What is a floating floor ?
What is an expansion gap ?
What is a clik floor ?
What is Laminate ?
What is the Photograph ?
What is hdf and mdf ?
What is the sub-floor ?
What preparation do I need to do ?
What tools do I need to lay a floor ?
Can I fit Laminate flooring in my bathroom ?
Can I fit laminate flooring to my staircase ?
Can I fit Floating floors in my conservatory ?
What if I damage a plank ?
Okay I would like new wood flooring, but can you fit it for me ?
Can you send me a flooring sample ?
I want to fit my own Vinyl Flooring, what preparation do I need ?
Can I fit wood flooring in my kitchen ?
Do I need any mats ?
How do I remove stubborn marks from a laminate floor ?





1 What is a floating floor ?

A floating floor is where all the planks are either glued or clipped to each other, and not to the existing floor. All floating floors require an underlay between the existing floor and the new " floating-floor". The floor is held in place by mass, but can expand and contract freely, by means of expansion gaps.

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2 What is an expansion gap ?

An expansion gap is the distance from the edge of your new flooring and an immovable object, such as a wall, fireplace, door casing etc. The gap normally needs to be 10mm but will increase on very large rooms and different products.

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3 What is a clik floor ?

A clik floor, or commonly " glueless floor" is flooring that requires no glue within the groove of the plank. The planks are held together by means of a mechanical fastener, or modern planks are designed so that they snap together. Many manufacturers are producing this type of flooring now, some good and some awful.

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4 What is Laminate ?

Laminate actually accounts for hardwood veneer flooring and the modern laminated artificial planks. Laminating is a process of sandwiching together various layers to create what we would say was a plank. Laminate flooring as we know it generally consists of a top wear layer, a photograph, core board and a counter-balancing bottom layer. Hardwood veneer flooring, is similar however it incorporates generally a , veneered hardwood layer, cross grained core, and a counter-balancing bottom layer. Similar to the way plywood is constructed. This makes it very strong and stable, as opposed to solid hardwood.

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5 What is the Photograph ?

The photograph on a laminate plank, is fairly straightforward. A photo of real wood is taken from about 4 ft off the ground, basically just below eye level. This is then printed on a craft paper which is then laminated to the laminate plank.

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6 What is hdf and mdf ?

HDF and MDF are man made products, manufactured from the waste thinnings of trees. Basically, hardwood and softwood chippings that would otherwise be discarded. They are then blitzed with resins in a huge blender and then compressed under massive pressure to form a dense sheet material. HDF stands for High Density Fibreboard, and MDF Medium Density Fibreboard. This process produces a very stable , strong and workable material.

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7 What is the sub-floor ?

The sub-floor is basically your existing structural floor. This will be constructed of Concrete or Timber. All timber floors must have cross ventilation below the floor level. So make sure the air bricks on the outside of the house are clear. Concrete floors fall in two categories, without a damp proof membrane ( dpm ) or with a dpm. All modern houses have a dpm, built in . This should prevent rising damp coming up through the screed ( concrete )

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8 What preparation do I need to do ?

It is always vital that you carry out vital preparation. Generally all floors need to be Sound, Clean, Dry and Flat. Floors MUST be sound, and the surface material not friable, or chipping or soft. They must be clean, no dust or debris on the surface. If the floor is tiled, the tiles need to be sound and intact. It is imperative that the floor is dry. Even if it looks dry, believe us more problems occur from assuming the floor is dry. If in doubt call an expert to carry out, surface and equilibrium tests to the screed. It is not always definitive that a floor be level ( as in spirit level ) but it must be FLAT. Timber floors are harder to level, however you can flatten out a timber floor by installing plywood sheets. For concrete, you need to chip away humps, and fill in dips. There are many manufacturers who provide materials for this purpose. Basically you will need a levelling and smoothing compound. This can be messy and if not experienced call in an expert. As a rule of thumb, floating floors need a level of flatness no greater than 2mm per running metre.

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9 What tools do I need to lay a floor ?

Most people have basic tools and it isn't necessary to go out and purchase thousands of £££'s of professional gear. The basic toolkit we would recommend are:

A carpenters square, a good pencil, a tape measure, a utility knife, an electric jigsaw, a hand saw and preferably a workbench. A fitter kit, or a hammer and strong smooth length of wood. And without doubt safety goggles and a dust mask. All in all you could kit yourself out for less than £60.00 with the essential equipment. We use the suppliers on our links page.

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10 Can I fit Laminate flooring in my bathroom ?

Although many manufacturers say their products are suitable for bathrooms. Our advice would be NO. Steer well clear, you are asking for trouble. We would recommend Luxury Vinyl flooring. Fitting a floating floor of any description is not advised in areas subject to excessive moisture.

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11 Can I fit laminate flooring to my staircase ?

We have carried out many staircase installations over the years. However the results can be disappointing and dangerous if you do not install the flooring correctly. For starters you need to adapt the nosing from each tread. This is laborious and needs careful planning. You must use the correct nose and riser trims, which you can obtain from ourselves, which are generally made from solid brass. Aesthetically the stairs look lovely when done properly. However, consider who is using the stairs, what would happen if you slipped. Is it worth it. Well if it is, get correct advice and email us with your enquiry and we will help.

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12 Can I fit Floating floors in my conservatory ?

Yes you can, but consider this . If you fit Hardwood in your conservatory, you may have problems with the wood fading. Also because, hardwood is Hygroscopic it takes in moisture and expands. Conservatories tend to be highly humid and are subject to definite temperature changes. If your conservatory is heated and ventilated and you have protective blinds, then a real wood floor would look beautiful. If not then laminate flooring is the answer. We have installed hundreds of floors to conservatories, and for some of the most respected manufacturers including Everest. Good expansion gaps are absolutely fundamental either way.

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13 What if I damage a plank ?

If you damage a plank during installation, replace it immediately. If it is a glued floor, be quick and remove all traces of glue down the groove with a damp cloth wrapped over the end of a screw driver. We find this works a treat. Be patient, and take your time, but remove every last smidgen of glue. If it is a clik system, we would recommend removing the whole row. Removing each plank and putting the damaged plank to one side and then continuing.

If however you damage your floor after installation. There are many many ways in repairing it. If it is a wooden floor and the damage is a scratch or a dink, you can order from us a proprietary wood filler for the colour of your floor. If it is severe damage you can carry out " cut and splice" repairs, this is however very laborious. But if we can do it, so can you. The principles described work equally for glued laminated floors. To carry out these repairs call our office or send an email, and we shall return a data sheet. If on the other hand you have installed a laminate clik system, then the process is much easier. Just un clik all the flooring starting from the last plank you fitted. Our advice would be number each piece as you remove. Until you get to the damaged panel, replace it with a new plank, and relay your floor. FLOORING by NUMBERS. If all else fails, either call in a professional such as ourselves or contact your insurance company and find out if you are covered. Please note that they generally only pay for the materials, where you have installed the flooring yourself.

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14 Okay I would like new wood flooring, but can you fit it for me ?

Yes, of course we can. We would be only to pleased to quote for your installation. You can either visit our Fitting Rates page, phone for a free quotation. Or as a general rule our rates are as follows Laminate clik systems £12.00 per square meter. Wood floors £18.00 per square meter and luxury vinyl from £15.00 per square meter.

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15 Can you send me a flooring sample ?

Yes of course, this is a free service and is limited to an A5 sized sample. We can also provide you with the brochure of your choice. Please specify the product you would like. Samples are limited to one per customer. However for a small fee we can send more samples. Email your request now and consider it done. Email your Request

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16 I want to fit my own Vinyl Flooring, what preparation do I need ?

Fitting vinyl flooring is straightforward, but you do need to prepare the surface to perfection. Timber floors need to be " gloved " i.e.: have a plywood layer fitted to them to provide a flat clean surface. The plywood needs to be fixed every 100mm preferably with rust resistant nails or short screws, making sure all fixings do not sit proud of the surface. Concrete floors need to be latexed or a smoothing compound installed. To provide a nice clean smooth and flat workable surface. Making sure to fill dips and remove peaks in the floor.

If the surface has been previously tiled with thermoplastic tiles etc, remove these first: as a tip use a hair dryer or hot air gun on a low setting to warm the tiles to be removed. This works wonders. If you have any sticky residue, remove as best you can, and apply some talcum powder to remove the stickiness. When ready prepare the floor as above. If the floor is tiled with ceramics or quarry tiles, if they are generally sound you can lay over the top of them. Although this is not ideal, it is doable. You will need to use the correct smoothing compound over the top of them though.

If you are fitting this flooring within a bathroom, we advise removal of the toilet and pedestal so that the flooring goes underneath. This is both easier to lay the flooring, more hygienic and prevents water tracking under the vinyl. You must check that you have enough give on your plumbing to tolerate the extra height though. Which should be around 10mm. If in doubt call a plumber.

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17 Can I fit wood flooring in my kitchen ?

Yes of course. And it looks wonderful. However there are a few tips to follow. Firstly, you must remove free-standing appliances such as cooker, fridge, washing-machine etc. Get the appropriate professional to disconnect your gas-appliances.

Prepare the floor as above. Remove the kitchen plinths, or toe kicks. Itemise them on the back with where they came from and an arrow denoting which way up they go.

Install your flooring according to the instructions. Making sure to include expansion gaps where necessary. Fit edging trim where needed, if you are not removing the skirting. Re-cut the plinths to the correct height and re-fit them. Make sure when reconnecting water supplies, that you check the connections are water tight. Always check before installing that the height of the floor will not impede the appliances being fitted back under the worktops. Our final tip would be, use the packaging under your appliance to gently slide the appliances back to their normal position.

Note for wood and laminate floors. Always wipe up spillages immediately. Be careful not to drop strong chemicals on the floor. Keep the floor clean with a moist mop, regularly. The rule of thumb is the mop should not be "wetter than a wet-wipe."

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18 Do I need any mats ?

It is fundamental that you protect your beautiful new floor. Treat your self to some new mats, one for outside your external doors, and one just inside. This gives you the maximum chance of removing all grit and dirt from your feet.

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19 How do I remove stubborn marks from a laminate floor ?

This is simplicity itself. For general dirt, use a moist cloth. Pencil marks can be removed with a rubber in conjunction with a damp cloth. Stubborn marks like nail-polish, felt-tip bitumastic etc. can be removed with our proprietary cleaners or acetone, the most common being nail polish remover. Never apply furniture polish to your laminate floor.