Engineered wood recommendations

[Lillianbellamy]

We are going to put wood flooring down in our entire flat (3 bedrooms, living room and kitchen). We were originally looking at reclaimed chestnut but we can't afford it. We like dark-ish wood, not bamboo and nothing too yellow. I have ordered some samples but they are all hideous and I don't know where I'm going wrong - perhaps it's impossible to get nice, engineered dark wood?

Can anyone recommend their own floor? What is it like and where did you get it from?

[roneik]

I laid one a few months ago for a friend and it was bought from B&Q
From memory I think it was called Rondeo was solid oak and dark but not a deep dark. If you are doing it yourself it's important you leave at least 3/8 of an inch gap. The reason is it's not varnished and will soak up more moisture . It was about 50 quid a pack on offer at the time.

[caroldecker]

If your not ground floor, you may not be allowed wood because of the noise below.

[RaphaellaTheSpanishWaterDog]

We wanted a darkish oak for our last house and after obtaining millions of samples that were just not right opted for Harlech Oak from Woodpecker/Kenton Flooring. The retail price was £50+ per sq m, but we paid £41 from a local supplier as we were ordering in excess of 60 sq m.

[Lillianbellamy]

Thanks both - great suggestions. I love the parquet on the Woodpecker site too (!) A bit pricey though. Good tip about going to a local supplier.

We are on the ground floor, so wood should not be a problem (Although I wish our upstairs neighbours had been a bit more considerate ...)

[roneik]

Don't forget the 3/8 gap, because if you don't make sure of this it will rise up and creak . A sliding mitre saw and one of those bars you use for pulling in planks are what you need and a tape measure and hammer. The bar is raised at both ends , with one end raised higher to whack with a hammer or mallet.Non varnished suck up moisture like no tomorrow so don't forget.

[Lillianbellamy]

Thanks Roneik - I didn't know that so I'm really glad you told me!

[Allthelittlefoxes]

We used Russwood for our flooring and they have a really good range of darker floors (they'll also happily send you free samples)

[roneik]

Yes it sounds a big gap but just the moisture from day to day living can really swell bare wood.

[roneik]

Another reason for taking the planks out of the packs is that some manufacturers give between for and six part planks tonged and grooved. This is quite handy a s what you don't want is all the plank joints in line ,as it is not as a mass as stable(strong) less squeaks and groans when walked over

[roneik]

Edit to find at near end of the job you have dozens of part planks in one area

[skankingpiglet]

Make sure the flooring has a decent thickness of your chosen hardwood to allow for future sandings if you plan on being there some time. Also the cheaper engineered boards use a pretty crappy softwood construction under the hardwood layer, which makes it less stable (although not so much to be disastrous or anything like that, just worth thinking about if you're going to live there a longer time) and makes it much more difficult to click together. This last point is always something that has me spitting feathers when I have to fit the cheap ones (I'm a chippy), so definitely worth considering if you are planning on fitting yourself. Be warned, good quality engineered boards can actually be more expensive than solid boards.

[Lillianbellamy]

Thanks piglet - am I right in thinking engineered wood is better at dealing with moisture and heat, though? Would you recommend solid or engineered?

[brakespeare]

We used a great company called the wooden floor store , dark oak, wide boards, they still look amazing 10years and 2 children later. Colour is a very personal preference!

[skankingpiglet]

Good quality engineered is far superior IMO. Much more stable, meaning it will expand and contract less with the seasons, less likely to react to humidity, less prone to warping/cupping etc.
If it's a period property, the boards are being fitted directly onto the joists, and you expect the flooring not to be replaced in your lifetime, then solid is the better choice. It allows for more sandings, and any cracking/cupping etc would add character. I think this would be the only situation I'd fit solid in my own house.

[roneik]

Oak is a wood that gets harder with age , in the middle ages battle ships were made out of it. Try nailing a piece of oak that has aged . I lived in a cottage in the west country with the original oak beams and if you wanted to nail you would have to drill.
Oak engineered planks will last years and if it's a dark wood I doubt you would need to sand in absolute donkeys years, if ever. Good luck anyway , I thought the op wanted details on engineered wood not wooden planks 3 miles thick and nailed to joists. Those B&Q boards are ok and the oak layer is more than adequate.

[roneik]

Go to any chicken factory or fish and it's all processed by one company and sold by many. Go in any car factory and the bulk of the bolt on stuff is from a small supply base. The point is pay poncy prices for poncy names

[caroldecker]

Roneik car factories may have the same suppliers, but supplying different quality of products

[roneik]

Bolt on parts like alternators don't vary in quality whatever the car brand.
Buy a top of the range car and it will have the same part. We are not talking anything but bolt on. Worked in the car industry for 32 years.This applies to many parts. Even the engines in some cars are produced for car manufacturer by other manufacturers. If you go in MS and buy a chicken it will come from the same factory that also supplies other supermarkets , different wrapper same sourced chicken. Don't try to tell me about cars and car parts because I know what I am talking about.

[roneik]

Most engineered plank manufacturers recommend unwrapping and leaving the planks for 24/48 hrs to come to room moisture level or something to that effect. I always unwrap the lot for reasons explained earlier.

[Blueskies80]

Uk flooring direct are good, we bought from them recently - big range and prices were good.

[wobblebobblehat]

We have Quick Step flooring from B&Q.

The photos on the their website don't do it justice. It looks really good and not at all like laminate.

[roneik]

skankingpiglet What sort of carpenter are you? All of the engineered planks I have encountered have been tongue and groove , they don't click together as you say , that's laminate flooring which clicks together different product altogether .

[Deux]

I have this engineered oak flooring by Furlong in the Nutmeg shade. I didn't want anything yellow or orange toned but nothing too dark either. I'm very happy with it.

www.furlongwoodflooring.co.uk/next.html

Oh and the carpenter above is quite right, you definitely get engineered oak in a click system as I looked at it when choosing flooring. I think this is a good idea if the floor ever needs to come up.

[Deux]

Here you go. Click system engineered.

www.woodandbeyond.com/categories/Engineered-Hardwood-Floors/Click-System-Engineered-Wood-Flooring/

[skankingpiglet]

Wow roneik having a bad day?