Flooring blog & Flooring news

How To Choose The Right Flooring For Your Office

sales.nospam@nospam.flooringsupplies.co.uk (Danielle) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 13:20:00 +0100

Striking a balance between style and durability is one of the most challenging aspects when choosing suitable floor coverings for your office environment. Larger office environments may include any of the following:

Reception Area
General Office Areas
Boardroom or Meeting Rooms
Canteen or Kitchen
Manager/CEO Offices

Naturally, you will want to have a hard wearing surface for areas that are likely to have heavy foot traffic such as your reception area and staff rooms. The difficulty lies in deciding upon the flooring itself when considering the huge range of options available.

But don’t panic! – Here’s a quick guide to help you make an informed decision.

Reception Areas / Boardroom or Meeting Rooms / Executive Offices

It’s especially important to get your reception area flooring right for two main reasons. Firstly, it’s likely to receive a lot of foot traffic and secondly it’s usually the place that first represents your company or brand. So ideally, you will probably want to consider a high quality and hard-wearing surface such as a solid wood or engineered board.

Solid Wood

When it comes to exuding class and quality, there’s little doubt that solid wood flooring is a great option and sure to impress clients and colleagues.

The Benefits

Can be customised and personalised with various stains and finishes
Can be repeatedly sanded down if damaged
Lasts for years

Engineered Board

This type of flooring is made from a real wood veneer that comes in a range of thicknesses, usually 0.5mm – 6mm. It’s more stable than solid wood so better suited to environments which experience temperature variations such as conservatories or basements.

The Benefits

Usually cheaper than solid wood flooring
More stable and less prone to movement
Can be used with under floor heating systems
Click systems make installation much simpler – often there is no need for glue or nails

The width of the plank should be given careful consideration because wider boards often create the illusion of more space. For executive offices, boardrooms and meeting rooms, good quality solid wood flooring will certainly help to highlight the success and quality of your company.

Canteen & Kitchen Areas / Staff Rooms / Relaxation Areas

These areas are the most likely to be susceptible to liquid spillages. They are also likely to be high traffic areas so you will probably want to consider a hard wearing vinyl like ‘Karndean’ which is extremely durable. It is designed to mimic the effect of flooring such as wood and stone and is difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

An alternative to vinyl are laminate floor coverings or rubber tiles. Rubber flooring looks ultra-modern, comes in a wide range of different styles, colours and shades. It is also exceptionally easy to clean, hard-wearing and feels cushioned underfoot.

Please see a guest post written on our blog by Liam Tarry called How To Protect Your Office Floor advice on how to look after your floor surfaces.

Article provided by Richard Blandford from BT Office Furniture & Interiors – The UK’s leading supplier of business office furniture

Flooringsupplies online sales message

sales.nospam@nospam.flooringsupplies.co.uk (stewart barnes) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:04:00 +0100

We at flooringsupplies.co.uk offer our customers genuine deals that add value but also maintain the very high standards of service we have always promised.

This isn't an easy message to display online within the 2 dimensional screens you're reading this blog in. So like most businesses we of course try to showcase products with compelling sales messages to motivate customers to buy, but the reason for this blog is to reaffirm that the offerings we make are genuine deals and not just sales patter to get you to buy.

It can be said with confidence that we do truly offer some products at unbelievable prices!

Kahrs Walnut Boston 47% off RRP (because it's end of line product) ~ and comes with FREE underlay worth £1.20m2
natura 130mm Oak Oiled solid wood flooring £28.20m2 (15% cheaper than our closest competitor) ~ & comes with £50 worth of free accessories!
natura Ash Langford £20.34m2 (10% cheaper than our closest competitor) ~ and comes with FREE underlay worth £1.20m2
Junckers 14mm Black Oak Variation solid wood flooring 50% off (deal struck with Junckers to add value to our Junckers offering)

to name just a few!

However, it can be difficult to see the woods through the trees (excuse the pun) when you're looking at other online retailers because the flooring market is so competitive and distorted. We hear it all the time - customers do get confused and have difficulty in seeing the real value in offers when some competitors don't really offer value but do pretend to!

We always invite customers to do research, as we want all customers to buy a floor that meets with their expectations and budget, sorry hopefully under budget! A happy customer means a future customer in our eyes.

Therefore our sales message is simple as we don't believe in the 30% off here, a further 25% off their, with another 50% off in checkout. We feel the days of the 80% off closing down sales are going. This old school marketing has had its day and in most cases I suspect isn't believed to be genuine by most customers anyway. I'm pretty sure one of the shops on my high street has been closing down now for around 10yrs!

We feel our customers deserve more respect and have more intelligence than to keep falling for these types of marketing lines. So we shoot from the hip and market products at truly great prices with truly genuine extras adding even more value like - free underlay or £50 worth of free accessories. Not forgetting our promise on services we offer such as free samples, free delivery, professional unbiased advice, professional fitting, next day delivery and so on!

We want all customers to be able to visit our site, find what they are looking for easily and see what they would pay!

Engineered vs Solid Wood Revolution

sales.nospam@nospam.flooringsupplies.co.uk (stewart barnes) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:13:00 +0100

Over the last few years we have noticed the increasing popularity of engineered wood flooring over solid wood flooring.

The question is why?

We get customers asking us every day "what's the difference between solid and engineered real wood flooring?" which is in fact relatively easy to explain.

Solid wood is a solid piece of timber, cut from a tree milled into a plank, kiln dried and that is pretty much it
Engineered wood flooring consists of a ply-board core with a solid wood veneer

Each floor has its specific uses although when they are both installed they will be visually identical. But the hard question to answer is "why would I buy one over the other?"

Both products have positives and negatives but it can be difficult to explain to a customer when they want to buy solid wooden flooring, especially when it's not really suitable for their needs. I would say the biggest hurdle to overcome in this scenario is trying to explain the benefits for engineered flooring. But the negative feedback I always get is: “but it's not solid wood flooring is it?”

We completely understand that solid wood flooring is a desired product when starting off the buying process. But why? I believe the reason for this question is mostly because first generation customers simply don't understand what the benefits are and they perceive solid wooden flooring to be best.

We sell solid wood flooring every day and stock over 10,000m². We also stock a similar amount of engineered wooden floors. So I'm always reluctant to sway customers from solid to engineered but the facts speak for themselves - engineered wooden flooring is now as good, and in some environments, better suited to customer needs and budgets. Engineered wood manufacturers have been listening over the years to customer feedback and have made products to counteract downbeat comments that their products have traditionally posed. These comments in the main were; too thin veneer, sounds hollow or 'clicky clacky' when walked over, and lastly, 15mm or less engineered products cannot be installed over joists.

So the 6mm veneer engineered products were re-launched into the UK which counters all these negatives and as such is fast becoming one of the most popular engineered products available in the UK today. These 20mm thick, 6mm veneer products have all the benefits of solid and engineered wooden flooring with none of the negatives.

Thicker veneer
Load bearing
Heavy and rigid to walk over
Long attractive lengths and extra wide widths
Suitable for underfloor heating systems
Life time longevity
Environmentally sound
Dimensionally stable
Simple to install

All in all it's the perfect all round real wooden floor.

With education, engineered flooring is becoming more and more acceptable although solid wood flooring will continue to be sold in the UK market. However, because of customer understanding of alternative engineered products we do feel that solid wood flooring may become a product of the past and becomes less and less popular.

Kahrs team up with Natura to offer new oak wood flooring

sales.nospam@nospam.flooringsupplies.co.uk (Danielle) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:30:00 +0100

Natura By Kahrs Oak Wood Flooring is a unique range that has been developed between Kahrs and Natura especially to cater for todays requirements of quality wood flooring at affordable prices. A stunning looking plank with a scratch resistant finish and microbevelled edges means this floor exudes a modern design that fits in with any interior. The Woodloc 5S locking system makes it easier to install your floor than other locking joints, and features a 25% stronger end joint.

Kahrs have been at the forefront of innovation for over 150 years. Founded in 1857, Kahrs is one of the oldest wood flooring producers in the world. Natura have made it their aim to offer top quality flooring at reasonable prices, to ensure that luxury flooring is not out of reach to homeowners. Teaming up together was an ideal opportunity to combine the best of both companies.

Natura By Kahrs Oak Cambridge Plank
Natura By Kahrs Oak London Plank
Natura By Kahrs Oak Oxford Plank

If you have any questions about this flooring please call us on 0871 250 1066. Ready to get a sample or buy? Visit our realwood section and take look at your preferred choice.

Parquet blocks added to flooringsupplies.co.uk

sales.nospam@nospam.flooringsupplies.co.uk (Danielle) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:04:00 +0100

Parquet blocks offer a multitude of designs not achievable with other solid wood floors. They are available in Oak, Walnut, Iroko, Jatoba, or Maple and can transform a room with their small but perfectly formed size, laid in a selection of different designs. Parquet blocks are steeped in history, with its fashionable era dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, around the start of the Edwardian period.

If you are interested in recreating this look, we suggest talking with an installer well versed in parquet block floor fitting, as it is not the easiest job to undertake yourself. Briefly, your subfloor has to be very level because the size of the blocks means they will not ride out any dips or raises, like a long plank might. The parquet blocks are stuck to the floor using an adhesive spread out with a trowel. A confident pace is required before the adhesive starts to dry. Once the floor is laid, the blocks are sanded using a sanding machine, then finished with an oil or lacquer.

If you have any questions about this type of flooring please call us on 0871 250 1066. Ready to get a sample or buy? Visit our parquet block selection and take look at your preferred choice.

New designs in the Eligna and Perspective range

sales.nospam@nospam.flooringsupplies.co.uk (Danielle) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:21:00 +0100

Quickstep Eligna and Perspective

In the popular Eligna and Perspective ranges, QuickStep introduces new designs every year to meet contemporary trends. This is also the case in 2010. The most popular wood variety, oak, was selected once again, but this time around in warm, grey colours and with a high matt finish.

U1385 – Dark Heritage Oak planks

Code           Name
U/ UL/ UF 1384    Natural Heritage Oak planks
U/ UL/ UF 1385    Dark Heritage Oak planks
U/ UL/ UF 1386    Heritage Oak Passionata planks

U:     plank floor without groove
UL:    plank floor with groove on long side
UF:    plank floor with groove on short and long side

New QuickStep Oak Floors in Largo range

sales.nospam@nospam.flooringsupplies.co.uk (Danielle) — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:41:00 +0100

To meet the demand for extra-long and extra-wide planks, QuickStep® launched the Largo range with planks which are 2 m long and 20.5 cm wide in 2009. This laminate flooring was immediately a hit. So QuickStep® is now adding four varieties in rustic oak to the 7 existing designs of the Largo collection. They have a rustic look and feel with large knots and rays, and a unique surface structure that is distinctive thanks to the matt finish combined with glossy wood-grain.

A: Characteristics

1. Exceptionally long and wide – also for smaller spaces

QuickStep® Largo meets consumer demands for long and wide planks that give a space more depth. To make the floor suitable for all living areas, QuickStep® chose an elegant size that is not bombastic: 205 cm long x 20.5 cm wide. This balanced length/width ratio means that a Largo floor can work wonders in smaller spaces too.

2. No inconvenient design repeats

On the long and wide planks of our competitors, a specific pattern is repeated on the same plank. A plank may for example have the same knot twice. With QuickStep® Largo, these annoying design repeats on the same plank are practically non-existent. The result is an extremely attractive, natural floor that consists of a natural mix of plank variations.

3. Joints in harmony

The grooves around the planks are designed in such a way that they match the character of the wood variety perfectly.

4. Deep surface structures

In 2009, QuickStep® developed a new generation of laminate floors with a bold, deep surface structure. This was the laminate specialist’s answer to the increasing demand for aged floors with an explicit wood structure. By giving the floor various degrees of gloss, the polished, baroque character of the floor is emphasised more strongly. The vintage dark oak (LPU1287) soon became a consumer favourite. So in 2010, QuickStep® is launching four new designs with an extra deep surface structure.

B: Four new designs

The new designs are the perfect answer to increased demand for aged, rustic floors in oak, which is still the most popular wood variety. They have large knots, lush patterns, visible rays in the large wood grain, and a deep structure. The colours vary from light to natural and from trendy grey to black.
The four new designs work perfectly in a classic interior, but the latest high-contrast trend also means they are extremely suitable for minimalist, modern interiors.

Code       Name
LPU1396   Light Rustic Oak Planks
LPU1397   Natural Rustic Oak Planks
LPU1398   Old Rustic Oak Planks
LPU1399   Grey Rustic Oak Planks

Kahrs wood flooring new product ranges for 2010

sales.nospam@nospam.flooringsupplies.co.uk (Danielle) — Wed, 19 May 2010 11:10:00 +0100

Kahrs have raised the bar once again with their new ranges of floors for 2010. Kahrs designers have travelled the globe for inspiration to compile their new products, from the coastal beachfronts to the busy city streets, via rural outposts and cultural classic french chateaux. The ranges include a variety of styles and colour variations, for the most ambitious interior designs.

Kahrs Provence Collection

The well established Provence Collection has been revamped with longer boards for 2010. Inspired by the colours and interiors of southern France. Imagine a chateau showing the scars of 19th century battles for territory, floors marked and scuffed by soldiers of time gone by. From pale to dark stained floors that have been gently brushed for added emotional effect, and produced in unique design colours.

Kahrs Artisan Collection

Kahrs Artisan Collection is the ultimate artistic wood flooring range. It is based on the unique character of oak, in combination with highly skilled craftmanship. Each design within the Artisan Collection has its own unique style and character. The range spans from palest white to almost black, giving you a wide spectrum of colour variations. A variety of different hand-made surface designs provides even greater scope, with options available to suit all interior styles; each providing a striking and incredibly durable floor.

Kahrs Coastal Collection

Kahrs have launched a new range of wood floors with a true maritime spirit. Ideal for injecting effortless beach style to any interior, each floor features a weathered look and feel, as if it were previously part of a pier, or shipping post. The new Kahrs Coastal Collection includes five one-strip Oak floors in a narrow board format, distinct bevelled edges and a tactile brushed surface. Meanwhile, a matt lacquer prefinish provides durability and easy care.

Kahrs Supreme Collection

Supreme Grande

Kahrs Supreme Grande Collection is ideal for those searching for a traditional looking ‘plank’ floor in dimensions previously not available in a modern multi-layered format. At 2.8m long and 260mm wide these boards are Kahrs largest product to date. Striking in terms of both natural beauty and scale. You can choose to either let them set the tone for your whole decoration scheme or form part of a wider interior theme. The designs of these floors will complement any style of decoration, from traditional country to slick contemporary. The character of the timber, with its knots and cracks, will lift any interior design.

Supreme Elegance

Looking for a floor that can add a touch of elegance and tradition, but which can still complement even the most contemporary living space? Then, consider a floor from Kahrs Supreme Elegance Collection. The range includes two different styles - Tapis and Croix; both feature intricate patterns characterised by a mixture of traditional charm and modern styling. A perfect blend of old and new that will lend itself beautifully to any home.

Supreme Avenue

Kahrs Avenue Collection, from the Kahrs Supreme range, has been designed and developed with stylish city living in mind. These sophisticated and elegant floors would, however, suit any interior style, be it modern or traditional. View the range to see many examples of how to use these striking walnut and maple floors in a variety of interior designs, to create a stunning scheme.

Flooringsupplies.co.uk receives FSC certification

sales.nospam@nospam.flooringsupplies.co.uk (Danielle) — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:55:00 +0100

Flooringsupplies.co.uk have been granted chain-of-custody certification by SGS, who provide certification & verification services to ensure that products, services & systems meet quality, safety & performance standards. To acquire this certification, flooringsupplies.co.uk were independently certified in accordance with the rules set by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

View our 100% FSC realwood flooring

What is the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)?

The Forest Stewardship Council is an independent, non-governmental, not for profit organisation created to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC is a certification system that provides internationally recognized standard-setting, trademark assurance to companies, organisations, and communities interested in responsible forestry.

View our Mixed FSC realwood flooring

What does Chain-of-custody mean?

Chain-of-custody is the route taken by raw materials from their source to a final product, ready for sale to the end user. Each process on the route has to be undertaken by certified members to ensure the chain is not broken. This includes forests, processing, manufacturing and distribution. Each member has to go through extensive auditing to ensure their practices are within the requirements of the FSC standard. As a retailer we have been independently verified for Chain-of-Custody certification and now eligible to label our eligible products with the FSC logo.

View our Mixed FSC laminate flooring

flooringsupplies.co.uk works very closely with all partners to act appropriately with regards to environmental awareness. Our simple code of practice is designed to work in harmony with Mother Nature, complementing natural products, and materials always with an appreciation of the environment. flooringsupplies.co.uk philosophy and mindset is determined to promote and educate manufacturers and consumers alike on environmental issues.

View our 100% FSC realwood accessories

Believe it or not there are huge benefits of choosing environmentally friendly flooring. Far less energy is consumed in timber production, processing and disposal, than in any other construction material. Today, because the popularity of real wood flooring has grown, so too has the commitment to vigorous replanting schedules and responsible harvesting. More trees are grown than are currently harvested so inadvertently increased demand has had a positive effect and impacted on our environment and natural timber flooring resources.

Adrian Lee from Flooringsupplies.co.uk commented - "we are very proud to achieve this status and feel it’s important for all wood flooring manufacturers and suppliers to consider our environmental responsibilities, and to do our utmost to ensure we all commit to adhering to the values that FSC work so hard to protect.”

Please visit Flooringsupplies.co.uk for more details or call 0800 999 8100.

New QuickStep Go range

sales.nospam@nospam.flooringsupplies.co.uk (Danielle) — Thu, 06 May 2010 09:33:00 +0100

For spaces such as bedrooms, demand is increasing for laminate floors with the appearance of narrow parquet strips. Multistrips give certain wood varieties an extra dimension and create a more playful and trendy look and feel.

For this reason, QuickStep® developed the new Go range, with planks containing 4, 5 and even ten strips. The width of the strips is always adapted to the structure and the character of the wood variety.

In addition, the QuickStep Go range also has three floors with a single-plank design, for example Homage oak. These floors are available in two versions: grey oiled (QSG 049) and black (QSG 050). They are inspired by the knotty, heavily worn floors of traditional taverns.

QuickSte p Go is 7 mm thick like the other basic laminate ranges and it meets the same standards regarding quality, design and innovation as the other QuickStep® ranges.

A: Characteristics

1. Four, five or ten strips with modified surface structure

Most QuickStep Go planks have 4, 5 or 10 parallel strips, depending on the type and character of the wood variety. Maple for example is the most attractive with 5 strips. Wenge is more subdued with 10 strips.

2. The appearance is not artificial

None of the panels have short pieces at the ends. This means the floor looks more natural, even in large rooms.

3. No white joints

The short sides of the QuickStep® Go planks are stained so white joints are never visible where planks are clicked together. This also increases the natural appearance of the floor.

4. Fresh colours and basic wood varieties

QuickStep® Go consists of
-   three oak designs with 4 strips with matching varnish finish
-   maple and teak versions with 5 strips, finished with a matt structure varnish
-   wenge with 10 strokes. To give this exotic wood its calm character, the QuickStep® design team opted for an extremely matt finish.

B: Nine designs

i - Single-stroke designs

Code       Name
QSG048   Natural Varnished Oak Planks
QSG049   Homage Oak Grey Oiled Planks
QSG050   Homage Oak Dark Oiled Planks

ii - Multistrip designs

Code    Name
QSG042   Brushed Teak 5 strip
QSG043   White Varnished French Oak 4 strip
QSG044   Natural Varnished French Oak 4 strip
QSG045   Grey Varnished French Oak 4 strip
QSG046   Light Maple 5 strip
QSG047   Wengé 10 strip