Hardwearing flooring

Rosa_Damascena · 9 April 2021 at 9:27AM

neilmcl said:

I really can't understand how you can't tell by the feel of it that's it's real wood or not. I've never come across a laminate that has the same feel as wood, even the more expensive ones with relief patterns still feel fake. If it doesn't have a repeating pattern then the likelihood is it's real wood, even in that pic of the Quickstep laminate I could see a repeat.

Another way to tell if you have a wood floor or not is to look in areas where sunlight hasn't gotten to the floor, eg, under a sofa that doesn't get moved or a long term rug. You will see the difference in the colour where the light has aged the floor differently.

It feels like real wood, and was the first thing I noticed when I walked through the door for a viewing - I asked the vendor and they said it is not but didn't disclose what. What I was told was to clean with water only and no commercial cleaner.

The colour is uniform throughout, I'm happy with the quality but just wish I knew what it is.

Ajmason42 · 10 April 2021 at 4:53PM

We have a commercial version of kardean in the hall and kitchen. Cannot fault it. Swept daily, mopped twice a week and the odd vacuum. Door mats at all doors.

Rosa_Damascena · 10 April 2021 at 6:50PM

Ajmason42 said:

We have a commercial version of kardean in the hall and kitchen. Cannot fault it. Swept daily, mopped twice a week and the odd vacuum. Door mats at all doors.

But does it look like real wood or fake Karndean? (I have a downer on Karndean now, can you tell?).

kdotdotdotdot · 10 April 2021 at 8:42PM

If the instructions are to clean with water only, then the chances are that it's some sort of laminate.

Engineered wood looks exactly like wood because it is wood: wood that sits on top of a base, usually plywood. It's easier to install and is more stable than solid wood flooring (they say) and can be sanded down several times and re-polished, just like real wood. The downsides are that it's pricy and, like real wood, can warp if soaked. It's definitely available at B&Q.

Luxury Vinyl (LVT) is vinyl that's been made to look like wood. The more expensive versions (Kandean or Amtico for example) do look very realistic once laid. It's more affordable than engineered wood, doesn't warp and wears well. The disadvantages? Only the fact that it's not wood.

Laminate is a thinner layer of plastic that looks like wood. The more expensive versions look pretty good, but it possibly won't last you as long as engineered wood/LVT. The cheaper stuff is horrible. It's much more affordable.

Whatever you choose, when you put the floors down, the skirting boards should come off first. The floors are fitted and then the skirting boards go back on again. This means that ALL types of flooring can go under a skirting board, so that shouldn't be a concern for you because otherwise you're going to have a nightmare replacing existing flooring and underlay with something new that's exactly the same thickness to fit back in the space under the skirting board. I suppose it's do-able, but I wouldn't want to.