Wood continues to be one of the most common and a preferred choice when choosing a floor covering as it brings elegance and warmth into the room. When it comes to real wood flooring, there are two main options, solid hardwood floors and engineered floors. If we break down the differences between the two floors they fall under a range of categories of durability, price, installation, stability.

Durability
When it comes to durability and lifespan of these floors both solid and engineered floors offer great durability and a generous lifespan. With surface wear it depends on the type of flooring finish chosen and how well is holds against dents and nicks, which will help determine choosing how firm a floor is needed you suit your needs.

Stability
The vast difference in this area is solid hardwood flooring responds to air humidity variations. During extended hot and humid summers it’s not unusual for the floor wood to shrink and opposite effect in cold winters where the wood can expand. Because of the way engineered floors are constructed it’s far more resistant to these effects. Therefore if living in an area of area of dry, cold or humid weather you would be advised to consider engineered flooring first as the effects are minimal compared to solid hardwood floors.

Installation
Solid hardwood – If purchasing and installing unfinished solid hardwood it takes time mostly due to the sanding and application on finish layers where mistakes could be frustrating and expensive if installing your-self. Also completed on or above grade, with a nail down or staple down installation method.
Engineered – DIY friendly and relatively easy to install, with a wide range of size options compared to solid hardwood. Engineered floors can be installed on, below and above grade with install methods of glue down, nail down, or floating methods.

Price
Plank size, cost of lumber as well as cost of glues or installation methods are often the determining factor in the costing for the flooring, but misconceptions usually appear in this area that engineered floors are naturally cheaper than hardwood. Yes, if choosing the same wood with one being engineered and one solid hardwood but typically if you compare a cheaper option like red oak solid floor with an exotic tigerwood engineered floor then engineered will cost more.

Your best option is to set a budget that suits your needs and research what is available in both types of flooring and choose an option that best suits your needs, wants and style of home.

Overall both engineered and solid hardwood flooring are great options with very similar features unless your home suffers in extreme heat or cold leaving you with the movement of the wood. If a long term prospect is in mind solid hardwood flooring would be the choice as longevity will benefit, whereas people who want more practical flooring with extra range of option sizes, should look towards engineered flooring as you would be able to install it in additional rooms than solid hardwood flooring.

The post Solid Hardwood Floors Vs Engineered Floors appeared first on Empire Floors.

Nothing compares to the exquisite look and texture Bamboo floors can bring into a room. Bamboo is emerging into a major competitor within homeowners flooring design choices, where it’s durable, versatile and sustainable.

Whilst today’s society attempts to become eco-friendly, Bamboo has consistently shown it’s considered a renewable resource. A freshly harvested bamboo plant grows at a rapid rate as it only takes approximately 7 years to reach maturity level ready to be collected again which is incredibly swift when compared with other harvested flooring trees.

Silver Ash

Collectively a range of remarkable colours are available in Bamboo from the naturally grown colours in addition to stained options such as brown, black, and white, providing a visual feature that heightens the rooms feel. If you desire to further your selections a range of design options are available that can give a striking edge to the room.

When planning and designing the flooring area Bamboo comes in a range of sizes, with 125-135mm the most common choice in width and length anywhere from 1830-1880mm. Whilst considering the installation phase bamboo furthermore cannot be installed in large areas with expiation joints minimum of 8m x 8m and no less than 12mm expiation around the perimeter is allowed on installation.

With many important factors to consider here’s a list of downsides and benefits to assist the process

Downsides

♦Inexpensive Bamboo collections may be prone to dents, scratches, shrinkage and cupping.

♦Bamboo can be sensitive to heat and moisture

♦Bamboo flooring purchased from China may contain high levels of urea formaldehyde (a toxic chemical)

♦Conduct research and make sure the flooring you are purchasing is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and is safe

Benefits

♦Bamboo flooring provides a clean, refined and modern appearance to any room

♦Deliver’s a simple cleaning option as it’s easy to clean with a mop and mild soap with no special treatments required in the process

♦Wears as long as traditional hardwood floors

♦More sustainable than Hardwood floors, making Bamboo a pronounced choice when renovating.

Overall Bamboo floors can give a stunning appearance to any room and can be adapted to any decorating style with the variety of colour options available at affordable prices; a magnificent option in hardwood floors, so come in and discover the world of Bamboo.

The post The Beauty of Bamboo Flooring and its Ugly Side appeared first on Empire Floors.

One of the most important feature of your home is the floor. It will be one of the first thing the potential buyers or visitors will see when they come in to your home. Timber looking floors are always popular because it conveys class, a feature on most modern homes today and it’s a look that seem to never grow out of style.

However classical hardwood floors are not a cheap choice. So what do you do if you are on a tight budget? Laminate flooring maybe your answer.

What’s the Laminate Difference?

Laminate flooring are different layers of synthetic flooring material fused together to mimic hardwood floors. It consists of a glue less installation locking system which saves you money and time since it also allows you to do it yourself (DIY). The ease of installation is due to the tongue and groove in these laminate flooring planks which can be clicked into one another.

Laminate floors are laid straight over a moister resistant underlay. After the laying you don’t need to sand or polish your floor ever in its lifetime.

How convenient is that? Not only do you save money by choosing laminate flooring, you also save yourself time and plenty of headaches!

However, buyers beware, laminate flooring prices can vary quite considerably, and there is a good reason for that.

What you need to ask and look out for when choosing your laminate flooring are:

• Doesn’t lock together well
• Looks cheap
• Doesn’t go through the same testing standards as Euro & USA
• Toxic materials used
• Short life span
• No durability
• China Made

Normally buyers of these cheap laminate flooring complain about their floors being easily damaged, wearing out in the doorway, getting discoloration due to the exposure of the sun and an incorrect finish to the surface.

It may be fine for a few months after the installation, and you may have saved a few dollars at the start, but a year or two down the line your floor doesn’t have that wow factor like it did on day one!

The safe bet is to go for laminate flooring made in Europe and America, from companies that have been around for decades and aren’t going to close their doors anytime soon. They normally meet the highest standards in the world and have demanding criteria to meet.
They also use highest quality materials such as AC4 or AC5 grading, comprising of 95% timber, and using HDF (high density fibreboard) which are designed for commercial use such as offices, schools and shops.

Main qualities of a well-made laminate flooring are:

• Naturally renewable raw materials used
• Resistant to abrasion
• Hardwearing and compression-proof
• Non-staining
• Largely resistant to cigarette burns
• Lightfast and still looks great after years
• Pleasant to walk on

 So if you are thinking of transforming your home and giving it a classical but modern look and within a tight budget, consider laminate flooring. But beware, do your homework and ensure you keep a look out for those key characteristics in distinguishing the quality laminate flooring from the cheap ones that will end up costing you more money in the long run.

The post Why Laminate Flooring When On A Budget appeared first on Empire Floors.