LAY IT OUT

Matthew Brown, head of sales for Palio Express by Karndean (karndean.com), on laying the perfect floor

q How does the floor need to be prepared?

A It depends on the fitting format you choose. If you’re installing over an existing hard floor, such as tiles, or have an uneven subfloor, we’d recommend opting for a rigid core format, which can be laid directly on top. This means less costly subfloor preparation and the upheaval of taking time out to lift an existing tiled floor. If you decide on a loose lay format, this must be installed on a smooth and flat floor – so the quality of the subfloor is important. It’s great to have the flexibility to choose which format best suits your room and preference, but it’s a key consideration before picking your final floor design.

q Should flooring be FIRST BEFORE UNITS?

A Flooring ought to be fitted last to ensure a neat finish and avoid any accidental damage when moving or installing kitchen units. Kickboards on units can be fitted so they hide any expansion gaps required by your flooring, too. For example, our Korlok and Palio

Rigid designs can be fitted so the expansion gap is under the skirting board. Alternatively, our colourmatched scotias (floor trims) are available if you aren’t planning on replacing your skirting board. With loose lay, there is no need for an expansion gap and the floor to be fitted tight to the skirting board.

q HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH a patterned floor?

A There are multiple ways depending on the design and style you’re looking to achieve, but they can be slightly trickier than a straight lay floor to install. A popular choice is herringbone, and this can be achieved in a full-length plank using our

Palio Loose Lay collection. We recommend Diyers start from the centre point of the room.

Loose lay and rigid core allow the flexibility to achieve a staggered, brickbond or diagonal pattern, too.