Useful Information

How do we fix the flooring down?

This depends very much on your personal situation but the most common methods are:

Nail Down - Typically used with the 3/4" solid products, however there are adapters available for thinner flooring sizes as well. 2" nailing cleats are used with a wood flooring nailer and mallet to attach the flooring to the subfloor. Solid Strip floors or Plank floors can only be installed onto a wooden subfloor or glued down onto a concrete sub floor.

Glue Down - The recommended adhesive is spread on with the proper sized trowel to adhere the wood flooring to the subfloor.

Engineered wood floors and parquets can be glued down. Solid strip floors and plank floors should only be nailed or stapled. There are many types of adhesives on the market, please use the manufacturers recommended adhesive when installing their flooring.

Floating - With the floating installation method the floor is not mechanically fastened to any part of the subfloor. There is an underlay that is placed between the wood flooring and the subfloor.

A recommended wood glue is applied in the tongue and groove of each plank to hold the planks together. The padding protects against moisture, reduces noise transmission, is softer under foot, and provides for some additional insulation.

Over the past seven or more years, the free float method seems to be the method of choice. Since the free floating wood floors do not actually touch the sub-floor, there is a near zero chance that you will have any problems with this floor. Additionally, with other installation methods you can get uneven gaps due to the standard expansion and contraction that can be found with solid wood floors.

With floating engineered wood floors, when they expand and contract, they do so as one whole unit, not as individual planks so you see no change. Some engineered floors and all Longstrip floors can be floated. This is a very fast, easy and clean method of installation and particularly suitable fo underfloor heating if used with an appropriate heat flow underlay.

Do we need to acclimatise the flooring before fitting? All hardwood products should be acclimated to the new environment for at least a few days prior to installation. All boxes should be opened and any loose product should also be divided into smaller lots and be stored in the designated room.

How do I care for my new floor? Avoid using non specific floor cleaners, many are abrasive or acidic and can damage the surface of your floor. Use only cleaners specifically designed for use on hardwood floors.

Try to use mats on areas of high traffic or at entrances to the house to avoid abrasive grit being walked onto the floor. Avoid using very wet mops on the floor. Water dulls the floor and can seep into the joints causing expansion.

Wipe spills up immediately Place felt pads onto the feet of chairs and tables.
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These are recommendations that are likely to be appropriate to most types of flooring. Remember that cared for correctly a wooden floor should last a lot longer than you.