Foundations: Solid Ground Hard flooring made easy

FROM HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST HARD FLOORING FOR YOUR SPACES TO INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE, WE’VE GOT ALL YOUR QUESTIONS COVERED

There’s nothing quite like the warm colours of timber to bring a home to life. Whether you select solid boards, engineered flooring, vinyl or laminate, you can find the perfect look and price point you’re after. One of the benefits of these surfaces is that they’re very hard-wearing and easy to clean. “Almost all of the timber floors are pretty forgiving,” explains Anne Plumb, director of Royal Oak Floors. And if your budget doesn’t quite stretch to timber, there are excellent vinyls and laminates available for a stylish switch-in.

ENGINEERED FLOORING AND SOLID TIMBER

Before selecting your hard flooring, it’s important to understand the differences between the types. “Engineered flooring is made with a plywood core constructed from hardwoods that are glued together in opposite directions,” says Anne from Royal Oak Floors. “The cross lamination of the core gives engineered floorboards greater stability from humidity changes, which allows greater widths compared to solid timber.” However, Anne says if you want a very even look, solid timber may be the better choice. “We brush out the grain of our floorboards so it doesn’t look as flat,” she says. One of the other benefits of solid timber is that it can be sanded, stained and finished on site.

VINYL AND LAMINATE

Vinyl flooring has come a long way since the ’60s. “There are so many more patterns that mimic wood and stone,” explains Andrew Ferguson, national technical manager at Polyflor. “Plus, it usually has a clear wear layer on top so that the pattern remains fresh and protected. Vinyl is also a very safe product from an environmental perspective.”

For those on a budget, laminate is a good choice. “It has a strong surface layer, it’s easy to install, it’s durable and long-wearing,” says Shaeden Watson, CEO of Carpet Right, a Sydney flooring business. However, it has limitations. “Laminate is not suitable in moist areas,” says Shaeden. “It’s also subject to extreme temperature change, so it’s not recommended for holiday homes that get closed up.”

CLEANING TIPS

“For hybrids, laminates and vinyl planks, you only need a damp mop – detergent is needed every once in a while to give the floor a good clean,” says Shaeden from Carpet Right. “It’s important the mop is not too wet. For timber and engineered flooring, a daily sweep and a damp mop every now and then is best. Timber has to be treated more often with varnishes, waxes or sealants. Engineered flooring is sealed when it’s installed, so you shouldn’t have to maintain that for a long time.”

PATTERN TRENDS

When choosing flooring patterns, the classics are in, as can be seen in this home by interior designer Fiona Austin, of Austin Design Associates, where ‘Smoked’ flooring from Royal Oak Floors is laid in a herringbone pattern. “Chevron and herringbone are getting stronger,” says Anne from Royal Oak Floors.

TONAL PALETTE

Painting timber flooring is trending and, according to Sivan Carmody, brand manager of Feast Watson, dove grey is one of the top colour picks. In this home by interior design and architecture practice Richards Stanisich, the floor is painted Dulux ‘Milton Moon’, which blends in seamlessly with the darker rug. “Our ‘White Smoke’ is the most popular,” says Anne from Royal Oak Floors, of her brand’s top colour choice. “It’s a very light, soft oak timber tone.”

paint “FLOOR WILL DO A GOOD JOB OF life” BRINGING DAMAGED TIMBER BACK TO ~ SIVAN CARMODY, FEAST WATSON

GOOD FOR PAWS AND PLAY

“For someone with a family, hybrid vinyl is the best product on the market because its scratch-resistant,” explains Shaeden from Carpet Right. “You also won’t hear that clickety-clack sound that a laminate makes when kids run around the house. However, timber and engineered flooring would be on par.”

If you choose solid timber, pick the finish wisely, says Sivan from Feast Watson. “The only product we would suggest not using if you have kids or pets is tung oil, as it’s super-penetrating so it won’t stop the scratches on the top,” explains Sivan.

INSTALLATION KNOW-HOW

Depending on the flooring you select, the process for installation will vary, but there a few key things to consider. “If you’re in an apartment, check the body corporate allows you to have floorboards,” says Anne from Royal Oak Floors. “A fixed floor is much quieter than a floating floor but that does come at a cost. You also need to ask your installer if the substrate is suitable to have a floor put over the top of it.”

If you’ve chosen to install vinyl, Andrew from Polyflor stresses that it is not a DIY product. “To get a good-looking vinyl floor, you need good floor preparation underneath,” he says. “Sometimes the substrate needs a moisture test. All this needs to be done by a tradesperson.”

BATHROOM SELECTIONS One place vinyl flooring comes into its own is in the bathroom, since it is water resistant. You can also buy products that are non-slip, which makes it very safe. “We have sustainable slip-rated safety products where the safety rating is guaranteed for the life of the product,” says Andrew from Polyflor. “We embed particles through the wear layer so that some of them are buried, waiting for the vinyl to be worn. The way I like to describe it is to compare a hundreds and thousands biscuit with a choc chip biscuit. The first biscuit has hundreds and thousands on the surface; the second one has choc chips embedded all the way through, like our product has particles throughout.”

colours “A LOT OF OUR ARE CREATED BY CHEMICAL REACTIONS” ~ ANNE PLUMB, ROYAL OAK FLOORS

CARING FOR TIMBER

If you’re refreshing old boards, you need to know what’s on the timber. “If you have an oil coating and want to coat it with a water base, you need to sand it back to bare and coat it again,” says Sivan from Feast Watson. “The same is true for the other way around.” And, while timber is very forgiving, citrus or anything acidic, such as wine, sometimes can reduce the shine of the coating. “One coat of floor polish should fix it,” says Sivan.