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Flooring timber, laminate frequently asked
questions
There
are many questions you must have, but before you email
us read below we may have already answered your question.
If you would still like help please do not hesitate in
contacting us via email , phone or fax.
What is a floating floor ?
What is an expansion gap ?
What is a clik floor ?
What
is Laminate ?
What is the Photograph ?
What is hdf and mdf ?
What is the sub-floor ?
What preparation do I need to do ?
What tools do I need to lay a floor ?
Can I fit Laminate flooring in my bathroom ?
Can I fit laminate flooring to my staircase ?
Can I fit Floating floors in my conservatory ?
What if I damage a plank ?
Okay I would like new wood flooring, but can you fit it
for me ?
Can you send me a flooring sample ?
I want to fit my own Vinyl Flooring, what preparation do I
need ?
Can I fit wood flooring in my kitchen ?
Do I need any mats ?
How do I remove stubborn marks from a laminate floor ?
1 What is a floating floor ?
A floating floor is where all the planks are either glued
or clipped to each other, and not to the existing floor.
All floating floors require an underlay between the
existing floor and the new " floating-floor". The floor is
held in place by mass, but can expand and contract freely,
by means of expansion gaps.
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2 What is an expansion gap ?
An expansion gap is the distance from the edge of your new
flooring and an immovable object, such as a wall,
fireplace, door casing etc. The gap normally needs to be
10mm but will increase on very large rooms and different
products.
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3 What is a clik floor ?
A click floor, or commonly " glue less floor" is flooring
that requires no glue within the groove of the plank. The
planks are held together by means of a mechanical
fastener, or modern planks are designed so that they snap
together. Many manufacturers are producing this type of
flooring now, some good and some awful.
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4
What is Laminate ?
Laminate actually accounts for hardwood veneer flooring
and the modern laminated artificial planks. Laminating is
a process of sandwiching together various layers to create
what we would say was a plank. Laminate flooring as we
know it generally consists of a top wear layer, a
photograph, core board and a counter-balancing bottom
layer. Hardwood veneer flooring, is similar however it
incorporates generally a , veneered hardwood layer, cross
grained core, and a counter-balancing bottom layer.
Similar to the way plywood is constructed. This makes it
very strong and stable, as opposed to solid hardwood.
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5 What is the Photograph ?
The photograph on a laminate plank, is fairly
straightforward. A photo of real wood is taken from about
4 ft off the ground, basically just below eye level. This
is then printed on a craft paper which is then laminated
to the laminate plank.
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6 What is hdf and mdf ?
HDF and MDF are man made products, manufactured from the
waste thinnings of trees. Basically, hardwood and softwood
chippings that would otherwise be discarded. They are then
blitzed with resins in a huge blender and then compressed
under massive pressure to form a dense sheet material. HDF
stands for High Density Fibreboard, and MDF Medium Density
Fibreboard. This process produces a very stable , strong
and workable material.
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7 What is the sub-floor ?
The sub-floor is basically your existing structural floor.
This will be constructed of Concrete or Timber. All timber
floors must have cross ventilation below the floor level.
So make sure the air bricks on the outside of the house
are clear. Concrete floors fall in two categories, without
a damp proof membrane ( dpm ) or with a dpm. All modern
houses have a dpm, built in . This should prevent rising
damp coming up through the screed ( concrete )
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8 What preparation do I need to do ?
It is always vital that you carry out vital preparation.
Generally all floors need to be Sound, Clean, Dry and
Flat. Floors MUST be sound, and the surface material not
friable, or chipping or soft. They must be clean, no dust
or debris on the surface. If the floor is tiled, the tiles
need to be sound and intact. It is imperative that the
floor is dry. Even if it looks dry, believe us more
problems occur from assuming the floor is dry. If in doubt
call an expert to carry out, surface and equilibrium tests
to the screed. It is not always definitive that a floor be
level ( as in spirit level ) but it must be FLAT. Timber
floors are harder to level, however you can flatten out a
timber floor by installing plywood sheets. For concrete,
you need to chip away humps, and fill in dips. There are
many manufacturers who provide materials for this purpose.
Basically you will need a levelling and smoothing
compound. This can be messy and if not experienced call in
an expert. As a rule of thumb, floating floors need a
level of flatness no greater than 2mm per running metre.
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9 What tools do I need to lay a floor ?
Most people have basic tools and it isn't necessary to go
out and purchase thousands of £££'s of professional gear.
The basic toolkit we would recommend are:
A carpenters square, a good pencil, a tape measure, a
utility knife, an electric jigsaw, a hand saw and
preferably a workbench. A fitter kit, or a hammer and
strong smooth length of wood. And without doubt safety
goggles and a dust mask. All in all you could kit yourself
out for less than £60.00 with the essential equipment. We
use the suppliers on our links page.
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10 Can I fit Laminate flooring in my bathroom ?
Although many manufacturers say their products are
suitable for bathrooms. Our advice would be NO. Steer well
clear, you are asking for trouble. We would recommend
Luxury Vinyl flooring. Fitting a floating floor of any
description is not advised in areas subject to excessive
moisture.
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11 Can I fit laminate flooring to my staircase ?
We have carried out many staircase installations over the
years. However the results can be disappointing and
dangerous if you do not install the flooring correctly.
For starters you need to adapt the nosing from each tread.
This is laborious and needs careful planning. You must use
the correct nose and riser trims, which you can obtain
from ourselves, which are available to match.
Aesthetically the stairs look lovely when done properly.
However, consider who is using the stairs, what would
happen if you slipped. Is it worth it. Well if it is, get
correct advice and email us with your enquiry and we will
help. We offer full PROFESSIONAL installation services for
stairs. >click
here<
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12 Can I fit Floating floors in my conservatory ?
Yes you can, but consider this . If you fit Hardwood in
your conservatory, you may have problems with the wood
fading. Also because, hardwood is Hygroscopic it takes in
moisture and expands. Conservatories tend to be highly
humid and are subject to definite temperature changes. If
your conservatory is heated and ventilated and you have
protective blinds, then a real wood floor would look
beautiful. If not then laminate flooring is the answer. We
have installed hundreds of floors to conservatories, and
for some of the most respected manufacturers including
Everest. Good expansion gaps are absolutely fundamental
either way.
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13 What if I damage a plank ?
If you damage a plank during installation, replace it
immediately. If it is a glued floor, be quick and remove
all traces of glue down the groove with a damp cloth
wrapped over the end of a screw driver. We find this works
a treat. Be patient, and take your time, but remove every
last smidgen of glue. If it is a click system, we would
recommend removing the whole row. Removing each plank and
putting the damaged plank to one side and then continuing.
If however you damage your floor after installation. There
are many many ways in repairing it. If it is a wooden
floor and the damage is a scratch or a dink, you can order
from us a proprietary wood filler for the colour of your
floor. If it is severe damage you can carry out " cut and
splice" repairs, this is however very laborious. But if we
can do it, so can you. The principles described work
equally for glued laminated floors. To carry out these
repairs call our office or send an email, and we shall
return a data sheet. If on the other hand you have
installed a laminate click system, then the process is much
easier. Just un click all the flooring starting from the
last plank you fitted. Our advice would be number each
piece as you remove. Until you get to the damaged panel,
replace it with a new plank, and relay your floor.
FLOORING by NUMBERS. If all else fails, either call in a
professional such as ourselves or contact your insurance
company and find out if you are covered. Please note that
they generally only pay for the materials, where you have
installed the flooring yourself.
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14 Okay I would like new wood flooring, but can you fit it
for me ?
Yes, of course we can. We would be only to pleased to
quote for your installation. You can either visit our
Fitting Rates page, phone for a
free quotation. Or as a general rule our rates are as
follows Laminate click systems $25.00 per square meter.
Wood floors $40.00 per square meter and luxury vinyl from
$28 per square meter.
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15 Can you send me a flooring sample ?
Yes of course, this is a free service and is limited to an
A5 sized sample. We can also provide you with the brochure
of your choice. Please specify the product you would like.
Samples are limited to one per customer. However for a
small fee we can send more samples. Email your request now
and consider it done.
Email your Request
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16 I want to fit my own Vinyl Flooring, what preparation
do I need ?
Fitting vinyl flooring is straightforward, but you do need
to prepare the surface to perfection. Timber floors need
to be " gloved " i.e.: have a plywood layer fitted to them
to provide a flat clean surface. The plywood needs to be
fixed every 100mm preferably with rust resistant nails or
short screws, making sure all fixings do not sit proud of
the surface. Concrete floors need to be latexed or a
smoothing compound installed. To provide a nice clean
smooth and flat workable surface. Making sure to fill dips
and remove peaks in the floor.
If the surface has been previously tiled with
thermoplastic tiles etc, remove these first: as a tip use
a hair dryer or hot air gun on a low setting to warm the
tiles to be removed. This works wonders. If you have any
sticky residue, remove as best you can, and apply some
talcum powder to remove the stickiness. When ready prepare
the floor as above. If the floor is tiled with ceramics or
quarry tiles, if they are generally sound you can lay over
the top of them. Although this is not ideal, it is doable.
You will need to use the correct smoothing compound over
the top of them though.
If you are fitting this flooring within a bathroom, we
advise removal of the toilet and pedestal so that the
flooring goes underneath. This is both easier to lay the
flooring, more hygienic and prevents water tracking under
the vinyl. You must check that you have enough give on
your plumbing to tolerate the extra height though. Which
should be around 10mm. If in doubt call a plumber.
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17 Can I fit wood flooring in my kitchen ?
Yes of course. And it looks wonderful. However there are a
few tips to follow. Firstly, you must remove free-standing
appliances such as cooker, fridge, washing-machine etc.
Get the appropriate professional to disconnect your
gas-appliances.
Prepare the floor as above. Remove the kitchen plinths, or
toe kicks. Itemise them on the back with where they came
from and an arrow denoting which way up they go.
Install your flooring according to the instructions.
Making sure to include expansion gaps where necessary. Fit
edging trim where needed, if you are not removing the
skirting. Re-cut the plinths to the correct height and
re-fit them. Make sure when reconnecting water supplies,
that you check the connections are water tight. Always
check before installing that the height of the floor will
not impede the appliances being fitted back under the
worktops. Our final tip would be, use the packaging under
your appliance to gently slide the appliances back to
their normal position.
Note for wood and laminate floors. Always wipe up
spillages immediately. Be careful not to drop strong
chemicals on the floor. Keep the floor clean with a moist
mop, regularly. The rule of thumb is the mop should not be
"wetter than a wet-wipe."
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18 Do I need any mats ?
It is fundamental that you protect your beautiful new
floor. Treat your self to some new mats, one for outside
your external doors, and one just inside. This gives you
the maximum chance of removing all grit and dirt from your
feet.
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19 How do I remove stubborn marks from a laminate floor ?
This is simplicity itself. For general dirt, use a moist
cloth. Pencil marks can be removed with a rubber in
conjunction with a damp cloth. Stubborn marks like
nail-polish, felt-tip bitumastic etc. can be removed with
our proprietary cleaners or acetone, the most common being
nail polish remover. Never apply furniture polish to your
laminate floor.
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