If you are looking to buy wood flooring, here’s everything you need to know about different types of wood flooring and how to select the best one for your particular project.
If you think all wood floorings are the same, think again. They can be broadly classified into two types: natural and engineered (manufactured). When looking for material choices for your new flooring, you need to consider all the options available.
Wooden flooring is favoured over alternatives (tiles, marble, vinyl, concrete, etc.) because of its vibrant look and appeal and the warm feeling of wood under your feet that you get when walking on wooden floors. In wooden flooring, there are many options available based on the individual needs and budget of the person. In this article, we will talk about different wood flooring types, along with their respective pros and cons and which areas they are the best suited to.
Types of Wood Flooring
Engineered wood and solid wood are the two most common materials used in wooden flooring. Based on that, the three types of wood flooring are:
- Solid wood flooring
- Engineered wood flooring
- Laminate flooring
Solid Wood Flooring
Solid wood is, of course, the most perfect choice for wooden flooring. It’s the most natural material for wood flooring. Solid wood looks nice and can have outstanding strength and durability, depending on the species.
Hardwoods are a particularly good material for wooden flooring, as many of them are naturally resistant to moisture and weather conditions. They are also strong and dense and can take heavy loads and are suitable for use in high-traffic areas.
Each plank in hardwood flooring is made from solid wood. Real wood flooring is heavy and is generally installed in a tongue-and-groove system. Solid wood flooring is easy to maintain. You can polish the wood to preserve its natural appearance and sand it occasionally to restore the finish.
One thing you should know when using solid wood flooring is that the colour and hue of the planks might vary a little, i.e. not all planks will look exactly the same. This is because two pieces of wood are never exactly the same. Even the wood sourced from a single tree may not have a uniform look throughout its body. So, if you are looking for a totally uniform appearance for your wooden flooring, you better go with the engineered version.
Pros: The best benefit of solid wood flooring is the natural, classic look it gives to your place. It also feels amazing to walk on. Solid wood will also add to the value of your property and you might get a higher price if looking to sell it.
Cons: Wood flooring is the toughest to install due to its weight. Natural wood will shrink and swell depending on the weather conditions, which might ruin the look of your flooring. It is also the costliest option among all types of wooden flooring.
Cost of solid wood flooring: It will cost nearly the same or a tad higher than engineered wood flooring. The price for the cheapest option starts from around £15 per square metre, while the best quality solid wood flooring can cost as much as £100 per square metre or more.
Where to use it? – It can be used anywhere in the house or office, especially in places where you get to show it off to your visitors.
Engineered wood flooring
Engineered wood is a type of manufactured wood that is made from a range of materials including wood veneers, wood fibres, paper, glue & more. Engineered wood floorboards are generally constructed by glueing fine layers of veneers (wood) together to form a type of plank. The veneer and other materials used in engineering wood planks may be sourced either from real wood or other sources. Many engineered wood floorings, for instance, contain a solid wood veneer at the top to give overall flooring the feel of real wood and make it more resistant to cleaning, washing, and damage.
Pros: Engineered woods can be more stable and even stronger than solid woods and are, therefore, less likely to be affected by moisture and weather conditions. They are also much cheaper compared to solid wood flooring.
Cons: It’s not real wood. It’s generally more costly than laminate flooring.
Engineered Wood Flooring Cost: The price for engineered wood flooring in the UK starts from around £18-£20 per sq. m. for normal quality products and can go up to £150 or more for high-quality variants.
Where to use Engineered wood flooring? – Manufactured wood flooring can be used all around the property, including bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, halls, meeting rooms & more. This type of wood flooring is only moderately durable and not particularly suitable for use in bathrooms and other humid places.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate is neither real wood nor made from wood. It is an artificial material made by using flat paper and resin. The paper sheets and resins are pressed together under specific conditions to form a composite material that is strong and stable.
Laminates are made to look like real wood flooring. There are many varieties of laminates available based on the material used and quality, so one needs to be very careful to choose only the best quality product.
Laminate flooring made out of fibreboards is also quite common and preferred over other types due to resistance to moisture.
Pros: Laminate floors are strong, hard, durable, and need low maintenance. They are also cheaper than the alternatives. Laminate flooring is generally easier to install.
Cons: Laminate is not wood, so the flooring will not give you the feel of real, solid wood, even if it looks like wood. Also, the joins may start deteriorating over time.
Laminate flooring cost: As we mentioned, there are many types of laminate flooring available, and the cost will depend on the quality and base material. The cheapest type of laminate might cost around £2-£3 per square metre. The variants having a more natural look and texture will cost in the high range of £30-£49 per sq m.
Laminate floors are suitable for areas with high average foot traffic, such as halls, offices, and living rooms. They need limited maintenance and can be cleaned easily and quickly. Some laminate types are water-resistant and can be used in kitchens and bathrooms.
All modern floorings can be broadly classified into the following two types based on how they’re installed:
- Tongue-and-Groove Flooring
As the name suggests, this type of flooring is installed following a tongue and groove mechanism, where the tongue of one plank is fitted into the groove of the next plank, and so on. This method makes the flooring easy and quick to install, however, proper care needs to be taken to avoid loose flooring or gaps between planks. - Click-Lock Flooring
This type of flooring comes with a click-and-lock mechanism, where adjacent planks are machined such as to have an interlocking joint that can be locked by pressing or some other action. This type of flooring is generally easier to install and planks are not required to be glued together with an adhesive. The interlocking joints also form much tighter locks than the alternative. It is also easy to remove or replace this type of flooring without professional help.
Whether you are looking to buy engineered/laminate wood flooring or searching for the best place to buy top-quality solid wood for flooring, contact White Knight Consulting Ltd to get the lowest price for wood timber in the UK. We deal in a vast range of woods that are perfect for wooden flooring, including oak, maple, walnut, cherry, ash, mahogany, and many more. Contact us to know the price.