Last month Wood You Like received the 2010 Award "Best Flooring Retailers (1 - 2 shops)"
In this month's issue, Interiors Monthly lists all the 2010 Award winners and we're in good company:
Our congratulations to all the other winners. You can read how and why the above companies were nominated and winners in the August issue of Interiors Monthly.
Wood You Like seems to attract a rather large number of self-builders/renovators from all over the UK (and further afield: skilled diy-ers from France, Germany and even from the USA have found their way to our inbox and online shop).
One of these very skilled diy-ers (or should we even call them semi-professionals) emailed us the following:
"Dear Karin
I hope you and Ton are well.Just a brief line to let you know that our house is to featured in 'Selfbuild & Design' magazine - as far as I know in the October issue which goes on sale towards the end of August.
Both the externals and internals feature and since we've got a lot of your oak engineered board downstairs, that should feature reasonably prominently as well. The link came via Potton who had been trying to get our house featured in a self-build magazine for a while.The photographer was here all day taking shots - I attach one of the hall with your engineered boards in it. I have no control over what exactly they publish or which of the many photos, but I was asked to provide a list of about ten key suppliers to us. It is my understanding that they will list these in the article with phone numbers/email addresses. Naturally Wood-You-Like was one of those I mentioned."
Many thanks John. The image above not only shows the Duoplank Oak Rustic, oiled natural looking its best, but the eye for detail in every single aspect of the self-build John and July created almost from scratch. It shines through in the image below too:
Checking the Selfbuild & Design website we discovered the whole feature is published in the September issue, see here.
John emailed us again after receiving his copy of the magazine:
"We've seen a copy of the magazine that goes on sale later this month and we hope it does justice to the service and products that you provided us.There are plenty of downstairs shots (4) of rooms that include the engineered boards and the text includes the words "The supplier of the engineered oak boards was particularly helpful - offering technical advice about how best to lay the product over underfloor heating.
Then there's your website listed under Useful Contacts at the back of the article - which, mercifully, has been correctly written."
In July 2007 John and July also very kindly wrote a case study installing the wooden floor over the UFH system for which we and many of our clients using UFH are still very grateful.
The readers of the magazine Interiors Monthly have voted for the 2010 Best Awards:
Just returned from our short break we received a very nice surprise in the mail: the above framed certificate of the readers choice in the category Best Flooring Retailer ( 1 - 2 stores).
All winners in all categories will be announced in next month's issue of Interiors Monthly.
DIY conversation in our email inbox: (do you have a question yourself - use this form to ask us)
When installing Underfloor heating systems and deciding on the floor covering on top, many recommend to use Wood-Engineered flooring. These types of boards are more stable and can handle the changes in both temperature and air humidity better than solid wood floorboards (solid design parquet is a different matter all together).
When we received the following question we advised to take care - it is not impossible to install solid wooden floorboards on UFH systems but there's a but....
"This is a new build & we plan to lay solid oak floorboards (random widths) onto a self-levelled screed. There is underfloor heating & the screed is well dried out now. We've been told that gluing is the way to go, but reading thru some comments on your site I'm getting questions ... can we put the glue just into the groove thereby effectively having a floating floor? or do the boards need to be glued underneath? do we need floorboard crampers or could we use some softwood and rubber mallet?"
Thank you for your question. With wooden floors and UFH it is recommended to fully bond the floor to the concrete underfloor to avoid air gaps. For this you should use flexible adhesive that is suitable to be used on UFH.
Word of caution: UFH and solid wood floors are only agreeable when the solid floorboards are narrow. Otherwise there is a great chance the floor will shrink too much during the heating season.
Wood-Engineered floors are better suited in this situation due to their construction, see our Duoplank range page for more details.
"Many thanks for this Karin. Yes of course, very silly of me, couldn't do 'floating' as it would compromise the UFH!
We've had the boards for over 12 months indoors, they look pretty good ie not bendy.
Max width 160mm - would you say?"
160mm is rather wide, it depends on the other sizes and the number of 160mm boards. Try to keep away from installing two wide boards next to each other and leave a wide enough expansion gap all around.
"The widths are 100; 120; 140;160 up to 200mm. The wider ones we'll keep for upstairs to nail.
My other question tho is do we need the crampers or could we knock them 'home' with a long piece of soft wood & rubber mallet? "
100, 120 and 140mm should be ok, as said before, try to avoid placing 2 x 160 or even 1 x 140 next 1 x 160mm and you should be alright.
If the quality of the T&G is good you won't need crampers, just "knock" them home indeed.
I take the liberty to also email you - separate email through our automated system - our special leaflet with how to treat your UFH before, during and after installing a wooden floor.
"Thanks very much for your comments. We have had the solid oak flooring for a few months now. It's getting the time to do it."
When you install a wooden floor over an Underfloor Heating System in the summer months you often don't have the system switched on (if it is a new system, it will have had its pressure test to check for leaks no doubt). Our special leaflet - see link above - tells you how to start up the system gradually before installing the wood floor.
Doing this before installation when the temperature outside has reach Mediterranean level would be a bit OTT indeed.
Instead, raise the temperature of your UFH system gradually once the Autumn arrives, so your wooden floor (all wooden floors) can adjust gradually to the changes in "climate".
As authors of the Wooden Floor Installation Manual we are always eager to hear how DIY-ers get on with installing their wooden floor with a little help from our manual.
Through our online "Ask Advice" form we received a question about using a specific underlayment from a Dutch manufacturer. The DIY-er in question, Martcho based in South-East England, was strapped for time and could therefore not level out his whole floor using self-leveling compound, just small parts. To get the floor more level in the quickest of times, he needed the special underlayment to try to diminish the problem.
The only product seemingly available in the UK from this manufacturer was in our opinion more suited for laminate flooring than for the wood-engineered floor Martcho was planning to install.
In the end he did manage to source the more suitable type of underlayment from the same Dutch manufacturer and emailed us the following, including pictures of the end result:
Hi Karin
It is almost complete, the screed was dry, but not as level as wanted or hoped. The flooring is laid, cut the doors next week, put the skiring and the rest of the door mouldings and voila - job done. I managed to get the Paladin underlay as you advised.
The floor seems to sag a bit here and there but I hope not too much. I guess it will settle a bit and with the weight of the furniture. And it looks fantastic. The missus is very happy.Best Regards,
Martcho
Ash, an European wood-species can have a very "wild" colour difference between the boards, from "mother of pearl" spots to dark brown splashes
It does create a very lively floor though.
If you purchased the "Wooden Floor Installation Manual" too (paperback and/or E-version) and have finished your floor, you're also more than welcome to submit your pictures.
We are creating a growing "show-case" of DIY results with a little help from our manual. As stated in our manual: installing a wooden floor is not rocket science, and these show-cases are the proof in the pudding.
Besides supplying and installing new wooden floors, with design parquet as a specialty, we can also offer you a professional design parquet floor restore service - in the Kent area (crossing the border to East Sussex and Surrey will always be considered).
Barry, our Head Floor Restore Service, will bring back your original parquet floor to its authentic lustre and grandeur. Herringbone, mosaic, basket-weave or any other pattern can be revived to sparkle again. With the professional heavy sanding equipment we use the old finish layer, most of the dents and scratches will be removed to lay bare the original wood, while keeping its authenticity as original floor.
Together with you Barry will discuss the best new finish layer to apply, tropical wood-species need a different product than original Oak floors, for the best result.
Determining what wood-species your original floor has can be difficult - depending on how many different types of finishes and even various stains your floor has had over the times - but Teak, Rhodesian Teak, Merbau and Oak were mostly used for herringbone, basket weave and mosaic floors in the 50's to 80's.
Through our contacts with the Dutch bespoke parquet manufacturer we can often supply you with missing "blocks" in the original wood-species.
Call us on 01233 - 713725 now to discuss your requirements and options.
And if you are considering to add the same pattern of your original and rediscovered parquet floor in other rooms where better to go than to Wood You Like, where both the restoring of the original and installing of the new parquet floor are the specialty of the house. Often both types of jobs can be done in one go, saving you time, hassle and costs.
Visit our showroom to discuss your plans and projects and we will be able to give you an indication of total costs straight away, where after you can decide to have a site survey done (Kent area only, sorry)
News received from our Dutch design parquet manufacturer:
Design Parquet comes in many forms and styles, why not add simplicity to your home - adding wooden features increases both the value as the comfort of your home.
The 7-finger mosaic (8 x 160 x 160mm per block of 7 fingers) in both the Nature and Rustic Oak grade has just been reduced in price, so adding value costs even less. Plus you know the wood comes from guaranteed sustainable sources - PEFC
This mosaic comes in tiles which have a mess-backing (holding the blocks of fingers together for you), are unfinished (so you can add your own preferred finish and/or colour) and can be glued down on any flat and smooth surface (such as concrete/screed, plywood or osb subfloors - never try to glue down on modern chipboard, the moist repellent surface makes it also glue-repellent).
Call us now to discuss your requirements and options: 01233 - 713725 or order direct from our secure online shop (do note that the product comes direct from our Dutch manufacturer, you have to select the appropriate delivery charges = International Delivery).
Adding value to your home with stylish and simple Design Parquet has never been so easy!
More news and novelties in the Design Parquet are coming, so stay tuned!
The last thing you want when finally getting the key of your new home is long lasting floor problems. You already have so many other things on your mind and on your ever growing "to-do-list":
* packing,
* scheduling the home-movers,
* contacting all utility suppliers,
* informing every organisation of your new address etc etc etc.
And it feels as if everything needs to be done right now, this minute!
Discovering stains on the carpet, a dull looking wooden floor or even getting a suspicion there might be carpet moths on the lose is then something you can definitely do without. Some problems do need solving immediately before your own furniture moves in, others can wait a bit longer. Perhaps you even discovered an original parquet/mosaic wooden floor underneath the carpets, and are wondering how to bring back its old luster?
Below you can find some first-aid tips on how to tackle the most common problems, plus if you like you can request our comprehensive report with further tips, recommended preventive measurements and even long term solutions.
Read on.......
No matter if you are looking for quality flooring to install yourself - with help from our Wooden Floor Installation Manual - or have it done professional, we can cater for your needs.
Wood You Like's installation service covers the whole of Kent and crosses over to Sussex and Surrey if so required.
And the quality wooden floors from our ranges can be delivered anywhere in the UK (mainland).
But there is more:
Wooden floors have been around for a long time, from pine floorboards to herringbone and mosaic floors frequently used in homes build around the 5-'s to the 70's. Most often these parquet floors are still really valuable. (Old Pine floorboards are a different story we're afraid.)
When you move to a new home you might not even know there is a treasure hiding beneath the floor-covering you inherited from the previous owner. After the dust of your move has settled why not go on a "treasure hunt" especially when you already decided to change the existing floor covering (the carpet could not be to your liking, or the vinyl is more torn that expected). Lift a small corner of the carpet/vynil and see if there is an original parquet floor hiding, if not then that's a pity and you could decide to have a brand new wooden floor installed instead.
But very often the previous owner(s) had carpets installed over neglected mosaic or herrignbone/basket weave floors when wall-to-wall carpets came into "fashion" and the then laboursome maintenance of wooden floors became a thing of the past. But since maintenance with all the new modern finishes available - even for existing floors - is no longer laboursome it would be a shame to keep your rediscovered treasure hidden and/or uncherished.
Parquet floors, be it herringbone or mosaic - are charateristic to older properties. Keeping the style of your interior, including the floor covering, consitent with the period the house was built in will be in yours and the home's best interest. By keeping the style of the house, the house will keep its value - or at least more than when the interior is turned (too) modern and period features are abandoned or (gasp) ripped out and sent packing in a skip.
Restoring an original parquet floor is always worth a try. You can find plenty of help online, for instance with Wood You Like's own "7 Easy Steps to Repair/Restore your Original Parquet Floor". Sometimes all your rediscover treasure needs is a good cleaning, for which you can turn to our other guide: "3 Easy Steps to Clean and Maintain your Original Parquet Floor".
Modern eco-friendly products and modern tools can help you with the "elbow grease", and you should always consider it a "labout of love". Once you brought back your floor's original grandeur you'll be proud of yourself, and the envy of the neighbourhood!
For a rough estimate of costs for a DIY job: between £ 5.00 - £ 15.00 ex VAT for materials, plus hire costs for professional sanding equipment: between £ 50.00 - £ 95.00 per day (take care you hire the correct sander, drum sanders are not really recommended for parquet floors; always look for a contiues belt sander of at least 65 kg or a Triosander).
Again a rough estimation of costs: depending on the finish materials required a professional restore service will be between £ 35.00 - £ 55.00 ex VAT per sq m including the sanding equipment and finish materials and will be done quicker, plus of course guaranteed (certain conditions and distance can effect the exact price).
Besides supplying and installing new wooden floors, with design parquet as a speciality, we can also offer you a professional design parquet floor restore service - in the Kent area (crossing the border to East Sussex and Surrey will always be considered).
Determening what wood-species your original floor has can be difficult - depending on how many different types of finishes and even various stains your floor has had over the times - but Teak, Rhodesian Teak, Merbau and Oak were mostly used for herringbone, basket weave and mosaic floors in the 50's to 70's. Through our contacts with the Dutch bespoke parquet manufacturer we can often supply you with missing "blocks" in the original wood-species.
Call us on 01233 - 713725 now to discuss your requirements and options.
And if you are considering to add the same pattern of your original and rediscovered parquet floor in other rooms where better to go than to Wood You Like, where both the restoring of the original and installing of the new parquet floor are the speciality of the house. Often both types of jobs can be done in one go, saving you time, hassle and costs.
Visit our showroom to discuss your plans and projects and we will be able to give you an indication of total costs straight away, where after you can decide to have a site survey done.
Standard wood blocks are 9 times out of 10 used to create a herringbone pattern in a room. Why? Because that's what we know from the olden time and it is therefore one of the best known design parquet patterns.
As you can see in the above image, this pattern really suits a square or rectangular room, making it even more spacier and lively with all the individual small blocks (10 x 71 x 284mm).
The beauty of having individual blocks is that you can easily create a design that suits an awkward space better than a herringbone would. One of our DIY design parquet clients tackled his hallway in a creative way shown here. The specific measurements of the standard blocks enabled him to design a large mosaic (284/71 = 4) creating a playful and impressive result most suited to the shape of the hallway.
Standard wood blocks from our Design Parquet manufacturer always come in specific measurements which allow you to be as creative as need be. Besides the 71 x 284 there are the
71 x 355 (5 x 71)
90 x 360 (4 x 90) and
90 x 450 (5 x 90)
Running comments from our proud client during and after the installation, sanding and finishing of his "bespoke" design floor:
"I glued the final pieces in place this morning and I’m very pleased with the results. It took longer than I expected because of the cutting around the 5 doorways and the stairs but I have an excellent mitre saw which proved invaluable. I have the sanding machines arriving on Saturday and will be finished sometime over the weekend.
Had a busy Bank Holiday and I didn’t manage to waxoil the floor until Tuesday and I’m very pleased with the colour.
I found the Trio sander very nice to work with.
I just have to finish fixing skirtings, carpets and thresholds.Thanks for your help and advice."
Richard O - London
At your service.
If you have your own project in mind and are wondering how to tackle a not so square and rectangular room, why not design your own "bespoke" wood blocks pattern? Let your creativity flow.
Call us on 01233 - 713725 to discuss your options, prices and lead times.
Rules and regulations, we all encounter them, if we like it or not. The VOC regulations to reduce the amount of Volatile Organic Compounds in products is there for a very good reason: reducing negative effects some compounds have on the environment and some times even our own health.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) refers to organic chemical compounds which have significant vapor pressures and which can affect the environment and human health. VOCs are numerous, varied, and ubiquitous. Although VOCs include both man-made and naturally occurring chemical compounds, it is the anthropogenic VOCs that are regulated, especially for indoors where concentrations can be highest. VOCs are typically not acutely toxic but have chronic effects. Because the concentrations are usually low and the symptoms slow to develop, analysis of VOCs and their effects is a demanding area. (source - wikipidea)
These regulations take their time to be passed on to the public, manufacturers have to be allowed to find suitable alternatives for some compounds in order for the product to still do "what it says on the tin".
That's why - like now - a whole bunch of well-known products are disappearing from the shelves and are replaced with other, more "greener" products.
Only one month remains for two Lecol products frequently used with design parquet (new installation or restoring): from the end of June 2010 Lecol5500 (parquet adhesive) and Lecol7500 (wood-filler) will no longer be produced or even shipped from the manufacturer. We have a limited stock left at the moment, when that's gone it's gone!
(Update 01.06.10: Please note, as we've been told by Lecol UK, these specific EU VOC regulations are ratified for The Dutch and Belgium market. In/for the UK market both products will still be available. Only not through Wood You Like Ltd once our stock is gone.)
We are replacing this with:
F.Ball B91 and F.Ball B92 for parquet adhesive (available in 7.5 and 15kg tubs)
Pallman's Pall-x-Kitt wood-filler (5 ltr cans)
Also, introducing a brand new product in our range of oils which replaces, for starters, the Euku Oil1 as best finish for tropical wood floors (finished on site that is). Again, due to changes in VOC regulations the "old" Euku Oil1 had to go, but in our opinion the replacement Euku Oil 1 HS did not do the same job as well.
Saicos Coating Systems introduced us to their Color Wax Clear Extra Thin, which is especially suited to treat tropical wood. Only 1 coat needed, to be finished with only 1 coat of Premium HardWaxOil natural. Both products are available in small tins, so could come in very handy for those restoring existing tropical design parquet floors.
You will no doubt hear more about Saicos product range in future newsletters and/or FAQ & News items. All products from Saicos are of course eco friendly EU VOC 2010 compliant
For more information and up to date prices see our online shop or give us a call on 01233 - 713725 to discuss your requirements
DIY conversation in our email inbox: (do you have a question yourself - use this form to ask us)
Hi, can you advise please?
I have a herringbone parquet wood floor in my entrance hall and hallway in my house that was built about 60 years ago. Recently I was redecorating the entrance hall and noticed some woodworm flight holes in areas of the entrance hall: some clearly old and some newer looking ones.
The specialist treatment I applied needed the surface coat to be stripped away, which I did on the area affected (about a dozen tiles covering about 1 sq m). I did this by stripping and sanding and then treating.
However, I am puzzled on how to get back to a matching finish now that I have completed the treatment. It is not a polyurethane varnish as a drop of water leaves a white mark. But danish oil does not give any shine and floor wax does not seem to bring up the shine and lustre. Previous to my treatment, the floor was occasionally polished by my wife with a wax polish. But this, on a trial area, on its own wont bring the surface condition back. Your site looks very informative and helpful. Any advice would be welcome. My local paint shop simply say buy some satin polyurethane varnish, but I am careful about this.
In essence, I don't really want to sand the whole floor down if I can help it.
Thanks, Ian
When a floor is sanded bare it will take a few coats of wax before it comes back to its shine and lustre. If the floor always has been polished with this wax it would indeed be best to treat the sanded part with this wax too but it might take a bit longer to give you the result you are looking/hoping for.
Also bare in mind that when an existing floor is sanded it will lose its matured patina and will show slight colour differences between non-sanded and sanded parts of the floor. This will gradually "fade" to the same appearance.
Treat the sanded part with wax, buff it in and give the floor time to absorb it. Then treat it again one or two days later in the same way. Repeat this a few times, but make sure the floor has time to absorb it before you apply the next coat of wax otherwise you'll end with a sticky mess.
Hope this makes sense?
Let us know how you get on. Remember, it's taken your floor a long time to get its authentic shine and lustre and these things do take time (us modern humans would prefer everything to be done/finished/right yesterday, but nature takes it time to give you the best )
Karin - Wood You LIke Ltd
Answered received:
Very many thanks for this advice. I was getting a bit despairing at getting back the look without considerable effort and expense.
I will have a go at your suggestions this weekend.
Best regards
Ian
You asked for feedback on how I got on.
Well I started on Friday evening and followed your suggestion: particularly to leave it to absorb. The effect has been great. The luster is returning – although there are still patina differences between the areas.
I have repeated the treatment and as you say it does blend in better each time.
Many thanks indeed.
Ian
At your service, always more than happy to help out, even if it means re-instating old-fashion methods which now in these (ultra) modern times still prove their worth.
One of the questions that landed in our inbox concerned that "old problem" of trying to find a budget solution where the existing type of underfloor threatened to put the whole project on hold.
Budget range (below £35.00 ex VAT) in Solid Oak floorboards 9 times out of 10 comes in a box with random length boards. Random between 300 or 400 - 1200mm long. On its own nothing wrong with this, however most of these budget boxes contain over 50% short - very short - lengths and only one or two long ones (if you're lucky). These types of floors should not be installed floating because you will have too many joints in the whole floor, working like hinges and making your floor unstable, prone to move. Fully bonding with flexible adhesive or secret nailing is the solution.
Only, when you then discover your underfloor is cheap and cheerful chipboard you find yourself between a rock and a hard place. Modern adhesive does not bond with the moist repellent surface layer of the chipboard and nailing into this "wood-pulp" will not give you the strong fixing you need.
The person asking for advice really wants to replace his carpet with an easy to clean and anti-allergic floor covering mainly because to the number of animals they care for. Wooden floors are then indeed the best solutions: easy to clean, anti-allergic and simply beautiful.
When you find yourself between this rock and a hard-place due to the chipboard underfloor, why not opt for simple 2 or 3-strip wood-engineered flooring? All long boards, so can be installed floating without any problem, and most times within the same price range as these "cheap offers" in Solid Oak floorboards. Quality 3-strip floors have a total thickness of 14 - 15mm with a Solid top layer of 3.6 - 4mm
2 or 3 strip flooring is available in many wood-species but like with most other wooden floor types, Oak is still the most popular (and therefore often the lowest in price).
Another budget alternative, especially for areas with low "traffic" such as bedrooms, for you would be the EcoPlank: Oak veneer (1.8mm) on a high quality HDF backing. Total thickness 10mm and available in many modern Oak finishes, from natural to white oiled or smoked for warm dark tones.
Again, long lengths for simple "Floating installation" without problems on chipboard - and of course other types of underfloors.
a real wood floor, easy maintenance and within your budget. Simples.
Call us on 01233 - 713725 to discuss your own budget requirements and we'll find the perfect wooden floor for you in our Basic Range.
Commercial/Vertical parquet is the new fresh and creative version of solid wood flooring from our Chaco Wood manufacturer. Their Chaco Wood species will give the interior a trendy and artistic look. All these species are FSC certified.
Since the wood is delivered untreated the most appropriate finishing for your requirements can be applied after installation.
Because of the many wood species and multiple creative options Chaco Wood Commercial and Vertical Parquet is popular amongst architects and interior advisers/stylists. Commercial Parquet is perfect for use a s project
floor in shops, offices, ball rooms, party locations but also as special design floor for your domestic home.
Commercial = 14 x 22 x 250mm (15 strips per tile), approximately 1 sq meter per pack
Vertical = 22 x 8 8 x 160mm (40 strips per tile), appr. 1 sq m per pack
For up to date prices give us a call on 01233 - 713725 now to discuss your requirements and accessories (such as suitable adhesive and finishes).
Or request the full colour online Wooden Floor Range Brochure Design Parquet here to view even more large images and interior designs.
Until paint was produced commercially during the Industrial Revolution (circa 1800), painters had to make their own paints by grinding pigment into oil. The paint would harden and would have to be made fresh each day. Paint consists of small grains of pigment suspended in oil.
In portraits and in illustrations of religious and mythological subject matter the great Venetian masters of the sixteenth century manipulated the substance and colour of pigments to achieve naturalistic, decorative and expressive ends.
Last year our Dutch (Bespoke) Design Parquet manufacturer Lieverdink introduced this new oil finish, Grigio (Italian for Grey) using 5 rediscovered Artist's Pigments to create unique authentic appearance of Oak flooring. From the launch these original finishes have been available in 6mm wood blocks and "tapis" or "overlay" floors in various widths.
Now they - and we - are happy to inform you that the 5 olden colours are now also available in 18mm load-bearing wood-engineered boards in 2 widths (180mm and 220mm).
The 18mm thick board has a 6mm Solid Oak layer, unbevelled (square edged). An extra feature of this new Grigio product is the (unique) dark tongue which gives a shade effect to the boards should there be any (seasonal) gaps appear between the boards.
From left to right:
Antique Red, Old Brown, Pure Grey, Valed Grey and Slate Grey
Because of the uniqueness of this range you will receive a Certificate of Authenticity with your floor and the floor itself will have its own production code (printed on the back of the product).
See our dedicated Wooden Floor Range page: Aged flooring - where you can request the full colour online brochure with many more (interior design) images of this new range or give us a call on 01233 - 713725 now to discuss your requirements and accessories (such as suitable underlayment).
Delivery time: between 2 - 4 weeks, so order in time!
Alternatively: visit our showroom in Charing (Kent) where we can show you large samples of this quality range.
Feedback received from (DIY & Professional) floor fitters on Wood You Like's Wooden Floor Installation Manual
Hi Wood You Like!
Floor is now complete, just the beading around the hearth to finish. I read the book from start to finish before starting. Most of the information I had found from your web site before hand but I did refer to it during the installation and for the finishing.
Just an observation that you may want to share, I used Tongue-Tite screws to secure through the tongue (I always like my work to be reversible!). Although they claim the screws are 'anti-jacking' I found they did occasionally lift the boards by a millimetre or so. Usually found the next day when walking across the floor and hearing a creak. I lifted sections of floor 5 times to rectify, no joke!
Also the heads of the screws are T10 Torx feature and both heads and bits wear quickly. I found the bit supplied with each box barely did the 200 screws supplied. I found pilot drilling made the bits last longer, but more time consuming.
(Features and Advantages from Elka's own website)
Finished the floor with Osmo HardWaxOil which looks beautiful. Just the hall to do next. The box instructions for the flooring said to allow 10% for waste but I found virtually no waste, all off cuts were used to stagger rows, so I have 5 spare boxes.
Regards - John (Hampshire)
Hi John
Thank you for your feedback and we will definitely use your experience of the Tongue-Tite screws for the benefit of others (as you know we are not very much in favour of screwing floors, but then again have no own experience therefore with these "special" screws).
As far saw-waste: it indeed depends per room/rooms and the length plus width of the board you are using (plus the quality of the product) how much saw-waste you end up with.
Kind Regards and once again thank you for your feedback, much appreciated
Wood You Like Ltd
Karin Hermans / Ton Slooven
Buy the 160 page Wood Floor Installation Manual created by Wood You Like. Filled with tricks of the trade to install your own floor like a professional!
Paperback £ 17.97 (plus £3.97 p&p) (secure Paypal payment)
E-version available too! See here for more information and other purchase options
Feedback received from (professional) floor fitters on Wood You Like's Wooden Floor Installation Manual
Hi Karin & Ton
Well done on the ‘Installation Manual’, very informative and to the point.
Most manuals are very general and vague about the details, which are the most important bits if you’re going to be able to understand the reasons for doing or not doing certain things. It’s always essential to understand why you’re doing something so that you know why it’s correct and therefore you can then apply that method of thinking in general.
With regards to my flooring project(s). I had just completed a 55 sq.mt area in a new extension for a client before receiving the manual.
The back of the house had been knocked through and the extension was built across the whole width of the house. One third was the kitchen,
Wooden floors come in many types, wood-species, constructions, sizes, quality and prices. One of the more "common" ones is the 18mm thick Solid Oak floorboard, 120mm wide and with random lengths. Popular priced too at many DIY-sheds like B&Q, Wickes or even Floors2Go, but in our opinion the boxes in which they come should carry a big red exclamation mark on it: random lengths, nice but.... know what you are buying can restrict your choice in installation methods.
The problem is, the boxes do not come with that warning. So if you are in the same position as the person who asked the following question in regards of the "infamous" 18 x 120mm you might like to hear this too:
Question received:
Hello , Hope you can help me ? Ive just bought a new solid 120mm wide 18mm thick wooden floor to be fitted in the kitchen/dining room and the sub floor is concrete what would be the best way to fit the wooden floor?
Answer - includes warning
Thank you for your question. Question for you in return: does your floor come in so-called random length, for instance the known 300 - 1200mm? If so, you first have to check how many very short lengths are in a box.
If too many then it is not advisable to install such a floor using the floating method and it would be better to fully bond the floor with flexible adhesive to the level and dry concrete floor. See this article about the short end of the stick/board. Solid Floors - what to note
Hope this helps
Wood You Like Ltd
And flexible adhesive is - compared with combi-underlayment and a few bottles of PVAC-wood glue - higher in price, turning your "cheap" or cheaper wood floor into a more expensive (but not necessary better quality) floor.
See example of what's on "offer" here:
Would you care to count the number of long boards in the image above? Many short boards mean many joints = many hinges when you install this type of flooring floating, making your floor rather unstable and prone to movement.
Wood You Like
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