Laminate flooring is one of the most popular types of flooring in the world today. In North America and Europe alike, it is widely used and can be found at least somewhere in the majority of homes. It is versatile enough to be used in all rooms, including rooms that can experience dramatic fluctuations of temperature and have high moisture content in the air like the bathroom, the kitchen and even the basement. Laminate wood flooring has a high number of advantages over other flooring types, including the fact that it is usually cheaper, but it has not always been that way.

Laminate wood flooring was not the first choice of flooring for homeowners up until 2001. It was originally a tile system that had to be glued to the floor, which could end up being extremely messy and very inconvenient as the room could not be used until the glue had set around 24 hours after laying. The cheaper nature of the material was appealing but these two factors unsurprisingly put people off. It did not matter that spillages would not cause any damage or that it was easy to clean. Instead, it only mattered that it was so difficult to install. However, that all changed in 2001.

2001 saw the introduction of the click system and has been synonymous with laminate flooring ever since. Instead of having to glue on the individual tiles, the click system made it possible for homeowners to lay their laminate floor within just a couple of hours without the need for adhesive. Better still, the whole family could walk on the flooring as soon as the final panel was installed!

The click system is basically where each panel is adjoined to the next one via clicking them into place. You lay one, click the next one onto it and then lay tat. You repeat this process until the entire floor is laid, thus making it an easy DIY job. Laminate flooring is now synonymous with the click system because many manufacturers tried the system out on laminate flooring and found it worked so well that they have continued to do it ever since. This has undoubtedly contributed to its popularity.

In truth, the click system revolutionized laminate flooring and made it what it is today. It has enabled companies to come up with more patterns, more looks and more colours, as well as given them the power to imitate wood flooring. This is cheaper and yet achieves the same effect, which means that it is likely to be onwards and upwards for laminate flooring!

One of the major fashions that has overtaken the property market in recent years is the addition of wooden flooring to the living space in place of outdated carpeting that did little for the feel of any room. It certainly helped in the home staging industry and so many homeowners adopted the wooden flooring for their own living spaces. A few years on and the trend shows no sign of abating, and with good reason.

Wood flooring is extremely desirable because it can help any homeowner to achieve a number of looks when decorating. Firstly, there is the traditional look, which is achieved by varnishing the wood to show all of its knots and imperfections. This actually gives it character and is reminiscent of years gone by, especially when it is used in a kitchen that features stone or wooden countertops and cupboards. Then there is the rich look, in which he wood is highly varnished and incredibly shiny! This kind of flooring can bring a warm glow to any living room and highlight furniture in warmer colours.

There are so many options when it comes to wooden flooring that you can literally tailor it to suit all of your wants and needs. The deep red-brown woods can make a room feel smaller but cosier, whereas lighter brown woods can make it appear more spacious and capture the light streaming through the windows. If all of this sounds appealing then you would only have to look at one of the rooms with wooden floors to fall in love with it as a decorative but practical feature that is resistant to the stresses and strains of the modern lifestyle.

Wooden floors are easier to keep clean than carpet ever was. Running a vacuum over it, or a brush, will remove all of the grime in no time and so it is much more hygienic! It also fits in well with the busy lifestyles that the majority of us lead these days! It takes no time to maintain at all and will withstand the test of time. It takes a number of years for any wear and tear to become apparent, which keeps the costs low and ensures that relaying the wood does not have to happen for many years to come!

Article Written by Factory Direct Flooring who specialise in all types of flooring including engineered wood flooring.

If you like the look of wooden floors and have considered purchasing it for your home then you may also have reservations. Although wood is a strong flooring material, would it stand the test of time with adults children, dogs and visitors traipsing in and out all the time? Would it be solid enough to withstand high pressure? Would it be able to cope with any temperature change? Of course, there are many more questions that you may have if you are thinking of laying wooden floors in your home, whether it is in a conservatory, bedroom or lounge, but there is an alternative that may be more suitable in engineered wooden flooring.

Engineered wooden flooring is effectively reinforced wood that is designed to stand a number of elements that normal wooden floors are not. For example, engineered wooden flooring may be made of the same material as regular wood floors but it would have been heat treated to make it more resistant to the tests of time. For example, it will not expand and contract when faced with immense heat or cold, which makes it perfect for use in a conservatory or a room that experiences more than its fair share of sun.

Engineered wooden flooring is also so strong that it does not need to be laid on top of another material to stabilise it. Regular flooring is laid on top of plywood or floorboards that are already in place to reinforce it somewhat. This is not necessary with engineered wooden flooring as it is already strong enough and stable enough to be able to stand on its own.

In effect, it is designed to give you peace of mind that you have made a wise investment. It is a little more expensive but it is worth the extra cost. The majority of engineered wooden flooring materials have also been taken from sustainable forests and so are environmentally friendly. This is a big consideration considering the degradation that the forests have undergone worldwide over the last few decades or so.

There is any number of styles, colours and woods available if you are interested in engineered wooden flooring. You will definitely be able to find a style to suit your home and your tastes. No matter what kind of wooden floors you would like, you can definitely find exactly what you are looking for!

Are you looking for new floor for you home? Then don’t waste your time looking for various solutions, decide on wood flooring. Yes wooden flooring has been gaining popularity over the years when compared to carpets or tiles. For those who are looking for style, durability and great value for money, then wood flooring is the perfect solution.

There are various types of wood flooring available in the market. The three basic wood flooring are:
- Solid Wood Flooring
- Hardwood Flooring
- Engineered wood Flooring 
- Laminate Flooring

As the name suggests, the hard wood flooring is done with large planks of hard wood. The major type of hard wood used for flooring purposes is Oak. Oak flooring is the most popular among the hard wood floors. It comes in two varieties, red and white. White oak floor is harder than red oak floor. The white oak carries a more uniform appearance than its red counterpart. White oak is heavy and has medium bending strength and low stiffness.

Engineered wood flooring serves as an excellent alternative to its hard wood counterpart. The engineered wood floor is sand which of finished wood and ply wood. The ply wood is laid below just above the floor and it is covered with the finished one. The surface which you walk over is the finished wood surface. Engineered wood serves as the best solution for flooring areas with moisture like bathrooms and cleaning spaces. The ply wood is laid perpendicular to the adjacent plywood. This gives dimensional strength to the wood sandwich.

Laminate floors are not real wood floors, but just a thin sheet which feels like wood. Laminate floors are the best choice if you have pets and children at home. Laminate floors are available in a wide variety of colors, styles and designs. It is suitable for most modern interior design concepts. Laminate floors are very economical and are very easy to install. It can be installed over an existing floor, sub-floor, or concrete.

Using solid wood flooring for your home adds warmth and character to the rooms. The visual appearance of solid wood floors is boosted by the natural characteristics of the wood used flooring.

Solid wood flooring come in various varieties of wood species, colors and widths. The classic hardwoods like white oak, maple, red oak, and are easily available. Many manufacturers now offer exotic hardwood species from all over the World. As the demand is growing higher and higher the solid wood manufacturers are enhancing their ranges with better finishes and state of the art construction techniques.

Solid wood flooring adds to the overall beauty of your home making it more of place that reflects your decorating tastes. As the choice is wide , it has become very difficult for one to make the right choice.

When compared to the laminates the solid wood flooring stands out with many advantages. The important among them is the value that it adds to your home. The resale value can really go up with the quality of your home or apartment. Wooden flooring helps in giving the desired aesthetic look, feel and comfort for your home. And this can bring you lot of money when you sell your home.

The most attractive feature that the solid wood flooring offers is the maintenance part. It is very easy to clean and it does not accumulate dirt or debris. To keep your floor shining the only thing needed is a weekly wipe with a damp mop and vacuuming. After installing solid wood floor, no need to worry about spills. Just wipe it of with a cloth. As long term solution the solid wood flooring offers you good values for your money spend. When compared to the amounts that you have spend for replacing the carpets over the years, the solid wood floor saves 40% of your home maintenance account.

Most of commercial establishments rely heavily on wooden floors. This makes their shop more attractive than ever. The aesthetic beauty of installing oak wooden floor is something special. Special care has to be taken for installation of commercial wooden flooring. It has to be done by professionals who are experienced in flooring assignments.

Commercial wood flooring is preferred for various reasons. The foot traffic in a commercial complex or a retail store will be much more when compared to residential premises. So the wood flooring is exposed to a high rate of wear and tear. Usually the life of a wooden floor installed in a home is around 25 years, where as the warranty period of commercial wood flooring is only 5 years. This is serves as the most credible evidence that proves commercial wood flooring deserves special attention.

Commercial wood flooring experts have different type of flooring methods in order to meet the diversified client requirements. They keep in line with the state of the art technologies for the installation procedures. Commercial wood flooring is usually done with highest quality wood available in the market. The most sought after wood for commercial wood flooring is the Oak wood. Although other woods such as pine, teak, and mahogany are also used for the purpose, oak wood outshines them all with its sheer quality and durability.

Commercial wooden flooring has gained popularity for its ardent features. It is very easy to install compared to other flooring alternatives such as tiles carpet etc. As so many people visit the shops, the floor is vulnerable to dust, dirt and other malignant things. The wooden floor is very easy to clean. It only takes a matter of seconds to vacuum the wooden surface and bring back its shine and beauty. The wooden flooring also has great acoustic qualities. The studio floors, music shops, dance floors mostly use wood for the flooring purposes.

Commercial wood flooring helps to cut down the business cost to a very good extent. Usually a business needs to invest huge amounts of money for the maintenance needs of his retail outlet or commercial complex. Commercial wood flooring helps him to save the extra amount that he used to spend for maintaining his carpet laid or tiled floors.

Clic wooden flooring (Click Flooring) provides a rich look and texture to your home. Clic flooring is the perfect flooring to install, that replaced all the installation drawbacks of normal wooden flooring. With click wood flooring quick installation of flooring paneling is easily possible. The key feature of clic wood flooring (Click Flooring) is the availability of glueless models. No glue or materials like that is needed for the fixing wooden flooring to the home. The clic wood flooring also brings your office and shop an elegant and attractive look. Compared with other flooring types cleaning the clic wood flooring is also very easy.

Advantages of solid wood flooring attract so many people to wooden flooring. The main advantages of solid wood flooring are endless and the main focus is the durability. One can maintain the novelty for so many years, if at most care is taken in preserving and protecting them. Scratch and spots won’t affect the solid wood clic flooring easily. According to the quality of wood used for flooring the permanency rate varies.

Clic wooden flooring is possible at the lowest possible time. The absence of additional equipments and glue make the fixing and fitting of clic wood flooring without time wasting. Clic wood flooring never leaves any glue marks and other traces that occurred while installing solid wood flooring. There will not be any gap between two piece of wood choose for flooring. Clic2clic technology helps to eliminate unwanted gaps. You can use the solid wood flooring with clic wood flooring soon after installation. No need to wait for a long time for setting the glue.

Solid wooden floor panels are also available with different color, texture and moldings. This variation will occur just because of the wood used for flooring. Naturally oak wood is available in three different shades.

Laminate flooring was invented in 1977 by a Swedish company Laminate flooring is type of flooring made of a laminate material. Laminate flooring is made to look like natural products such as wood flooring or stone, yet is made up of either synthetic materials (usually melamine resin) or of synthetic materials combined with natural and recycled elements and covered with an attached decorative appliqué including an aluminium oxide finish.

Laminate flooring has a dense inner core and a glued-on layer or fused layers of outer material. Many types of laminate flooring replicate wood, but some look like marble or granite. A popular alternative to other hard surface products, high-quality laminate flooring resists staining, wear, and fading much better than wood and stone while providing unique looks and appeal. It’s durable (about 20 times stronger than a kitchen work surface) and is water-resistant, often used in bathrooms and kitchens in addition to high traffic areas. Unlike most hardwoods, laminates are fairly dent resistant.

Cost and installation Laminate floors are usually much less expensive than wood or natural materials, and are a practical solution for a do-it-yourself homeowner to install. Laminate flooring possesses a monolithic function once each plank or tile is clicked into one another, without the use of glue, staples, nails, or compounds. Installed laminate floors typically “float” over the sub-floor on top of an underlay, which provides moisture and sound-reducing properties. Laminate floors are considered to be very low-maintenance when compared to wood floors. Unlike natural wood, laminate floors do not require waxing, oiling or staining. It is important to keep laminate clean, as dust, dirt and sand particles may scratch the decorative surface over time in high-traffic areas.

Adhesive felt pads are often placed on the feet of furniture on laminate floors to prevent scratching. Glueless laminate floors may gradually become separated, creating visible gaps between planks. It is important to “tap” the planks back together using the appropriate tool as you notice the gaps, otherwise dirt will fill the gaps making it difficult to close them later.

Welcome to factory direct flooring, we have a wide range of wood flooring products including, engineered wood flooring, laminate flooring and click flooring.

We are very exciting about the future we have and beleive 100% in customer care and satisfaction.  Our customer satisfaction means everything to us.

Regards

FDF team.