Deciding on Engineered Oak flooring

KaratePigeon

We are hoping to get a new flooring for our through lounge-dining room. Currently carpet that just isn't practical for a family and it's beyond saving with a carpet cleaner now! So wanting a hard floor.

Had a quote from a local bloke for supply and fit of some engineered wood (oak) flooring. £3.5k which I think is reasonable as it's quite a big room? The company seems good and has good reviews. The only thing that makes me nervous is that it seems so permanent, is that silly? I asked what happened if you ever need to take it up and he just said nobody ever does, you'd just lay new floor on top of it if you ever wanted to.

Although he did say I could have it floating, he really recomends getting it glued as it'd be quieter and warmer. I'm just paranoid that one day we'd have a water leak or a fire or want to rip out the fireplace leaving a gap, or it'd just go out of fashion and we'd be stuck with it forever?

Just wondering how difficult it'd be if we ever did want to pull it up. Or has anyone needed to?

neilmcl

I'd leave it as a floating floor, no real need to glue it down, plus I don't know how he thinks glueing it would make the floor "warmer". I've had mine down for over 10 years without issue. It's no more or less permanent than say a floorboard.

greyteam1959

I agree with the OP thoughts & concerns.
It would concern me that if there ever was a problem the whole expensive floor would have to be replaced.
Personally I would not have a wooden floor.
Expensive, noisy,cold & very easy to mark.
carpet for me every time.

neilmcl

What problems are you envisaging that you would need to replace the entire wood floor?

The expense of a wood floor is relative, yes there may be a higher initial expense especially if you get it professionally fitted but it will last a hell of a lot longer than carpet, I know some people that have changed their carpet 3 times since I got my floor, and good quality carpet can be as expensive too. Also, a wood floor is anything but cold.

silverwhistle

Noisy or cold? Not at all. Besides, do you really want carpet in the hot summers we have been having?


I'm hoping to get the horrible laminate in my lounge and dining room replaced with wood. With insulation underneath I expect it to be warmer than fitted carpet in the winter, and if need be one can add a large rug which can be removed for summer. It'll soon be time to take my rug out of the loft as the weather turns - but not just yet. I like the cool, dustless atmosphere you get with hard surfaces.

bouicca21

Are there any services under the floor? Mine has pipes, a leak meant the whole floor had to be replaced.

neilmcl

bouicca21 wrote: »

Are there any services under the floor? Mine has pipes, a leak meant the whole floor had to be replaced.

Where was the leak and how many floorboards had to be lifted once the flooring was up? More often than not radiator pipes run along the edges of rooms so even if there was a leak there's no reason a whole floor would need to be taken up to gain access, especially when it's been laid as a floating floor.

KaratePigeon

There's just concrete underneath, no pipes or anything though we do have radiators on the walls. Also we have a fireplace (some kind of polished stone - an electric fire, no chimney) that we have no plans to get rid of at the moment but might decide in a few years that we really want to.

Maybe having it floating is a better option then. I didn't understand how it'd be warmer fitted, as wouldn't a layer of underlay trap air and insulate it a bit? It's cheaper to have it fitted so maybe he just wanted the extra work, lol.

The other option is to have carpet in the living room and wood in the dining room but as they are kind of one long room not sure if that'd look weird.

Ganga

I think that people " think " that wood flooring looks cold,i know my wife does,do not know why as we have and have always had carpets.

Silvertabby

We had (floating) engineered oak fitted in our lounge/dining room 3 years ago and have never regretted it. We do have a large rug in the lounge area, however, which 'softens' the look.

Make sure that the flooring you choose has a thick layer of actual wood. Ours is 6mm, and so will allow for sanding/re-oiling in the event of any major disasters (so far, nothing that couldn't just be wiped up with a damp cloth!)