Flooring essentials

Flooring is a serious business, so if you’re thinking about changing or upgrading the flooring in your home, it needs some serious research. Here is a practical guide to the main options, indicating how they might suit individual rooms

When you find a new home, the flooring is a given. Well-finished, sanded and waxed natural boards or a luxurious freshly fitted carpet are underfoot experiences that perhaps contributed to that feeling of being somewhere that felt like home when you first set foot inside. All too often, however, existing flooring elements will let down a home’s presence, confidence and style, if characterised by worn carpets, shabby linoleum and chipped tiles or simply by flooring elements that aren’t practical enough or don’t help the individual space sing.

It’s relatively easy to refresh the colour of walls, to buy a new piece of furniture, or to style your room with a quirky framed artwork for a quick style fix. Floors, however, are structural, and are therefore a serious business, requiring significant decisions, invariably professional fitters or installers, and considerable upheaval for work to take place.

But don’t ignore the floor! Because having flooring that is practical, purposeful and stylish will benefit your home to an unparalleled degree. Here is a practical guide to the main categories of flooring used in the domestic interior to help you in your planning and decision-making.

Hardwood flooring

Oak, beech and maple are some of the common options for 100% hardwood flooring, and many people love its natural, organic properties. Good hardwoods are durable and easy to clean if they are properly maintained. Wood floors do scratch and wear over time, but for most people this forms a charming part of their character and history. Most of our Victorian housing stock features pine floors, which is a softwood but is still a durable and practical choice for home flooring if it’s in good repair. Hardwood floors are best used in living areas, bedrooms, hallways and dining rooms

Stone flooring

Stone, a classic material first used in floors by the Egyptians 5000 years ago, gives a timeless, confident and natural quality to a room. Three types of stone are used in flooring: sedimentary stones such as limestone, igneous stone such as granite, and metamorphic stone such as marble and slate. Stone flooring is full of character because no two pieces are the same, it doesn’t attract dust and it’s also very durable. Stone is most often used in kitchens, hallways, utility rooms or outdoor areas. It is a more expensive option than other flooring and it will need to be installed by professionals.

Engineered wood flooring

Engineered wood is another option that looks similar to pure hardwood – this consists of cross-ply layers glued on top of each other with a top layer of real wood. These have the appearance of solid wood floors, but are more stable, durable and economical, and engineered wood is a good option with underfloor heating. These floors are tougher, but solid wood flooring can last longer. They suit rooms with higher moisture levels such as kitchens and bathrooms.

Linoleum

Linoleum is made from natural ingredients including linseed oil, cork, limestone, wood flour and pigments, combined with resin to keep everything together, and is sold in tiles or sheets. Its natural, sustainable appeal is a big draw, along with its practicality and retro charm. Linoleum is soft underfoot which makes it a comfortable option, and it resists fading from sunlight. It is not as durable as vinyl but applying a wax finish regularly will protect the surface.

Tiles

Ceramic tiles are available in many styles and colours and can also be produced to emulate stone. The choice is between ceramic and porcelain tiles, with the main difference being that ceramic tiles absorb more water then porcelain, which is resistant to water penetration and staining. Made from a finer, denser clay, porcelain is fired at a higher temperature, so is highly durable and resistant to heavy impact, making it suitable for high-traffic areas. Ceramic tiles are more reasonably priced but are not as hardwearing and can crack and chip, so are recommended for areas with lower footfall. Tiles are highly practical in kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, conservatories and wetrooms, being non-slip, waterproof and stain-resistant.

LVT (Luxury vinyl tiles)

LVF (luxury vinyl flooring) and LVT (luxury vinyl tiles) were developed by manufacturers as a more robust option to standard sheet vinyl, which can be vulnerable to tearing. LVT is water-resistant, waterproof and most examples also have a slipresistant coating. The installation method uses click-lock interlocking edges in the same way as laminate flooring, and also glue down and loose lay formats. It is a soft, warm type of flooring and there are convincing wood and stone effect versions available. The popular Karndean Design Flooring falls into this category. LVT will need a professional installation.

Carpets: woven or tufted

A fully fitted carpet is an assured comfort option for most living and bedrooms. Woven or tufted carpets are the two main options. Woven carpet is made by weaving lengths of yarn, usually 100% wool, and this traditional method is still used by carpet makers Axminster and Wilton. Woven carpets are resistant to water-based stains, have low flammability and spring back into shape easily. Another woven carpet option is Sisal or Seagrass, with their natural earthy colors and arresting textures.

Tufted is the less expensive option for standard carpets, with small fibres poking up through a polyurethane backing. These come in a variety of different carpet piles, depending whether their looped yarn is cut into tufts or left as loops. Avoid carpets in rooms that have a high moisture content. The type of carpet you choose will be affected by the amount of footfall it receives. Carpet does hold dirt and dust more than other flooring options (a woven construction is better for allergy sufferers).

Local flooring suppliers

Avonvale Carpets

Avonvale Carpets deals directly with major manufacturers, offering customers a great selection of quality flooring solutions including laminate, LVT, natural, stain resistant, vinyl, wood, wool and tailor-made options.

37 Kingsmead Street, Bath BA1 2AA

Tel: 01225 427057; avonvalecarpets.co.uk

Bath Carpets and Flooring

Offers a wide selection of carpets, made from a variety of different materials including wool, polypropylene, nylon and sisals. The city’s largest Karndean flooring specialist, BCF has an extensive luxury vinyl tile showroom.

4 Kingsmead Street, Bath BA1 2AA

Tel: 01225 471888; carpetsandflooringbath.co.uk

Boniti

A high-quality interiors and exteriors business, Boniti’s showroom is a destination for all types of natural stone, porcelain and timber flooring as well as decorative tiles and stoneware.

Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton, Wiltshire SN14 8JA

Tel: 01225 892200; boniti.com

Mandarin Stone

Renowned for its comprehensive natural stone collection, Mandarin Stone has gained a reputation for its porcelain. Ranging from tiles that mimic materials such as wood, concrete and marble to striking glazed and patterned varieties.

15–16 Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LJ; Tel: 01225 460033; mandarinstone.com