Wood Flooring Options

The diagram below shows the typical construction of a 14mm engineered wood floor. Wooden floors come typically designed with either a locking system which does not require glues, or tongue and groove which is glued together. Professional fitters typically prefer a glue system for most applications.

Engineered wood flooring has a 3-layered construction: a solid wood top layer, a core layer made up of strips of wood, and a single piece stabilizing base layer. These types of products are normally available in various formats from 10mm through to 15mm, with top layers from 2.5mm • 4mm of hardwood. The boards are tongue and grooved all around and have micro bevels on the long sides only.

Engineered wood floors can be nailed (20mm only), glued down, or floated.

Underfloor Heating: An engineered floor is ideal for use over underfloor heating. A locking system is recommended.

Solid wooden flooring is a single piece of hardwood or softwood from top to bottom. The boards are tongued and grooved all around and will have micro bevels on the long sides if they are supplied pre-finished. Otherwise, they will be square-edged boards which will need to be sanded and finished on site.

The best way to fit a solid wooden flooring is by secret nailing. According to British Standards, surface fixing is required if the boards are over 130mm wide. Nailing should always be the preferred method of fixing, but when necessary, you could also glue down a solid hardwood floor. Solid floors cannot be floated as there is too much movement in a solid floor, and the machining of the tongue and groove does not support this type of installation.

Underfloor Heating: Solid wooden floors are not suitable for use with underfloor heating.