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by Ted Ingraham

Wooden Flooring and Laminate Floors Add a Natural Touch

Wooden flooring has many benefits over the use of carpets. Laying a wooden floor can set your home apart from the rest and increase its value if you come to sell the house. Each floorboard is unique making the effect of a wooden floor very attractive. Unlike carpets, wooden flooring does not trap dust and mites and is therefore highly recommended for allergy suffers. Wooden flooring is extremely hard wearing and will last considerably longer than even the highest quality carpets available. It is easy to keep clean and is stain resistant to food and drink. Any spillages can simply be soaked up and wooden flooring can be easily swept to remove dust and solid matter.

Wooden flooring is widely available from all good hardwood flooring suppliers. You can buy wooden flooring in various thickness and widths. Some wooden flooring products are even available in random lengths to add to the natural look of the flooring. A range of finishes is also available including unfinished, lacquered and oiled, which gives a durable protective layer whilst maintaining a natural finish. There are various grades of wooden flooring available with the higher grades having less knots and colour variation. Generally speaking the younger the wood, the lighter the colour. This can mean that even wood from the same tree can have variations in colour depending on how old the wood is. Older wood is found at the centre of the tree whilst the younger, lighter wood is found around the edge. This younger wood is known as Sapwood.

Oak flooring is widely used in North America and Europe for both residential and commercial flooring. Both continents are major producers of the flooring with the USA producing Red and White oak flooring and European oak flooring on this side of the Atlantic. An incredibly rich colour can be achieved by polishing oak flooring. Red oak flooring is noted for its warm tones with pink tinting whilst White oak flooring is often lighter with grey tones. Most oak flooring produced in North America is made from trees sourced on the Eastern side of the Rockies whilst European Oak is made from timber found all over Europe. All these different types of oak vary in colour; hardness and grain however all give a stunning finish to any room.

Walnut flooring is also heavily produced in North America where the Walnut tree is most common. It is an extremely tall and fast growing tree that produces a varied grain of warm and rich coloured wood. Walnut flooring is generally darker than oak flooring and is incredibly hard wearing. It is commonly used in offices, libraries and dining rooms where a warm yet classic look is required.

There is very little that comes close to the look and feel of real wooden flooring however the cost to buy flooring like this is not affordable to every budget. Engineered hardwood flooring is available and can be cheaper than solid wooden flooring. It comprises of a layer of hardwood on top of a plywood base. Alternatively laminate flooring is a good cost effective solution to real wooden flooring and is available in a range of wooden and ceramic styles. Since its introduction the improvements in laminate flooring has been outstanding. Nowadays most laminate flooring does not require glue and simply clicks together. This makes laying laminate flooring faster, easier and much less messy, With such high quality laminate flooring now available it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between laminate and real hardwood flooring and its popularity for use in homes and commercial properties is growing all the time.

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by Ted Ingraham

Choosing the Right Krono Laminate Flooring

Inspired by nature and built to last, the Krono Original collection offers fantastic value wood flooring. The resilient, high quality laminate finish means that your Krono wood flooring will resist stains and even furniture imprints, proving to be one of the most resistant floorings available. If you are looking for the authenticity of real wood with the easy clean convenience of laminate, Krono Original wood flooring is a clear winner.

Maintaining simplicity but oozing with sophistication, Krono Floordreams is an extremely hard wearing wood flooring suitable for heavy domestic and intense commercial use. This type of flooring is also designed to support under-floor heating and coupled with its Aquastop moisture protection, Floordreams laminate wood flooring is a smart choice for bathrooms. Personalise your wood flooring even more with a diverse range of finishes, including Riverside Oak to add depth in your home, or maybe you want a clean, sheek look with the Beech Camarque finish. Finally, Vancouver Maple and Whitewashed Oak both hold a sense of warmth that will give any home a wholesome yet friendly atmosphere.

Kronostep Narrow strikes a balance between contemporary and traditional design that offers stunning floor effects at an affordable price. At 123mm wide, these laminate wood flooring panels are 69mm narrower than standard panels, giving a stylish parquet flooring effect. Like all of the Krono wood flooring range, attention to detail is key. Check out the Maranello Oak, Aberdeen Oak, Italian Walnut and Windsor Oak for a plank authentic embossed texture or the African Walnut planked rustic finish to add intensity to your room. Simplicity is maintained throughout the design and the micro bevel edges complete the finish.

If you’re looking to create sense of warmth that complements your contemporary home, Krono Vario could be the way to go. Bevelled V-grooves give the look and feel of a solid wood floor that is simple to install and can be easily looked after. Light Varnished Oak, Canadian Elm and Antique Oak all boast the planked rustic finish and offer a sense of personality like no other laminate wood flooring.

Why not take a different approach when flooring your home? Krono Stoneline is a great way to add that rustic stone effect without the pain of laying individual tiles. Keep the realistic grouting effect but also have the luxury of never having cold feet again with the ability to add under-floor heating. Travertine and Metallic Slate both come in Tile or Antique Stone.

If you’re looking for consistency and uniformity of design, the Kronofix laminate wood flooring may just be the choice for you. A favourite for everyday living, Kronofix is available in Woodgrain, Smooth Finish or Rustic textures and a diverse range of finishes including Royal Oak, Certosa Oak and Dark Oak to complement your home’s décor.

Whatever type of laminate wood flooring you choose Krono offers quality laminate flooring that soars above the competition. With an extensive guarantee for all products, all you need to worry about is the design to make the most of your home.

Check out the full range of Krono Laminate Flooring at Real Oak Floors.  All the Kronospan laminate flooring is available at trade prices with additional offers for pallet purchases.

A guide on installing Quickstep laminate wood flooring. Quickstep have a great range of laminate flooring to suit every budget. Check out our full range of laminate flooring at www.realoakfloors.co.uk
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by Ted Ingraham

Why Buy Laminate Flooring ?

The popularity of laminate flooring has gone from strength to strength since it was first introduced to the UK over 15 years ago. Laminate floors offer a great alternative if you don’t want to make the investment into hardwood flooring, but want to create a difference or add value to your home. Laminate flooring can help transform a room or an entrance way into a spacious and more eye-catching contemporary living area and offers a less expensive and equally attractive option. Laminate flooring is simple to fit and exceptionally practical it can brighten almost any room in the home.

Laminate flooring can be used in rooms of any size from small spaces at home to large office units at work. In homes it is most commonly used in downstairs rooms and hallways however with the introduction of moisture resistant laminate floors its uses have now spread to kitchens and bathrooms as well.

How you decorate rooms often depends on what it’s used for. Is it a place where you scrum down with the kids, relax with a glass of wine at the end of the day or is it for entertaining your guests? Well the right flooring can help you make it all three. To do this you have to mix practicality and style; fortunately with today’s laminate flooring you don’t have to compromise on either. Top quality laminate flooring is less than half the price of a high quality woven carpet and has the added attraction of requiring the minimum amount of cleaning and after care which naturally appeals to a wide variety of people – from those with young families to busy professionals. Laminate flooring is scratch, stain, fade and even burn resistant. Spills wipe away easily and they look fantastic!

The choice of laminate flooring on the market is vast with products ranging from light wood floors like pine to dark wood floors such as walnut. An antique finish in a smaller room can create a rustic country cottage look with bags of atmosphere. In a larger room this finish can create anything from ultra modern chic to the feel of a medieval banquet hall.

Some of the most popular choices include beech laminate flooring and oak laminate flooring. You can even purchase laminate flooring that replicates the look and feel of traditional stone tiles making it an ever more popular choice in interior design. All these types of floors can be purchased from flooring suppliers with many offering discount flooring throughout the year.

Laminate Flooring – Exceptional Durability

Laminate flooring offers exceptional durability. Laminate floors are remarkable for their unmatched reliability and affordability, these very factors account for their immense popularity.

Unlike hardwood, laminate floors aren’t pure wood. Instead, they consist of a wood composite base over which come layers of melamine-impregnated paper covered with a scratch-resistant layer that contributes to their amazing durability. The advantage they possess over hardwood is that the scratch-resistant wear layer is immune to dog claw scratches and all kinds of other scratch marks. Laminate flooring is also less expensive and easier to install than hardwood. But it still adds elegance to the room and lends the impression of real wood; therefore, this type of flooring looks much more expensive than it actually is.

Exotic Impressions from Armstrong is an example of wonderfully durable laminate flooring. The elegant finish it’s provided with gives it an appearance of exotic hardwood, and it is available in great wood-inspiring colors such as exotic walnut, cherry bronze, and cherry natural. It also comes with a 30-year limited warranty. Pergo’s Prestige is extremely attractive and resistant to scuff and stain. It’s also effective against moisture. It has a 25-year triple plus warranty and comes in colors such as savanna oak, Brazilian cherry and rustic oak.  

Laminate floors can be either attached to the sub-floor or its pieces connected to each other. The latter is a floating floor that can be replaced easily whenever necessary. Laminate flooring of the former kind is more stable and produces less noise. As it is moisture-resistant, there’s almost no place in a home where laminate flooring cannot be used.  

An online store can give you instant shopping and purchasing opportunities for all kinds of laminates. You can browse the range of colors and finishes offered and make your choice.

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by Ted Ingraham

Oak Laminate Flooring – A Better Choice Than Real Hardwood?

While most people find that Oak hardwood floors are visually stunning, they are not ideal for all homeowners. Oak laminate flooring can be a better choice for many homeowners because it is easier to install, not as expensive, and is usually more durable than your typical wood flooring.

Many homeowners opt for oak laminate because it provides the rich color that attracts a lot of people to hardwoods in the first place. Oak laminate floors allow consumers to create the same rich and warm feel in their home that hard woods do. You’ll generally find that there are many different colors and styles that oak laminates come in, ranging from natural oak colors, honey oak colors, and an almost deep cherry look. Most homeowners will discover that they love oak laminate flooring because it will instantly add some warmth, color, and texture to every room that it is installed in.

- Oak Laminate Flooring Manufacturers
There are many oak laminate flooring manufacturers, but we’ll give just a few examples here. Three well-known brands are Quick Step, Westhollow and BHK. It’s important to remember that these three brands as well as others usually have many different oak laminate offerings, so you’ll want to consider all of your options before you settle on just one.

- Quick Step Laminate Flooring
Quick Step is growing in popularity because they are generally quite affordable, offer all of the current styles, and are often very easy to install on your own. Quick Step offers some beautiful choices, like Natural Oak, with a starting price of about .00 a square foot. In addition to Natural Oak is a stunning option known as Dark Oak. As the name suggests, this has deep rich tone to it. Quick Step floors are very easy to use and can be used throughout the whole house or in specific rooms as you see fit.

- Westhollow Laminate Floors
Westhollow offers a large selection of striking oak laminate flooring. One of the most well known from Westhollow is from their Heritage Collection. “Cathedral French Oak” is one of the more common choices and is generally very affordable with prices starting right around .30 a square foot. This particular option is a beautiful floor and is great in any area of the home including the entry way, a staircase, as well as the dining room and living areas. Westhollow offers another beautiful oak laminate floor called “Barn Milled Oak”. This is also from the Heritage Collection and is similarly priced to their aforementioned product.

- BHK Laminate Floorings
BHK’s laminate Oak floorings are visually stunning. Their “Select Oak” option is very popular as it has what could be described as a traditional oak look and color. While the floor is very beautiful and expensive looking, it usually retails for about .30 and up, which I am sure you will agree is quite reasonable. Another beautiful BHK selection is Natural Oak, which will give a very warm and homey feel to any living space.

Choosing oak laminate flooring for your home is a great choice because it will allow you to add style and warmth to your home, but without the high cost that is usually associated with real Oak. Oak laminate floors work well in all areas of the home, including high traffic areas. It will allow you to infuse your home with style without worrying how they will wear over time.

Used ‘Quick-Step’ laminate flooring, ‘Harvest Oak’ colour
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