a room right up to date, with additional purchases not always being necessary. All styles of furniture will perfectly match this type of flooring, meaning that you’ve got a room that looks instantly fresh and vibrant even if you’ve only changed the floor.

But, if you really want to make an impression, you still need to get your hardwood flooring from reputable sources. Your supplier needs to be able to offer flooring of exceptional quality so you can be completely happy with the outcome, and they need to be able to provide a variety of hardwoods to appeal to all tastes and preferences, as well as tools and floor cleaners.

That’s why you need to come to us here at Source Wood Floors. We’re able to offer you hardwood flooring of the type and quality that you expect, and we’re sure that you’ll be happy with the results. We already know what a difference the right flooring can make, and if you want to experience a truly superior finish for yourself make sure to come to us and get the engineered wood flooring of your dreams.

Medieval oak beams, wood flooring and carved oak door lintels survive today in houses, churches, and even farm outbuildings to this day. In many cases the oak is just as serviceable as it was the day it was put up. Indeed, oak framed and oak flooring houses are becoming popular again today because of the extraordinary strength this wood retains over time. The aesthetic value of hardwoods like oak is also coming back into style. These days we appreciate the honey colours of oak wood, polished and smoothed to a high finish.

Oak flooring is one of the best and most durable of all floor timbers. Few other wood flooring materials have such enduring strength and resistance to rot, decay, and insect pests. Oak flooring also showcases the beauty and rich, close grain of the natural wood, much more so than just a piece of wooden furniture or a door or window frame made from it can.

If you chose quality hardwood flooring it will last for decades. Oak, for instance, is one of the most durable of woods and can last hundreds of years if it’s looked after well. Hardwoods also tend to be closer grained and less prone to splintering than cheaper, less durable softwoods like pine. They take an excellent finish and can be beautifully polished to perfect smoothness.

All wood is a renewable resource, including slow growing hardwoods. These days even teak and mahogany are grown in plantations that can be responsibly managed to provide for the future as well as for the needs of today. These long term plantation forests also play an important part in maintaining wildlife diversity and keeping our air clean.

Then there is the way wood looks. You just can’t beat wood flooring for simple elegance. Hardwood has been the flooring of choice for buildings of quality for hundreds of years, and outstanding examples from past centuries still survive in stately homes around the UK and in the wider world.

Instead the show’s organisers, UBM Live have decided to pull the plug on the show rather than compete head to head for both delegates and exhibitors with the rival Harrogate Floor Show which is planned for the same week. Having moved from its long standing venue in Harrogate, the show was due to take place from 5th to 7th September this year but will now be merged with their flagship Interiors show.

This is scheduled in its regular slot at the NEC, the 23rd to 26th January 2011 and the old National Floor Show will have its own dedicated flooring hall at this event, with the added benefit of a high footfall of delegates from the Interiors show being introduced to the specialist flooring section.

So the NFS brand will no longer continue but the event organisers hope that the new January slot will provide both exhibitors and delegates with the chance to see whats new in the industry at the beginning of each year and offer an alternative to those companies and exhibitors who are unable to make the long trip to the Domotex show in Germany.

The Interiors show attarcts some 25,000 visitors with up to 7000 of these responsible for and with a keen interest in the flooring sector. The shows organiser hopes that these newly introduced delegates will provide the necessary rewards for the exhibiting flooring companies. It remains to be seen whether this move will be the case or whether there will be a mass defection to the Harrogate Flooring Show.

With its new name, The Harrogate Floor Show has to be in pole position now as it is established in terms of tradition, the venue and it’s regular familiar slot in early Autumn. Will The Harrogate Floor Show take off from where the National Floor Show has fallen.

Solid wood flooring may be cheaper to fit than engineered hardwood flooring, but can be installed in any property, is installed quickly, often using click or G6 systems, and is very easy to repair. There are also a variety of finishes available for wooden flooring, the most common being oil and polyurethane. Wooden flooring has become increasingly popular in recent times as it looks attractive and is easy to care for: wine and food stains can be simply wiped off in seconds with no permanent damage incurred. Source Wood Floors is a well-established UK company which can provide expert advice on installation and care of all types of wood flooring, from hardwood flooring to engineered wood floors. They have a fantastic product range and regular special offers available at their website at www.sourcewoodfloors.co.uk
So, whether you choose engineered hardwood flooring or traditional hardwood flooring, Source Wood Floors can cater for your every need and help you to make the right decision, and achieve the perfect balance of beauty and practical durability.

Protection of the surface includes prevention of mould, algae and fungal attack. The Anti-Slip Decking Oil is an oil based finish which provides a durable finish which also provides a safer environment through a reduced risk of slipping. It is a clear, satin finish which has provides a low level of UV protection which helps to protect against and slow down the natural greying process.

“Decking takes a battering all year round from the sun, rain wind and even snow and we want to be able to eliminate the issue of slipping” commented Steve Grimwood, MD of Osmo UK.  “However, we did not want a conventional anti-slip product, unpleasant for consumers to feel, giving a gritty touch to treated surfaces.  Our R&D department devised a special finish, with the required anti-slip properties, which suits our low-solvent content philosophy and, once applied to outdoor decking, is comfortable to walk on.”

Osmo’s new Anti-Slip Decking Oil is based on a blend of renewable vegetable oils together with anti-slip particles. These remain on the surface of the wooden decking and combine with the decking giving it a unique anti-slip grip. Walking  bare foot on the decking is still possible because the surface is not unpleasant to the touch.

Like all Osmo natural oil finishes the decking-oil penetrates deeply into the pores and fibres of the wood, providing a beautiful finish and a long lasting level of protection from within the timber itself. It offers protection against the growth of slimy wood moulds and algae, and consequently helps the decking to provide a natural, non-slip surface.

High quality wooden decking manufactured by Osmo is also available pre-finished with the chosen wood oil and this simply requires a single top coat of Anti-Slip Decking Oil upon installation. For existing wooden decking which already has suffered with green mould growth, then wooden deck should be cleaned with Osmo Gard Clean before applying the exterior wood oil and the anti-slip decking oil top coat. For further details on the Osmo decking oil and pre-finished hardwood decking then please contact the Source Wood Floors sales and technical team on 08456 021781.

Osmo natural oil wood stain is an oil-based protective finish for exterior wood and the name of the product now states exactly what it is and what it does.  The woodstain is a decorative product for all exterior woodwork and it offers a high quality natural oil  finish which allows the wood to breathe and reduces the risk of swelling and shrinkage.  It offers  protection against all weather conditions, prevents mould, algae and fungal decay as well ensuring the wood doesn’t crack, flake, peel or blister.

“We decided to re-brand the product to emphasise that it is a natural oil-based finish,” commented Steve Grimwood, MD at Osmo UK.  “Tradesmen and public alike can often be confused as to whether products are oil- or water- based. The Osmo Woodstain product is clearly a natural oil product.  Its suitable for the commercial and residential environments, the Natural Oil Woodstain will suit everyone who wants their outside spaces and gardens to look appealing, especially during the summer time when they want to enjoy that outdoor lifestyle.”

Natural Oil Woodstain is available in sixteen beautiful colours, ranging from Pine to Mahogany and Walnut to Fir Green.  With such variety, the product is ideal for doors, windows, carports, timber cladding, wooden decking, garden houses and many other forms of exterior timber.

Easy to apply, no need to be thinned,  the wood surface simply needs to be clean, dry and frost-free before application.  Just brush on  two thin and even layers along the wood grain with either an Osmo hand brush or a good quality natural bristle brush.

Natural Oil Woodstain Effect

For those that want that something special then they can add a bit of sparkle to their wood with a silver tint to their wood with with one of the new Osmo Natural Oil Woodstain Effect silver tints.  Boasting the same characteristics of Natural Oil Woodstain, choose from a range of four colours – Agate Silver, Quart Silver, Graphite Silver and Onyx Silver.

For more information on Osmo and its range of environmentally friendly specialist interior and exterior wood finishes, then please call the sales and technical team as Source Wood Floors on 08456 021781.

The drive for this facility has been supported by a core membership who are keen to see an improvement in standards within the wooden flooring industry and see a training centre as the key resource needed to achieve this goal.

The training centre will provide accredited training and education with a wide range of wood flooring courses aimed at new entrants to the industry as well as those already employed within the wood flooring profession.

All the courses will result in NVQ awards and all members of the BWFA will qualify for discounted rates. Planned flooring courses include:

Approved construction skills 2 year apprenticeship in wood flooring –This will be open to applicants of all ages and will lead to level 2 NVQ and it will be the only course of its kind in the country.
Installation courses – beginners, intermediate and advanced levels.
Sanding and finishing courses – beginners, intermediate and advanced levels.
Sales, estimating and product awareness – This will be aimed at those already employed as wood flooring professionals with the prime aim being to increase their product knowledge.
Bespoke courses – Custom made course upon request for anything from subfloor preparation to wood floor finishing.
NVQ level 2 in wooden flooring – This course will be offered and will normally be fully funded.

Once you have chosen your beautiful wooden flooring, if you need to find an experienced and qualified wood flooring professional to instal it for you, just contact one of our flooring sales team and we will try and put you in touch with a floor fitter to provide you with a competitive quote direct.

Solid wood flooring provides many benefits in the home and when used on commercial projects. The natural warmth and beauty of real hardwood flooring sits well in traditional older & period properties and modern contemporary spaces. A quality hardwood floor provides a luxury but sturdy feel underfoot and a can provide a durable floor with the right surface finish. However the correct method of installation is important because wood flooring expands and contracts naturally due to moisture in the wood, air and subfloor.

Wood flooring installation method

Solid wood floors have for many years been fixed rigidly using wooden battens and nails secured by the “secret nailing ” technique. Installing the battens is time consuming and expensive and the increased floor height can cause problems for skirting boards, architrave and existing doors. Wooden flooring boards fixed by nails to wooden battens provides rigid fixing. This doesn’t allow for the wood’s natural movement. This often results in separation between the floorboards as shrinkage occurs with the changing climatic conditions. The end result is often “gapy floorboards” and “squeaky floorboards” as the the timber planks move up and down on the nails.

If the flooring really has got to be secret nailed then always at least consider the “belt & braces” approach and opt for an extra bond to the subfloor/battens by using a product such as Sikabond T2 adhesive. Better still use Sika T2 liquid battens instead of wooden battens orany other Sika elastic wood flooring adhesive for an installation method that will accommodate the wood’s natural movement.

Excessive Subfloor Moisture

Excess moisture within the subfloor can occur, particularly with cement based substrates. Wood is naturally hygroscopic and if installed over a subfloor with excess moisture then the water or water vapour will typically be absorbed by the wood flooring. The board is likely to expand and result in cupping of the floorboard which is where the outer edges of the board rise up higher than the centre, giving a subtle concave look.

This is where the bottom of the wooden board expands at a greater rate than the top due to moisture uptake from beneath it. Crowning is the opposite where the edges of the board are lower the centre and is usually the result of high in-room humdity or water spills on to the top surface of the wooden floor.

If the moisture is excessive and the wood expands significantly but has no where to go, then crushing of the edges of the boards can deform the floorboards at the edges. With increased pressure over time, the stress can move into the subfloor which often results in failure of the subfloor and ultimately risks the floor being “written off”.

Nowadays it is common for wood floors to be installed over concrete subfloors and ideally the moisture content of the screed should be 0% or 1 to 2% maximum. Anymore than this and it is likely that the wood flooring will absorb this excess moisture because often it has no where else to go. Old concrete screeds with or without a damp proof membrane beneath can still hold excessive moisture or have the ability to develop it.

Fresh concrete screeds will have moisture that is released slowly over time and typically a 3″ to 4″ screed will take approx 3 to 4 months to get down to an acceptable level of moisture. So it is important to consider moisture content levels first before installation commences. Beware also that adding a self levelling compound will in itself add moisture to the subfloor and readings should be taken before and after it’s application.

Elastic adhesive systems

Sikabond elastic adhesive systems provide a modern alternative solution to bond a solid wood floor to the subfloor with many advantages. Some adhesive systems of the past were used to install wood flooring with a rigid bond between the flooring and the subfloor. Movement in the wood floor would frequently cause the rigid adhesives to crack and to tear loose from either the flooring planks or the subfloor, thus breaking the bond.

However technological advancements mean that this is a thing of the past. Sikabond elastic adhesives keep the timber planks tightly in place and ‘bonded’ securely to the subfloor, but by remaining permanently elastic, they also allow for subtle natural movement of the wood. They offer a very high ‘tructural bond’ to virtually any substrate and are especially suitable for problematic woods such as beech or maple.

Although a beautiful wooden floor looks attractive there can be some drawbacks as airborne and footfall noise can be an important consideration. If noise is a key concern, then the Sika Acoubond system, a footfall sound dampening mat combined with Sikabond T52FC adhesive sausages offers the ideal solution.

Solid wood flooring can really enhance and compliment an interior design scheme and last the test of time. Sikabond elastic adhesive systems offer numerous benefits when installing solid wood floors. Having made a significant investment in a beautiful solid wooden floor, it would be wise to take time to consider the best and most appropriate installtion method, not necessarily the cheapest option.

The projects that they undertake vary from upgrading community centres, to providing flooring for injured soldiers returning from war, to replacing existing flooring in care facilities as part of wider renovation and upgrade projects.

The full list of wood flooring companies to receive these awards is available on the NWFA wood floors website.