Recently, during a team meeting, we sat down and debated what people actually wanted from their floors? Surprisingly, after some debate, we realised it wasn’t actually that complicated.
Yet somehow our industry has made it super complex? Could it be that working in the marketing department of a flooring business is really boring, so you have to keep coming up with new products? Could it be that, as most people don’t buy floors every day, they are susceptible to sneaky marketing? There are so many flooring products and categories, but as we’ve got to know them, we’ve realised most of them shouldn’t really exist.
But they do. And they’re stacked high and wide in flooring shops across the UK. And they exist, because people can sell them. Not because they solve any real human problems.
So, what do people really want from their floors?
Well, firstly, they need to be beautiful!!
Now, we’re going to try and stay humble on this one, but we think we’re pretty good at this. Everybody wants a beautiful home, and your floor is a big part of that. We recently compiled a list of our Top Ten Floors, and we think there are some crackers here – Kite’s Top Ten Floors
But, beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder.
So, if you want a beautiful floor, the things to avoid are cheap lacquered floors from online companies (they can glisten in your lights like snow…just wait and see) or planks with ugly knot fills and too much colour variation (watch out for those “character” grades!!).
If you’re choosing a more premium floor, try and see a few samples before buying, so you get to appreciate the colour variation . Buying an expensive floor without seeing a large sample board is a bit like agreeing to marry someone on a dating app. In fact, floors last longer than most marriages, so it really pays to do your homework!
We also think vinyl floors are ugly (and we know that’s controversial). Even the best ones still have an unnatural sheen on them. Unless you like plastic. Practical maybe. But not beautiful.
Also, don’t forget a beautiful floor needs to be beautifully fitted. Get the direction of the floor running correctly. And don’t forget to stagger the planks. If you’re fitting a parquet, you might need a professional, whatever the DIY videos show. Fitting floors can get technical, but we are there if you need advice.
And floors need to be practical!!
So, some of you will be “shoes off at the door” people. Others will be more relaxed. But most people don’t want to have to worry about their floors after they’re fitted. Will it mark easily? Will it dent if I drop a pan?
If you’re looking at engineered wood floors, and they will always have the most natural feel of all the flooring products we sell, the key is how the oak is protected, either through lacquers or oils. Both strategies make great floors, and aesthetically, there really is no difference (lacquers have a bad reputation, because people have only experienced the cheap, shiny ones). But the key is not all protection is equal. Cheap floors use small amounts of low quality oil or lacquer, so tend to mark easily. It’s why contractors will often say “does the floor need an extra coat of oil on it?”, because the original oil that’s been applied is rubbish.
It’s true that some floors do require a little more love. Some of our oiled floors are more like owning a grass lawn, whereas the laminates are like owning astro-turf. If you give your oiled floor a little love, it will repay you (a bit like a grass lawn). The maintenance is not huge, but they do need a light mop with a natural soap every couple of weeks, and some maintenance oil. But sometimes it’s easier to go with astro-turf. Our lacquered floors are resistant to the toughest liquids you can find in a household, making them among the most practical floors you can buy.
But what about other types of flooring, like vinyl? Well there is no doubt that vinyl can be practical. But premium laminates now perform exactly the same job. If you step back and think about it, why would you glue 5mm of plastic to your floor? Surely, if the plastic is strong enough, a thinner layer is fine. And that is essentially what premium laminate flooring does, and the good ones are waterproof as well. And looks wise, we think they’re prettier than vinyl (just make sure you go with the wide and long plank versions). Oh. and they’re cheaper.
And what about our pets?
Well, this picks up the discussion on practicality. We know that companies exist who specialise in selling “pet friendly floors”. But, here’s the truth. All good quality flooring is pet friendly, whether it is wood, vinyl or laminate. It’s also not possible to make the case that any flooring is a specialist pet floor.
We read a statement from one company claiming their flooring would save on your vet bills! This is a bit like us saying our flooring will help you live longer. Actually. Maybe we should say that.
So, when we say pet friendly, what do we actually mean? Well we mean if your pet is sick, or has an accident, as long as you clear it up, you’re fine. Some floors are stronger than others, and our premium lacquered and our laminate flooring are almost worry free. This means you could leave your pet wee for days, and there wouldn’t be a mark. But please don’t. That would be disgusting.
So, for pets, what we’re really saying is whatever floor choice you make, whether it’s wood, vinyl or laminate, just don’t go cheap.
Finally, it should be within budget
So, we know we have plenty of clients who land on our website, and think “nice floors, but they’re super expensive”. They also think, “I can buy wood floors for £50 per m2 from directlywoodluxury.com and they have a 60% half-term holiday sale running”.
But what most people don’t know is that not all floors are equal. Floors are no different from any other product category. There’s the good, the bad and the ugly. The most cost-effective floors that are sold in the UK are almost always made in China, with low quality oils, or shiny lacquers.
Most of the time, we find our clients asking the wrong questions; they ask “will engineered wood floors work in my home?”, but what they should really ask “will that brand of wood floors work in my home?”. So, whilst our wood floors might be more expensive than some of our competitors, they will always work in your home.
But wood floors aren’t right for every project, especially if you have a large area, or on a tight budget.
This is why we worked hard to source the best laminates available on the market. They’re not sold in the UK, because most businesses are too busy focusing on vinyl, but they’re wider and longer than regular laminates, have a matte and textured surface, are water proof, and are AC6 rated (so pretty much indestructible). You can order samples of these online.
So, hopefully we’ve covered most bases. And answered the fundamental flooring quest.
A Beautiful Floor, That’s Low-Maintenance, Pet-Friendly, and Within Budget
Some helpful blog links are here –
OUR NEWINGTON PLUS FLOORS (WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE LACQUERS)
How to budget for a flooring project
