Torn between wanting my flat the way I want it, and not wanting to alienate decorator!

[JessicaCH]

I'm having wood flooring laid in my flat, in all the rooms except the bathroom, and I was planning to have it flowing through without breaks between the rooms. One of the decorators - who is an all-purpose decorator, not a specialist floor-layer - starting laying it today and said that it is not going to be possible to have it flowing through and that there will have to be breaks between the rooms. He was very definite about that, but the explanation he gave was rather vague - something to do with the walls. I can't help wondering whether it would genuinely not work to have it flowing through, or whether a specialist floor layer could do it. Am I being too fussy? There have already been a couple of other slight points of tension with the builders (e.g. they said they would show me catalogues for taps, which they said they could get at trade prices. Instead of showing me catalogues, they went ahead and bought taps that I didn't like, with my money obviously, and I had to ask them to return them), so I don't want to cause too much fuss but at the same time it's my money and I'm going to have to live with the results. If he says it's definitely not going to be possible to have the flooring flowing through, should I accept that, or press for a more detailed explanation (which is bound to annoy him)? Does anyone happen to know whether there is any genuine reason why wood flooring could not flow through? Thanks for any thoughts on this!

Sounds like CBA.

Why are you getting a decorator to lay flooring??? Get a flooring specialist in

Firstly you need a proper floor fitter
Secondly I can think of no idea at all why you need breaks. We have breaks with metal strips done before we moved in and we are currently getting them redone without. Looks much better

Get a floor fitter, it’ll probably cost less if you calculate it because a proper fitter will do it quicker.
I don’t see why it couldn’t free flow through though, but, you need to also consider what if you needed to replace any of the flooring (water damage, dents/scratches etc) as it would be harder I’m guessing to replace a section if it were free flowing than if it was sectioned between each room.

We wanted our wood flooring flowing through the rooms. Our floor fitted did it but did try to change our minds first. He said it would be really difficult for him and would take longer. I’d get a specialist in to do it. Don’t feel bad, you are paying them what I imagine is a considerable some of money and you will have it for ever.

In the flat I rent out we have wood flooring and it all flows from room to room without breaks.

I much prefer it and the joiner had no issue laying it.

We have wooden floor flowing through from living room to dining room with no breaks. If it was me I would speak to an experienced floor fitter and ask their advice. If your walls are not parallel (like ours) you might have to spend some time working out wether it looks better to run the boards length ways or width ways and which wall to follow as straight so it looks right over all.

Are there any instructions with the flooring? Some manufacturers recommend breaks if the flooring is being used to cover more than a particular size/area. It can vary from company to company and also may depend on the quality of the flooring. It apparently helps with any potential expansion in the wood flooring after it has been laid.

It can definitely be done which makes me think they either lack the skill or are lazy. I would definitely get a proper floor fitter in!

We have wood floor in our hallway, kitchen, dinning room, living room and down stairs loo with no breaks. So the whole down stairs flows through, it looks much nicer I think. Dh did ours and he is no floor fitter!

Definitely get a specific floor fitter. I had mine laid flowing, no breaks in a two bed flat with a huge living room. It just takes planning on the floor layers part. It's a far superior job done flowing.

Well, if he doesn't want to do it, tell him you'll get someone else to. It's your home and you're paying him to do it how you want it.

Thank you very much for your replies. I'm having quite a lot of renovation work done in my flat and this company has been doing all of it. (There are two main people, and occasionally they bring in a plumber or electrician.) Yesterday the other builder was saying to me that laying the flooring is going to be a challenge, and I said, re the one who was due to lay it: "Do you think he's comfortable with doing it, because if not then I could get a specialist flooring person in to do it?" The builder said: "I think he'll be ok." So I'm concerned about causing offence if I now get a specialist in.

Maybe tomorrow morning I could say to the one laying the flooring: "I didn't quite understand why the flooring couldn't flow through; would you explain it, please, so that I can get one or two other opinions on whether there's a way to do it?" Do you think that would be reasonable? If it's the case that he can't be bothered to flow it through and he realizes he's about to lose the work to someone who will do it, that might bring that to light. On the other hand, he's going to be offended that I'm questioning his professional opinion.

Look you're the boss here. You need to tell them what you want and stop being so nice. You're not their friend.
Just say I want it like so and so. If you can't do it, get me someone who can or I will have to employ a specialist to do that job. Don't be fobbed off. You're paying for it. Your boss would not just let it go if you didn't do your job or did it completely wrong.

I’m confused about why you are bothered and stressing them out when it’s your money and your house. Just explain politely that you want it to flow all the way through and that if they can’t manage that then you’ll get a specialist in.

You are the customer. You are paying them. You are going to live with the results. It doesn't actually matter if they don't like you as long as you like the results. So definitely explain what you want, and explain either they do it like that or you will find someone else to do that part and they can leave the floor as it is.

You are paying them to do what you want. Why are you worried about offending them. They're obviously not great as they bought taps without your approval. That is offensive to you so why worry about their feelings?

Is it for expansion breaks/joints which are to prevent buckling/cracking?

It'll be harder to do.

If the walls aren’t straight then a small difference in angle (that could be covered by an edging strip) can become a larger problem over a bigger area. My dp and I had this issue laying floors in our house - we either needed to cut the planks at an angle (hard!) or have breaks (much easier). I would think a professional should cope but it might be a harder job for them.

We’ve got floor laid without breaks right through the downstairs of our house. It was suggested as looking much better by our floor fitters. Please ask for what you want - I can send you a pic of ours if it’d help?

The reason is that it's a lot easier to lay any flooring if you start in one corner and work towards the opposite corner. to have the flooring flow through the whole area, each room except the first will have to be started from the doorway and it will be more complicated. nothing a decent specialist can't handle but I wouldn't get a decorator to do it.

You need a floor fitter not a general joiner. It is more difficult to lay out and do, but depending on the type of wood flooring may be doable. If you are having solid wooden strip flooring laid, an expansion gap is required around the perimeter of the floor to allow movement. (The natural expansion and contraction of timber due to temperature and or moisture) Skirting boards are usually fitted to the walls on top of the finished floor to cover the gap.
Our ground floor is laid room to room with no door strips but the flooring is engineered flooring which is generally more stable and requires less expansion if that makes sense

Mine flows through without breaks. However it is solid wood, not engineered and was laid by a cabinet maker who had already done a lot of tricky woodwork for us. I got the impression it was a fairly skilled job.

You only need joining strips if the level from one room to another is different I think.