For the best finish, we recommend removing the skirting prior to fitting the laminate flooring, or any type of flooring due to it giving the overall finish, a flush, seamless effect. Although it is easier said than done, as some skirting can be quite tricky to remove, especially if it has been on a while and it has been screwed to the wall. Skirting boards can also be glue to the wall too.
In both cases, removing the skirting boards can also cause the plaster to fall of the walls too as it can become bonded to it. Another solution which is also effective, can be to use beading around the edge of the flooring where it meets the skirting.
This is usually in the same colour and style as the wooden flooring so blends in quite well.
Although it is possible, it may cause more problems than simply removing the old floor. Such problems include the increase in height of the new floor, problems with having to shave of the bottoms of doors to fit. We don’t recommend this method as wooden flooring is prone to movement and expansion and can cause problems when laid of an existing floor.
Laminate flooring is more forgiving than real wood or engineered wooden flooring as it is not prone to sweat, creak or expand.
Should I remove my wooden floor and replace with engineered flooring?
This is a difficult one really, as it all depends on the condition of the existing floor.
Our sand and seal service can bring tired old wooden flooring back to its original condition whilst still keeping the traditional look of the floor.
Replacing the floor with engineered wooden flooring or even solid wood flooring would be more expensive but would also breathe new life into your room and give you the opportunity to select from the 100’s of styles and colour available.
At JG flooring we can come out and offer advice on the best options available and provide detailed quotes on the alternatives.
Scotia is only required if you are not removing the skirting boards. If the skirting boards are staying on, it is highly recommended to use Scotia around the edge.
Scotia is a wooden trim used to hide the cut edges of the wooden or laminate flooring. It is available in various colours and styles to match your existing flooring.
In most cases you would be advised against using wooden flooring in any area where it is going to be damp. We can advise on using a waterproof laminate flooring that creates a water proof seal when clicked together.
This has a higher resistance to water sitting on top, although not completely impervious to water. As long as the floor is maintained correctly and water is not left on the surface too long then it is perfectly OK.
We can supply samples of water resistant flooring to help with your choice.
Laminate flooring is basically a photographic image printed onto a composite wooden base. This technique allows for thousands of designs and colours, giving more choice for your rooms.
Due to the fact that there is very little wood content, this makes laminate flooring the most cost effective solution.
When installing the laminate floor, JG Flooring will offer advice on the best solutions for cleaning to keep your floor in its best condition, helping it last longer. We recommend regular sweeping and vacuuming to keep the dust down.
You can purchase specialist laminate flooring cleaners that will clean the floor without getting it too wet.
Laminate flooring is resistant to splashes and spills but water can penetrate between the planks and if left to soak in can cause the laminate to expand and distort. It is not recommended to install laminate flooring in bathrooms.
The durable top layer on laminate flooring is extremely scratch resistant.
This will stop general wear and tear from foot traffic and regular use from creating marks and scratches, although, be careful when sliding heavy furniture across the floor as this can create deep marks n the top layer.
Although it is one of the easier types of flooring to fit, we would only recommend fitting yourself if you are competent with using hand tools and are a keen DIY enthusiast.
We have only too many times had to fix and in some circumstances start again on failed attempts to fit laminate flooring.
While it is easy to join the flooring the most difficult aspect of the installation is finishing to a high standard, it is all so easy to ruin the complete look by not finishing correctly.
Our products are from brands that follow strict responsible harvesting practices.
Responsible harvesting is the monitoring of excessive tree clearing where regrowth is as important.
Engineered Wood Flooring is constructed of several layers of wood. It will usually consists of three different layers, a top hardwood layer, a core middle section and also a balancing bottom layer.
All these are glued together under extreme pressure at 90 degree angles to each other.
Engineered wooden floors contain a protective coating, which prevents water from penetrating the boards, this allows you to mop without it affecting the floor.
It is also advisable to use a special engineered flooring cleaner bi-annually which will help to keep the flooring in as new condition.
Engineering flooring is resistant to spills and wet cleaning, although the floor should not be saturated when cleaning or spillages left on the surface. It can be possible for surface water to penetrate the joins and eventually alter the colour and look of the boards.
Endure the all spillages are immediately soaked up to prevent the flooring from damage.
Engineered wooden flooring has an extremely tough top layer that makes it very difficult to scratch and mark. General use will not damage or scratch your new flooring.
Although very difficult to damage, it is not impossible to scratch or mark the floor, so moving heavy furniture across the floor.
It is true, engineered flooring can reduce allergies due to its close joint installation, meaning dust and mites are greatly reduced.
All of the wooden flooring that we supply is sourced from brands that follow strict responsible harvesting practices.
Responsible harvesting is the monitoring of excessive tree clearing where regrowth is as important.
Wood is an absorbent material, so any laying water on the surface will eventually work its way through underneath the floor and cause swelling in the material.
Normal day to day spillages are fine as long as they are not left on the flooring for too long.
The tough hardwood finish of solid wooden flooring helps its resistance to scratches and damage.
Usual domestic wear and tear should not affect the flooring but it is not impervious to dents and scratches if you do not take care of the flooring i.e. drag heavy furniture across the surface.
The solid wood flooring is installed with its closed joints, this prevents dust from sitting between the planks and building up.
As long as the floor is kept clean this will keep any allergy causing organisms from living on the floor thus helping with allergy sufferers.
There are 4 main patterns that we regularly get asked to lay. These are herringbone, diagonal basket weave, brick and herringbone with a block border.
The design can also be dictated from the shape and size of the room as some patterns will not suit.
At JG Flooring we use either a water based lacquer or hard wax oil, but this depends on the type of finish you prefer.
We can show you examples of the different methods and their results.
We generally glue the blocks to the sub floor using extremely powerful flooring glue, this ensures the stability of your floors and prevents the blocks from raising.
In previous years, the flooring was adhered to the sub floor using a bitumen product although this method is not recommended now.
The optimum temperature for underfloor heating is 21 degrees and this can be achieved by both methods, water and electric.
Generally speaking, water fed underfloor heating is the cheaper option in terms of running costs where electric underfloor heating is cheaper to install but is more expensive to operate.
Both options can be used for wooden flooring.
As mentioned previously, water fed underfloor heating is the cheaper option to run compared to electric.
In a standard room, water fed underfloor heating is 20% cheaper to run than radiators from your central heating system due to their even spread across the room and the fact that heat rises from the entire floor to fill the room.
Underfloor heating is suitable for all flooring types including carpet, tiles, stone, karndean, laminate, engineered wood and even solid wood.
Generally, engineered flooring and laminate flooring does not exceed 22mm which is perfect for underfloor heating, obviously, the thicker the floor the less effective the heating becomes.
It is recommended that insulation is used on your floor to hold the heat in. This makes the underfloor heating system more economical to run as heat does not escape. Where permitted, the more insulation the better.
If the leak is located easily and early enough, we can removed the section of flooring that is effected and repair the damaged pipe.
Assuming that the leak was found quick enough we may be OK to replace the wooden plank but on occasion, if water is left for a long period it could have damaged the floor and the affected piece of flooring may have to be replaced.
There is a simple calculation to give you a rough idea of how much KW is required for your underfloor heating which is 70w x m2. We would however make a more accurate estimation when quoting for the installation.
