Flooring help. Getting desperate!!!

[PollyPolo]

Hi,

I have had an extension built, so we have a large kitchen diner area. All great but I am really struggling with flooring.

With two young children, and dogs it needs to be robust and I am after a wood look.

I have looked at Amtico, I have samples coming out of my ears, it looks great in some light but when the sun hits it, it looks like shiny plastic.

I'm now at a loss. I have been advised against engineered wood as it will just get ruined.

Does anyone know of a product that looks as close to wood as possible, but without the shine?

Thanks

Porcelanosa tiles are gorgeous but extremely expensive!

So they did have a ridiculous rrp but we paid about 50 per m2. Can't find the company name now but it was one that's often recommended for Porcelanosa. Also had some bathroom tiles with a similarly ridiculous rrp and we bought those from TileExpert online for 28 per m2. There are definitely options around. Try that site for alternatives, I think they do send samples.

Other friends also have wood look tiles from one of the big DIY stores and while they aren't quite as realistic looking, they are still nice and were much cheaper.

@PollyPolo I think you'll find fitting costs are pretty painful too for tiles. A friend of mine was quoted £40/sqm.

@alpinia Thank you, I will look around.

@Muststopeating That is going to prove rather expensive, I have 65m2 , so maybe it's not an option for me.

Someone came today regarding wood flooring, it was engineered oak and I think 22mm, apparently if I just have planks (so not herringbone) it can go straight down without underlay. I thought everything needed underlay, so I hope that's true.

They can alway make a nice transition to the lower door threshhold.

Two more people to see today.

Btw after seeing your stress test I have been throwing things at my samples, sticking knives in it, sticking them in water. Not only does it show how robust the various samples are, it was also rather therapeutic.

I work for a flooring retailer and none of our fitters would fit engineered wood without underlay. I'd be cautious of whoever said that.

Agree, underlay is needed for several reasons, particularly for deadening sound!

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut I did question it but I did read online if over 18mm you don't always need underlay.

But I guess that's not best practice.

We were also looking to go with Quickstep Impressive flooring for the kitchen but the carpet shop guy said that it would not be suitable for a kitchen as it contains wood and would get ruined if there was a leak.

We ended up going with Moduleo LVT click flooring which is used in commercial settings so it has a high wear rating. Price was only slightly more.

Is your house a new build? Because unless your subfloor is pane of glass smooth, you will find it lifts without underlay. It's not just a question of best practice, it won't work and ant warranty would be void as it isn't fitted to manufacturers instructions.

Even brand new houses don't often have absolutely perfect subfloor. These guys sound like cowboys to me. I wouldn't be paying them up front for anything.

Maybe I am being overly cautious but I worry that these stores are bias with the advice. I am wondering if they make more money from LVT with all the floor prep.

They all seem really pushy with it.

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut I's a 1930's house, but the extension is new. The room is half original floorboards and half screed.

This company have so many good reviews, none bad actually and the photos look stunning. They are based in a rather expensive part of North London, so seem to do lots of rather amazing looking houses.

But I agree, I thought it was odd and then thought as the boards are thicker than normal, perhaps underlay is less of an issue.

With actual solid wood floor (not engineered), I thought you were not supposed to use underlay as it causes movement. Does engineered wood behave differently?

My partner is really into the bamboo, so maybe that is what we will end up with.

I have a more artisan wood flooring crafts person coming at the weekend, so I will see what they say too. But I imagine they will be really top end prices.

Throughout this whole process of having an extension, choosing a kitchen etc, I never expected the floor to be such a difficult decision.

They aren't. I'm not trying to sell you anything, you could be in a different country for all I know.

The prep is important. They're pushy because otherwise people don't do it then want a refund when their 3k floor is splitting and lifting and go mental when they're told that since they didn't prep it properly, its their problem.

We don't make any money at all from the prep. It goes to the fitters who are subcontractors, we don't see a penny of it. Its because LVT is very unforgiving of uneven surfaces. It's thin so will start to lift in the corners then eventually split.

We had a similar dilemma. I was originally going with lvt but couldn't find one I liked as I wanted it to look a bit more like real wood. We chose quick step impressive in the end. It's matt and had a grain to it and bevels that looks like real planks. Very happy with it. It's got a good warranty for scratches and is waterproof.

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut I'm not suggesting you are trying to sell me something. I'm not talking about the sub floor, as such just that glued down LVT seems to be the only option they want me to have.

There appears to be solutions to threshold issues with wood or laminate. But the LVT seems to be the sales people choice and only choice I have.

Of course I want it done right, I don't want it to fail, so I am grateful for your advice.

I guess throughout the process of having the house renovated I have become slightly skeptical.

As you kindly pointed out the guy who came today gave me bad advice with regards to underlay. So I feel I can bin them off.

Pollypolo have you decided what to go with now? We are in a similar dilemma I think- 1930s house with original floor boards in hall and lounge. Need to decide on flooring for our new kitchen diner. I want something that will compliment the original flooring so would love engineered wood but concerned it wouldn’t be suitable in a kitchen due to water damage. I ordered some samples of kardean but they looked quite plastic looking. Could just be the samples I ordered though. I’d love to hear what you’ve decided!

Throughout this whole process of having an extension, choosing a kitchen etc, I never expected the floor to be such a difficult decision.

Completely agree, it is by far the hardest decision I am making. We are putting down 100 sqm and I can't afford the cost or hassle of replacing it in a few years if it wears badly.

Btw after seeing your stress test I have been throwing things at my samples, sticking knives in it, sticking them in water. Not only does it show how robust the various samples are, it was also rather therapeutic

This made me laugh.

The person who was told Quickstep wasn't suitable for a kitchen... most of their ranges have Hydroseal which make them water resistant (though not water proof). If laid properly it should stand up pretty well. That being said if there was a major leak and the water was able to penetrate (or run underneath) then the lower layers would be wrecked. That would be true for anything except LVT I guess?

OP, re the underlay on the engineered wood - do you know the brand of the product they were suggesting. If so, I would Google it and see what their website recommends. I am quite confident solid wood wouldn't have an underlay, but may require sub-floor work to ensure longevity.

I also have a healthy scepticism re. most sales people (not because I think they are deliberately providing misinformation but because I think some say what they've heard/been sold rather than from personal experience).

Please don't take my word re fitting costs for tiles though, that was one person and one quote, so worth you enquiring about if you like them. Not an option for us as too cold in the old drafty bits that won't have UFH.

My bamboo floor sample has been in a bowl of water for 9 hours now. No damage as yet

Had a really great fitter come around and recommended a brand called Polyflor.

It is much cheaper than Amtico etc but I thought it looked better as it had less of a sheen.

The various planks all have different shades so less uniformity.

Not sure yet, but I think it looks ok. Just need to see it in the morning light.

I'm not sure if it's too dark.

@HasaDigaEebowai I quite like the bamboo but my sample colour is quite yellow

www.bambooflooringcompany.com/solid-natural-strand-woven-135mm-uniclicr-bona-coated-bamboo-flooring.html

It looks more yellowy than in the pic on the website.

I might try to get another sample in a different shade.

Is your one strand woven?

Mine is from the same company but is the strand woven chestnut herringbone parquet. It’s really nice (and they send free haribos!) If it stands up to the testing then I think it’s decision made. We’ve not managed to scratch it yet, it hasn’t changed in sitting in water, it has a 25 year structural warranty. I need to test tomorrow with oil, vinegar, curry paste, tomato purée etc but it’s quite dark (similar to an American black walnut) and so I have high hopes for its performance in the stain tests.

My laminate on the other hand is commercial grade expensive laminate. It’s cupped at the edges in places where it’s got too wet, it’s scratched where the chairs are pulled out and the dents have knocked right through the varnish and photo layer leaving an obvious white spot.

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut

I work for a flooring retailer and none of our fitters would fit engineered wood without underlay. I'd be cautious of whoever said that.

When you say underlay - what do you mean? Our engineered wood was fitted on to ply laid on top of floorboards that’s what the supplier a well known local company recommended.

@HasaDigaEebowai That is nice, I have ordered samples of their herringbone in the lighter shade. The potential problem is then finding the right person to fit it.

The sample I do have is really robust. I have done the drop knife and scratch test and it's held up really well. So I am impressed with it.

@Qc16. Either ply if its floorboards or the Kahrs duplex if cement. And screed if the floor is very uneven. Basically it has to be made completely flat and sound.

OP, is this a traditional conservatory? Like full windows? They might be trying to steer you to LVT because wood floor tends to fade in conservatories.

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut It's a kitchen diner, so a back extension knocked through to the original house.

I now get impression they just really like it and know it well as I guess it's really popular.

My OH really wants the LVP we saw yesterday in herringbone, I think he has had enough.

Everything opens up on Monday so I am hope to be able to go into a store and look at everything.

In that case, unless it's likely to get wet, I don't see why you can't have engineered wood. It isn't particularly hard wearing but wood floors do get scratched and scuffed, it's just part of the look of them.

The only drawback of engineered wood over real wood floor is that the actual wood bit is only a few mm thick and is mounted on cheaper chip wood. Which means that if it gets damaged it can't be sanded out and re oiled like a real wood floor.