Flooring
Choosing the right type of flooring to buy is made much simpler with our Flooring Buying Guide. Just click on a link below, to jump down to further information about the flooring area you're interested in:
Types of Flooring
Solid Wood
Solid wood flooring has a characteristic look and texture, and comes in a variety of finishes (oiled, stained, brushed, hand scraped). It is also available in an un-finished state, and by using the various oils available you can achieve the finish of your choice. Solid wood flooring is usually between 15mm and 20mm in thickness and is available in a variety of board sizes. Solid wood floors can be re-sanded and re-finished several times to restore the appearance.
Engineered Wood
Engineered wood flooring consists of 3-5 layers of wood fixed together by a cross grain construction, with a real wood veneer on the surface. The cross grain construction gives the flooring better stability than solid wood flooring.
Laminate
Laminate flooring is made up of a number of layers. A resin bottom layer creates a moisture resistant stabilising base. The laminate core is usually high density fibreboard (HDF), with a decorative resin finish on the top. The decorative resin finish consists of a photographic image of real wood or tiles, printed on paper and embedded in resin. A final top layer is applied to the surface and acts as a protective layer, making the laminate hard wearing and durable.
Vinyl
Vinyl flooring is made up of five layers. A back coat offsets any unevenness in the floor underneath and provides a cushion layer. A carrier layer (typically a glass fibre web) is coated and printed with the required design. A wear layer, usually 0.3mm thick is added on top and a final top layer gives the textured finish effect which is resistant to dirt and stains as well as being slip resistant.
Carpets
Our carpets are produced on tufting machines and are referred to as tufted carpets. Tufted carpets are produced by inserting loops of yarn through a primary backing fabric. The loops are held in place by means of a binding agent, and can either be left as loops for a loop pile carpet or cut for a cut pile carpet. A secondary backing is also applied and can be either foam, felt or woven. The secondary backing increases the stability of the carpet.
When purchasing a carpet, please take into account where the carpet will be fitted. Heavy traffic areas such as the hall, landing and stairs will be subject to the heaviest wear and therefore it is advisable to invest in a better quality carpet and underlay. Heavy traffic areas are better suited to a hard wearing surface texture, whilst rooms with less traffic are suitable for longer pile carpets which have a plush look and feel.
Our tufted carpets are made from polypropylene or polyamide (nylon):
Polypropylene
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Hard wearing
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Easy to clean
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Very colour fast
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Highly stain resistant
Polyamide
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Hard wearing and resilient
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Easy to clean
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Stain resistant
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Colour fast
Carpet Construction
| Loop Pile | Loop pile carpets can be made with level loops to create a uniform look, or multi-level loops which have a patterned/textured effect. |
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| Cut Pile | In a cut pile carpet the loops are cut leaving individual tufts. Cut pile carpets are very popular and can have a long pile which gives a luxurious feel or a twist pile. In a twist pile carpet the yarns are twisted to give a more textured surface which is less prone to show footprints and vacuum cleaner marks. |
Free 48-hour Swatch Service
Please take advantage of our FREE carpet swatch service to check for colour match and carpet weight.
Please quote the relevant swatch number and colour when ordering
How to Measure for your Carpet
Draw a plan of your room and measure the overall width and length, noting these figures on your plan. Using your plan, check if any of our carpets fit your length and width requirements.
Conversion:
| 1.0m = 3.28ft | 4.57m = 15.00ft |
| 2.74m = 9.00ft | 5.48m = 18.00ft |
| 3.66m = 12.00ft | 6.40m = 21.00ft |
| 4.00m = 13.12ft | 6.85m = 22.47ft |
Although carpet with a felt or foam backing can be used without a separate underlay, adding one will greatly improve cushioning and extend the carpet’s lifespan.
How to Measure for your Wooden and Laminate Flooring
Our wooden and laminate flooring is sold in packs of varying square meterage. To determine how many packs you require, measure the width and length of your room (in metres). Multiply these figures together and this will give you the square meterage of your room. Using this figure, determine how many packs of your chosen flooring you will need.
For example:
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If the width of your room is 3.1m and the length 2.4m, the overall square meterage of the room is 3.1x2.4m = 7.44m².
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If the flooring is sold in packs of 1.98m², you will need 7.44/1.98 = 3.7 packs, and will therefore need to order 4 packs which will cover your room, with some left over.
How to Care for your Flooring
Wood & Laminate
Solid wood, engineered wood and laminate floors should be vacuumed or swept regularly, then cleaned with a mop which has been well rung out. Any excess water should be removed with a dry cloth. Spills should be dealt with quickly so that the flooring does not become too wet. Wood floors can be re-sanded and re-finished if required to restore the original appearance of the flooring.
Vinyl
Dust can be removed by vacuuming or sweeping and general stains removed with water and a mild detergent.
Carpet
Carpets should be vacuumed regularly to prevent dirt from becoming embedded in the carpet fibres, particularly in high traffic areas. Stains should be dealt with immediately and ideally carpets should be professionally cleaned every couple of years.