What to Look for in a Wood Flooring Company

If you are thinking about having solid wood flooring for your home or business, it is not only the quality of the product that you should consider but you should also choose a reputable natural wood flooring company to install it.

A hardwood floor is a long term investment which, if installed correctly, will last for decades and beyond. So the quality of workmanship will need to be high with attention to detail at every stage: from the initial contact with the customer, right through to the installation, and afterc are service.

Here we shall consider what to look for in a wood flooring company to ensure the best quality materials, craftsmanship and service.

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Time in Business

One of the first steps in choosing a wood flooring company is to find out how long they have been in business. If a company has been operating a long time, it is a testament to the quality of their products and service as generally the longer the company has been in business, the greater their skills and reputation.

Naturally Wood has a history in the hardwood flooring trade that can be traced back 100 years, when much of the work was carried out by hand.  Today, its company directors have a wealth of experience in the flooring trade and take a very proactive role including talking through the customers’ requirements and supervising the works.

In-House Installers

A company that employs an in-house trained team of installers brings many benefits as workers takes pride in the jobs they do and constantly strive to achieve high standards of excellence.

A wood flooring company with an in-house team has an eye for detail and strives to achieve the best possible results for their customers, as opposed to subcontractors who may not have any special connection to the company.

In addition to this, an in-house team is more likely to have the training appropriate to each flooring type, and can offer advice as and when necessary so the client receives the right product to suit their requirements.

Naturally Wood has an in-house team of installers and floor restorers, and we supply and install superior flooring to a standard that meets or exceeds our customers’ expectations.

Attention to Quality

It is vital to choose a company that takes pride in the quality of their materials so they can lay flooring that not only looks beautiful but will last.

Naturally Wood is committed to high standards of excellence and lay great importance on the quality of our materials. We regularly carry out quality control checks at the factories in Germany, Holland and the Netherlands, so we can see the materials at first hand and view the methods of production.

Wood Flooring Specialists

It is always best to choose a company that are wood flooring specialists as they are experts in their field, rather than all-rounders.

General flooring fitters may not have the extensive knowledge and wide range of expertise a specialist flooring fitter, such as Naturally Wood, can provide.

Advice from the Experts

To get your flooring just the way you want it, you will need time to consider the various options and find out which of these will work best in your interior.

Instead of pushy sales techniques, you will want a company that understands choosing solid wood flooring isn’t a snap decision. 

Naturally Wood is passionate about hardwood flooring and we give our customers as much time as they need to think about the different possibilities, so they can gain the right flooring for their needs.

Free Sample Service

A free sample service means that you can view flooring types in the comfort of your own home to help you make the right flooring choice.

Naturally Wood provides a free sample service and can send flooring samples of 200mm in length direct to your home - just order samples via our website or direct from Naturally Wood.

Although the majority of our flooring samples are free, we do charge for some of our flooring panels, such as parquet panels and borders, as these have to be made specifically to order.

Survey Before Quoting

It is always best for a company to carry out a full survey before any work starts, so they can fully understand the job in hand.

Naturally Wood do just that which means that we can factor in any special requirements before quoting, so there are no nasty surprises when you get the bill.

Large Samples to View

Viewing large samples at first hand helps you decide on whether you have chosen exactly the right flooring for your interior.

Hardwood flooring company Naturally Wood guide you at every stage so you are completely satisfied with your flooring.

Once you have made your flooring selection, we will bring large sample panels for you to view so that you are fully confident of your decision before you give us the go ahead to install your new floor.

View Past Work

Find a company that is willing to show you their past work so you can see the quality of their work at first hand.

At Naturally Wood we receive much of our work through recommendation so you can be assured of superior results. Click on the link below to view our portfolio and find out more.

Hardwood Flooring Company - Click here to view examples of work from Naturally Wood.

Traditional with Modern

Look for a company that combines traditional values and techniques with modern flooring innovations such as under-floor heating.

Naturally Wood is a solid wooden flooring company that provides the best of both worlds and offers a wide range of traditional and modern flooring options including Bolefloor, the latest flooring product.

Ten Design Reasons to Opt for a Hardwood Floor Installation

Why opt for a hardwood floor installation for a home or business? Among the many reasons is that solid wood flooring is not only highly durable and practical, but it also forms the perfect foundation for the rest of your décor.

However, there are plenty of other reasons why a hardwood floor installation is a great choice compared to other types of floor coverings - and here’s our top ten:

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1. Versatility

Hardwood flooring is extremely versatile as it increases, rather than limits the possibilities of décor schemes. It works alongside any home style from shabby chic, eclectic, contemporary loft style, period properties, modern and minimalist homes, bright and airy interiors or time-honoured and sumptuous homes.

2. Bridging Old and New

Hardwood flooring works well in either classical or contemporary interiors. Wooden flooring can be fresh, innovative and work to soften stark, minimalist schemes (by installing curved flooring for instance), or you can choose hardwood flooring that is light, bright and airy to open up a small space in a modern home, or dark wood flooring for a more intimate feel. The right choice of flooring will revamp an interior and also make traditional schemes feel more up-to-date.

3. Wide Variety

From aged and distressed flooring to floors with a glossy finish, there is a wide range of solid flooring available to create just the right look for your home or business. With such a large number of wood types, finishes and stains, you can choose flooring that will strongly steer the design direction.


4. Neutral

Choosing a hardwood flooring installation makes a great starting point for the rest of the home. It gives a room a blank canvas to work with and you can choose solid wood flooring to work with any colour range.


5. Doesn’t Date

Solid wood flooring is a classic style choice as it has been in use for hundreds of years. It dropped out of fashion during the 1960’s and 1970’s when wall to wall carpets became the floor covering of choice, but since then has risen in popularity because it is timeless, elegant and easy to clean and care for. A solid wood floor that is well looked after and maintained will last for generations.


6. Economical in the Long Run

Updating a décor scheme can be extremely costly; however, a hardwood flooring installation will significantly reduce the cost of redecorating as, unlike a patterned carpet, for instance, it does not have to be updated to suit the style of your interior. A solid wood floor outlasts many other floor coverings (such as carpet or vinyl for instance) which makes it extremely economical.

7. Play with Space

How wooden planks are arranged, the colour of the flooring and the style, can subtly affect how big or small the space feels. For example, wooden planks arranged on the diagonal can make a space appear larger. Also the lighter the flooring, the bigger the space appears. If you want a spacious room to appear more intimate, go for patterned wood floors such as parquet or choose a motive. If you want a smaller space to appear larger, choose a plank design laid in the direction that you want to feel bigger (e.g. lay widthways to make a room feel wider).

8.  Adds Texture

Solid wood flooring that adds texture is especially useful for a contemporary, minimalist interior. A parquet or mosaic design, for instance, or the natural grain on stripped wooden flooring injects some texture to a scheme without detracting from a very neutral palette. One of the most popular designs of parquet flooring is herringbone, a zig-zag type pattern which mimics the skeleton of a fish. It was one of the first parquet patterns in Europe and has maintained its popularity.

9. Backdrop for Rugs

If you want to refresh your décor or bring in new colours, rugs are far cheaper to buy than a fitted carpet. They provide the warmth and comfort of carpet in selected areas, while retaining the practicality and good looks of the wood surrounding them. By using a rug, this allows you to be braver with your choice of colour and pattern. Most people will feel more confident about buying a vibrant, colourful rug than having wall to wall carpets in the same design. Changing a rug is also far easier than getting a new carpet installed, and is great for people who like to make impulsive design changes, or perhaps like to adjust their decor to match the seasons.


10. Appeals to buyers

If you are thinking of selling your home, a hardwood flooring installation pays off as it is popular with buyers. Buyers can be put off by a carpet they don’t like or one that looks tired or shabby, because they would prefer not to stump up the cost of replacing it. However, buyers will generally not feel the same way about a hardwood floor even if they decide they want to get it sanded and refinished after they buy. They perceive a hardwood flooring installation as part of the structure of the house, whereas carpet is seen as a more disposable item.

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Hardwood Flooring Companies - Traditional or Modern?

With so many hardwood flooring companies to choose from, you will want to know how best to narrow down your search. One thing to consider is whether it is better to opt for a traditional hardwood flooring company, or a more modern organisation that offers the latest flooring innovations.

One of the many appeals of solid wood flooring is that the end result is beautiful, elegant and timeless. However, whether you have a contemporary home or business, or a traditional interior, wooden flooring also has to work on a more practical level.

So the question you should ask yourself is: Do you opt for a long-standing company with an in depth knowledge of materials and the traditional skills needed to produce a high quality finish? Or do you opt for a more forward thinking company that takes into account modern requirements and offers you the newest flooring products?

Here we shall look at the two types of hardwood flooring companies and consider how Naturally Wood offers the best of both worlds.

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Traditional Hardwood Flooring Companies
If you are thinking of investing in solid wood flooring, there are many benefits in selecting one of the traditional hardwood flooring companies to complete the work.

Firstly, by choosing a long-standing hardwood flooring company, you can benefit from the experience of staff with many years in the trade. As they have expert knowledge of their field, they are well placed to understand your requirements and will take time to discuss all the flooring options with you.

In addition to this, a traditional company with an experienced team of staff has a deep understanding of the materials they use. This means they can explain how the overall result will look and offer specialist advice on the type of flooring that will best suit your home or business.

When it comes to installing your floor, traditional hardwood flooring companies will place great emphasis on the quality of materials and workmanship. A traditional company is dedicated to achieving the highest levels of customer satisfaction - from the initial survey, through to installation and aftercare stage when they advise on long term care and repair of your flooring and the right products to use. They are also in a better position to deal with more unusual or bespoke requests, and the end result will be high quality flooring with attention to detail.

Finally, if your floor looks tired or worn and is need of a revamp, traditional companies have the skills not only to install new flooring, but also restore and repair existing flooring to ensure it looks as good as new.

Modern Hardwood Flooring Companies

Modern hardwood flooring companies are fresh, new and forward thinking and can offer you the latest flooring products which can bring a fantastic creative slant to a contemporary home.

A modern company will offer the newest flooring products that take into account not just current fashions, but all the practical aspects as well, such as under-floor heating. Modern flooring companies can also introduce products that are more unusual so your interior stands out from the rest. This includes more exotic woods such as Teak, Iroko, Merbau or Wenge, which look stunning against a backdrop of contemporary furniture, accessories and wall art.

Other products that they can offer for your home or business include Bolefloor bespoke curved flooring, which is truly unique and steers away from the traditional parallel flooring as the boards are cut to follow the natural growth of tree.

In addition, modern companies know they are in a competitive market and strive to keep their costs down so they can offer competitive pricing. They use up to date marketing and communications techniques and have an extensive website where you can research the products online and make contact via email.

The Best of Both Worlds

Naturally Wood is a wood flooring company that combines the best of both worlds. Our years of experience in the hardwood trade means we can offer traditional techniques, combined with the latest machinery, technology and products.

We have an in-house trained team of staff who have an eye for detail and are committed to achieving the highest standards of customer service, so we can offer you complete customer satisfaction.

In addition to this, we offer only the finest quality materials, so your flooring is designed to last. We offer a complete range of flooring products including the most popular options, such as oak parquet, solid and engineered flooring as well as more unusual products like our Inception range of end grain flooring, exotic varieties of timber, and we can also offer innovative, eco-friendly products such as Bolefloor curved flooring.

So although we are a traditional company with a long history, we also pride ourselves on being one of the most innovative hardwood flooring companies you’ll find.

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Hardwood Flooring – The Environmentally Friendly Option

Hardwood flooring has been in use for centuries and wood has long been a material of choice because it is strong, durable and provides a beautiful, natural look to an interior.

Its popularity has further increased in recent years, as people become have more educated about their environment and how they impact on their surroundings - leading to an increased demand for healthy, natural and sustainable products.

Here we shall look closely at the benefits of hardwood flooring and why it is such a great, eco-friendly choice for the home or business.

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Natural wood Flooring - The Eco-Friendly Alternative

• Natural wood flooring is an eco friendly alternative to other flooring products, because wood is one of the most sustainable resources available. Trees can be replanted and timber can be recycled or repaired.

• It is also a natural product, free from the toxic chemicals which are present in vinyl and synthetic carpets which is better for the health of people and the planet.

• Another eco-friendly benefit of hardwood flooring, different to other types of flooring, is that it is so long lasting. A solid wood floor can last for a hundred years or more and does not have to be replaced frequently, ending up in landfill. This compares to carpets for instance, which have an average lifespan of ten years and laminate flooring: ten to twenty years.

FSC / PEFC Certified Flooring

Whilst all types of wooden flooring offer environmental benefits, there are a number of hardwood flooring products on the market today that are FSC / PEFC certified. FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council and this is an independent international organisation that encourages responsible forest management. PEFC, or Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes, is an umbrella organisation which covers a number of separate forest certification schemes that apply to different countries. It is an international organisation that aims to make forest certification easier. These certification programmes help to ensure the health of our forests.

Some, but not all, of Naturally Wood’s products are FSC/PEFC certified and these include our fusion engineered oak products and some of our Palladio parquet battens. However where required for a project, we can supply a full range of FSC/PEFC certified products from our network of suppliers.

Our Environmentally Friendly Bolefloori

Our Bolefloor range , is another particularly green choice of flooring. This is because the board is cut in line with the trunk, so instead of the traditional parallel straight floorboards, which incur wastage, more of the tree is used. This means that floor boards have an unusual wavy effect, making each one unique.

Natural Wood Flooring - So Much Choice

Contrary to what some people think, natural wood flooring encompasses a whole spectrum of different colours and effects - so environmentally friendly does not need to mean boring!

There are many of shades of timber, from light to very dark, as well as all the ones in between including natural wood flooring with hints of gold or red, or and even purple. Other timbers have a deep dark grain, such as Wenge, and timber with attractive flecks of gold, such as Merbau, as well as timber with knots or individual marks such as cat’s paw.

Flooring choices are wide too: choose from parquet flooring, mosaic floor, end grain, strip floors or for a more rustic look, aged and distressed. In addition to the various types of flooring, there are also a range of finishes available to produce different effects such as matt, satin or gloss lacquers, to wax, oils or stains.

Whether you require hardwood flooring for high traffic areas, or rooms that are used just once in a while, natural wood flooring is stunning and suitable for a range of interiors from offices to private homes.

Restoring Your Solid Wood Floor

Although wood is a sustainable product, restoring your existing hardwood flooring is the most environmentally friendly option as no trees have to be cut down in the process, and the end result is that your flooring looks as good as new. And, very often, a restored floor will have that much more character than a brand new one.

Naturally Wood repair, sand and restore most types of natural wood flooring including strip floors, engineered floors, parquet flooring, end grain flooring and aged and distressed floors.

About Naturally Wood

Naturally Wood supply and install a wide range of hardwood flooring including the more unusual such as Bolefloor. We also restore, sand and repair natural wood flooring to the highest standards. 

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Hardwood Flooring – Introducing Our New Bolefloor Curved Length Flooring

Hardwood flooring has always been popular but one particular type of hardwood flooring that is taking Europe by storm is Bolefloor.

Bolefloor provides a natural and alternative look to other types of solid wood flooring and is ideal for use in contemporary homes, offices, retail units and for the corporate hospitality industry, such as restaurants, bars and hotels.

This type of hardwood flooring has gained critical acclaim and presents an alternative to traditional, straight hardwood flooring. Instead, the length of each board follows the natural line of the tree trunk, producing a curved or wavy effect.

With Bolefloor, your flooring becomes a focal point and the result looks simply stunning in minimalist or Bohemian homes, contemporary businesses, studio apartments and even workshops, museums, shops or art galleries.

Here you can discover more about Bolefloor and find out why this type of hardwood flooring is a great eco-friendly choice. We shall also reveal the types of woods and finishes available.

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What is Bolefloor?

The word ‘bole’ refers to the trunk of the tree. Previously, this type of hardwood flooring was difficult to obtain and extremely rare as it was so labour intensive to produce.

However, thanks to a Dutch company, these high quality floorboards are now produced, still on a bespoke basis, but with the aid of state of-the art technology, making it much more accessible. They are very appealing as they follow the tree’s natural growth pattern to stunning effect.

These floorboards have been featured in trade shows all over Europe including Paris, Moscow, Switzerland, London, Hannover, Rotterdam, Zurich, as well as further afield, creating a surge in interest.

Their presence has inspired those who are seeking a unique and contemporary look to their hardwood flooring.

Why is Boleloor Eco-friendly?

Bolefloor is regarded as eco-friendly as it follows the natural growth of the tree, so you get more floorboards per forest.

This can only mean good news all round as fewer trees have to be cut down to produce this type of flooring.

Eco-friendly floors and furniture have risen in popularity as people are now much more environmentally aware and are starting to take responsibility for their role and impact on the environment.

Why Choose Bolefloor?

Bolefloor is unique - no two floorboards or floors are the same.

Like traditional hardwood flooring, Bolefloor benefits from a wide choice of finishes to choose from, but the main draw is its contemporary style and the overall attractiveness of the flooring: it is simply stunning.

The floorboards are put together like a jigsaw so the resulting effect is like a work of art - and this makes a wonderful feature in the home or workplace.

It has an organic look as it follows the growth of the tree.

Does this Style have a Wider Use?

Yes. This style has been used not only for flooring, but also for ceilings, walls, and even in furniture. Naturally Wood supplies and installs Bolefloor curved length flooring for customers in London, Middlesex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire .

We offer a range of different woods to choose from to cover all tastes and these include Walnut, Oak, Cherry, Maple and Ash. So, you can have any colour of flooring from the lightest colour wood (Maple) to dark wood (Walnut).

Different Finishes

Bolefloor options include the more refined grades which have no dark knots, to a natural look, or rustic effect. We also offer a wide range of finishes, which include natural, oiled and brushed.

Where is it Suitable?

Bolefloor is suitable for all parts of the home, or office, including hallways, reception rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, living rooms, office areas, studios -  and even the kitchen and  bathroom. It suits any size of interior and looks stunning in a studio apartment or spacious open plan designed home.

What Sizes are Available?

The size and width of the boards is determined by the trunk of the tree and the type of timber you choose. The width of the boards vary from 150 - 300 mm and the length is random, to a maximum of 3000 mm.

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Hardwood Flooring – How to Use Colour to Achieve Different Results

Whether you are revamping an old property, or have moved house recently and want to give the interior a new look, one way to do this is by opting to install elegant hardwood flooring.

Hardwood flooring looks beautiful and gives homes a wonderful, inviting and welcoming appearance. If you have decided on hardwood flooring for your home, there is such a wide range of flooring options it may be difficult to know which one to choose.

In parts of the home that are likely to see heavy footfall, such as the hallway and living room of a busy family house, the practicality and durability of hardwood flooring will be particularly appealing. Another major influence is the colour and appearance of the wood and this generally comes down to personal taste.

Those of you who want to achieve a bright and airy look to your home are more likely to opt for a lighter colour wood, such as beech or maple. However, if you want to achieve a cosy and intimate look to your interior, it may well be that you will want to opt for darker hardwood flooring.

You will find the range of colours for hardwood flooring is huge. Ranging from dark brown or black timber, to wood with an almost whitish appearance, hardwood flooring is available in all the other colours in between including red, purples, yellows and even wood with gold flecks.

See below to find out about the variety of hardwood flooring options and the different looks you can achieve with the various colours available. We shall also look at the meaning of the different colours in the home.

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Add Drama to Your Interior with Black Hardwood Flooring

A dark floor can not only make a space feel cosy and intimate, it can also add drama to your interior. If you want to achieve a monochrome look, choose a virtually black hardwood floor which gives an elegant and sophisticated look to your interior.

A dark floor contrasted against white furnishings with well chosen accessories such as black and white photographs and artwork can create a real wow factor to your home. To achieve this look, choose Wenge or American Black Walnut.

Make Your Interior Feel Homely with Yellow Flooring

Flooring which has a yellowish tinge, such as Ash or Iroko can make a room feel light, cheery and warming. It can give a room an inviting feel and create a relaxed space that you will enjoy spending time in.

Hardwood flooring with hints of yellow is a great option for hallways and reception rooms such as the drawing room, living room or dining areas. It is also makes a good choice for a nursery or children's playroom. Yellow is a very optimistic colour and it can help to promote creativity and improve memory, which is why it is also a very good choice for the home office.

Add Vitality to Your Interior with Red Hardwood Flooring

Solid hardwood flooring with reddish tones can really warm up a space and adds energy to your interior. Red is bold and vibrant and will look great in all areas of the home including the living room or bedroom.

If you like this look, there are a variety of hardwood flooring options you can choose from such as Mahogany, Padouk and Jatoba. It is also a good choice for the dining area as it helps stimulate the appetite.

A Solid Wood Floor with Hints of Purple is Calming

Purple is a relaxing and spiritual colour, so it is a great choice for the bedroom or a room used for yoga or meditation. It also evokes the feeling of luxury so it can be used in a room for entertaining, such as the living room or dining area.

If you want to achieve this look in your home, Purple Heart is a good choice as the wood is a deep purple colour, with a hint of brown.

Go Back to Nature with Browns

Brown is a stable and earthy colour and the good news is that there is a variety of hardwood flooring options available in different shades of brown, so you will always find something that appeals.

It is a great option for any room in the home as it brings forth a feeling of security and stability. Some of the choices you can opt for are American Black Cherry, Afromosia, Oak and Burmese Teak.

Give Your Home a Crisp Clean Look with Almost White Flooring

White is a very calming and serene colour so it is a great option for almost any room in the home. This colour is also a good light reflector, so it can make a room appear more spacious.

Canadian Maple is a whitish yellow colour and is a good choice for a modern or minimalist home, in smaller rooms, or simply as the basis for a light or pastel decor.

Hardwood Flooring – Why Solid Wood is the Best Flooring Option for Your Interior

Hardwood flooring has been in use for generations and it is easy to see why this type of flooring is so popular. It is an elegant choice for the home and makes an interior feel warm, cosy and welcoming.

Another benefit of hardwood flooring is its versatility. It looks stunning in both traditional and contemporary homes and nothing beats the appearance of a correctly installed solid wood floor.

Hardwood flooring is extremely durable so it is suitable for areas of heavy traffic, such as hallways and reception rooms. It is easy to clean and maintain – oiled or waxed floors for instance require just a yearly re-oil or wax. This does not take long to do and will keep your flooring looking as good as new.

Solid hardwood flooring can be used in almost any room in the home and there are many different timbers to select from to help you achieve the look you want. Choose from a host of options including planked, parquet flooring, engineered flooring, aged and distressed floors, end grain block floors and mosaic flooring to suit your style of interior.

Although hardwood flooring is a great choice for the home, it is not the only flooring option. Here we shall look at the pros and cons of other types of flooring to help you choose the right one for you.

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Other Types of Flooring for the Home

Laminate Flooring – Laminate flooring is designed to look like wood and is easy to maintain but it does not have the beauty that you get with real wood flooring. Although hardwood flooring is more expensive than laminate, a laminate floor will last between 10 and 20 years, whereas a solid wood floor is more robust and can last generations.

Stone Flooring – Natural stone flooring not only looks attractive, it is also very hardwearing and easy to keep clean and care for. However, a natural stone floor does not have the homeliness and warmth that hardwood flooring has. Although it looks elegant in hallways, kitchens, dining rooms, utility rooms and bathrooms, it can sometimes appear stark and cold.

Bamboo Flooring – Bamboo is not a wood but a grass and is a very environmentally friendly option as it is a sustainable product that grows at a very rapid rate (it matures every four years). It is a popular form of flooring and has a distinctive look. However, it is harder to care for than a hardwood floor as the surface is softer, so it is more prone to scrapes, marks and scratches.

Terracotta Flooring – Terracotta tiles have an attractive, rustic look and are used in hallways, kitchen areas, utility rooms and bathrooms. It is a good choice for a traditional home but the downside is that terracotta is very porous and can easily absorb moisture. If the tiles are not sealed properly, they can easy stain and this is hard to put right. Terracotta tiles must be properly sealed before use.

Marble flooring – Marble is a very elegant and beautiful form of flooring which looks fantastic in halls, stairways, kitchen areas, dining rooms and bathrooms. It also benefits from being very durable. However, marble can be very expensive and therefore it is generally used only in the best homes.

Vinyl and Linoleum Flooring – Vinyl is a man-made material made from petroleum and linoleum is made from renewable materials such as solidified linseed oil combined with other substances such as wood or ground cork dust. This type of flooring is easy to clean. It is also durable, economical and is available in a wide variety of patterns and colours. You can also use linoleum or vinyl to give the effect of a tiled surface. However, this look can appear dated and vinyl or linoleum does not last as long as hardwood flooring.

Carpet – Carpet is available in lots of different colours and designs and it is also cosy and warm under your feet in cold winter days. However, if you do happen to spill something on your carpet, red wine for instance, it can be difficult to get certain stains out so you may feel that hardwood flooring is much better option. Carpets can also wear out over time, whereas a solid wood floor can be repaired and restored. And of course, you can bring in the warmth of carpet by laying rugs over a hardwood floor.

The Benefits of Hardwood Flooring

Many home owners are choosing hardwood flooring over and above other forms of flooring because it is so durable and long lasting. It looks warm and appealing and can suit all types of properties and interiors.

A home with a solid wood floor looks instantly inviting and is the ideal flooring solution. Although it can be costly to install, this is outweighed by the longevity of a solid hardwood floor which, if well maintained, can last 100 years or more.

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Using Hardwood Flooring to Create Different Effects in the Home

If you are moving into a new property or have recently renovated an old one, then it is likely you will want to think about the various hardwood flooring options to create exactly the right look to your interior.

Hardwood flooring is a popular option for the home not only because it looks so appealing, but it is also very practical as it is easy to clean and maintain. However, with so many different hardwood flooring options available, it is often hard to know which type of to choose.

When it comes to selecting hardwood flooring for your home, as well as the different patterns, you will be faced with a vast range of colours. Hardwood flooring ranges from the lightest timbers such as Canadian Maple, which is whitish yellow in colour, to Wenge which is a dark, almost black wood. And there are a wide range of colour options in between including wood with gold tints, reddish brown wood and even deep purple.

In addition to the colour of the timber in its natural state, hardwood flooring can also be treated in a multitude of ways, such as wax, oils, stains and heat treatments, which further multiplies the colour options available.

Although the choice of wood may seem overwhelming at first, our experts at Naturally Wood will be able to talk you through the various hardwood flooring options. We can also bring samples to your home, so you can see the different wood types at first hand and get an idea of the finished result.

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Hardwood Flooring in Interior Design

Whether you are looking to achieve a modern or traditional look, your choice of hardwood flooring will give a real wow factor to your interior.

Here we shall look at some of the design tips and hints that you can use to create different effects in a space.

Light and Airy – Choosing light coloured solid wood flooring against a backdrop of neutral walls and similar coloured furniture can make the room appear light, airy and spacious. If you want to achieve this look, a top tip is to make the most of the natural light where you can. For window coverings, the use of plantation shutters means that you can vary the light levels and allow natural light to stream in while still maintaining privacy.

Wider Room – Hardwood flooring in a dark colour contrasted against light coloured walls can make a room appear wider and give the illusion that the floor space is much bigger than it really is. Dark flooring also makes the room appear warm and inviting and is a good choice for sitting rooms or bedrooms. If you are choosing a dark floor in the bedroom, a good idea is to have a textured rug to sink your feet into on cold winter nights.

High Ceilings – If you have very high ceilings, the use of colour can make this space appear more intimate. By choosing light coloured walls and flooring but opting to paint the ceiling in a dark colour (such as dark green for instance) will give the effect of 'lowering' the ceiling and makes the space appear more cosy.

Large Rooms – If you have a very large room or an open plan area and are opting for stripped wooden flooring, wide planks will work best in this space. Alternatively, you may want to consider patterned flooring, such as parquet flooring, and zone each area with different patterns and designs to create 'rooms'. Use hardwood flooring to create a lounge space, home office and dining area.

Small Rooms – Installing hardwood flooring on the diagonal, instead of the horizontal makes a space appear larger and creates added interest. This method also works equally well in large rooms. For instance it can make an already spacious hallway appear more roomy and adds drama to this space.

Focal Point – If you want to create a focal point, one way to do this is to have parquet flooring with a motif. This is imaginative and creates interest and can look stunning, particularly in the hallway of a large period property or townhouse.

About Naturally Wood

Naturally Wood specialise in hardwood flooring installation and restoration for all types of solid wood flooring including strip floors, end grain wood block floors, engineered floors, aged and distressed floors, parquet floors and mosaic floors.

We offer a complete range of sanding, floor laying and restoration services for homes, businesses, civic buildings, churches, educational establishments and a host of other organisations throughout London, East Anglia, Hertfordshire, Middlesex and Kent.

Hardwood Flooring –  Click here to browse our solid wood flooring products.

Hardwood Flooring: How to Get the Look for Contemporary or Traditional Homes

You have seen it on many a programme such as Grand Designs, striking hardwood flooring that adds to the overall effect of the interior and brings the whole look together. Your choice of flooring can make or break an interior and here at Naturally Wood we are hard wood flooring specialists, who will work with you to create stunning solid timber floors for home or business.

Whether you are looking to install hardwood flooring for modern premises, or a period property, we will work with you to help select the ideal designs, wood types and finishes for your property.

We are committed to high standards of workmanship and have built up an impressive flooring portfolio where we have been involved in many exciting restoration and installation projects. Among some of the most well-known names include Abbey Road Studios, Innocent Smoothies headquarters in London and Redbull’s London head office.

There are so many different types and styles of hardwood flooring that if you are choosing solid wood for your home, you may not know where to begin. From eco-friendly flooring such as bamboo or reclaimed wood, to non-traditional and more exotic wood types such as Padouk, Jatoba and Panga Panga, here at Naturally Wood we supply and install a wide range of hardwood flooring.

Here we shall look at some of the popular hardwood flooring options for contemporary and traditional homes.

Hardwood Flooring - Click here to browse our solid wood flooring products

Contemporary Hardwood Flooring

If you are looking for ideas for a contemporary property, such as an eco-friendly house, or a city style open plan apartment there are so many hardwood flooring types to add the wow factor to your home.

It may be that you have specific flooring requirements, such as flooring for a spiral staircase that sweeps down to an open plan living area and want the same hardwood flooring for both. Or it may be that you have a living room with a sliding glass wall to the garden that can be pushed back back to bring the outside in and want contemporary hardwood flooring to reflect that.

One of the most popular hardwood flooring choices for a contemporary home is beech, which gives a light and airy feel to a modern interior. However, dark wood flooring is also very much on trend right now, with exotic woods such as teak or wenge giving homes a glamorous and expensive feel.

Amongst our portfolio of work includes restoration work that we carried out to flooring of an apartment in a converted hospital in Repton Park, Essex. The hospital was built in the 1880’s and the original pitch pine floorboards were given a new lease of life by staining them black and finishing with Osmo hardwax oil.

Although wood is both a natural and renewable source, there is also an increasing demand for eco-friendly flooring for contemporary homes.

The most popular types of eco-friendly flooring is reclaimed or recycled wood and this gives a rustic feel to an interior and works well in both contemporary or traditional homes. We supply and install reclaimed pine floorboards and these can be stained to a colour to suit your interior.

Hardwood Flooring - Click here to browse our solid wood flooring products

Traditional Hardwood Flooring

Oak wood flooring is a popular choice for a traditional home as there are so many different types and colours to match a traditional interior. One example of oak flooring in a traditional property is a beautiful hardwood floor we completed for a property in Hampstead, London.

We installed European Oak Quarter Sawn Palladio Parquet in a herringbone design with a wenge border. The floor was laid to the stairs and living area of the property and finished in a satin lacquer - and you can see our outstanding results in the case studies section of our website!

Herringbone parquet and stripped flooring are both popular options for traditional hardwood flooring. However, if you don’t want to replace your existing floor boards, another alternative is to repair or refurbish your existing flooring.

Naturally Wood are experts in the repair, restoration and sanding of hardwood flooring and among our portfolio is a restoration project we were involved in at the world famous Abbey Road Studios in London. We restored the original wood block flooring to two studios at Abbey Road and the floor was finished with Osmo hardwax oil.

About Naturally Wood

Naturally Wood are specialists in the installation, restoration, sanding and repair of hardwood flooring. We will bring flooring samples to your home so you see the types of wood and designs at first hand. If you prefer, we can also advise you on the types of flooring best suited to your home.

Laid for Life - Hard Wood Flooring in Your Home

Hard wood flooring gives home interiors a natural beauty, warmth and timeless appeal that it is almost impossible to achieve with other flooring options. Timber flooring has become so popular now that many homeowners are choosing to sand and restore the original floor of their home, or having new hard wood flooring installed.

Naturally Wood are specialists in the installation, restoration and repair of hard wood flooring for homes, businesses and commercial properties. We shall look here at the benefits of hard wood flooring in the home, the choice of wood available and the range of different finishes.

Hard Wood Flooring - visit our web site now for a free quote or click here to view our range of Flooring Products

Hard Wood Flooring in the Home - The Benefits

Practical - Hard wood flooring is a fantastic choice for the home because it works well in any room in the house, including areas that will experience heavy footfall, such as the hallway and living room. Once installed, your flooring is easily maintained and we can advise you on the relevant floor products to use.
Aesthetic - Nothing beats the natural beauty of hard wood flooring. It will enhance your interior and can even add value to your home and estate agents will use this in their property description.

Versatile - There are many different woods to choose from in a variety of colours and grain variations to suit your interior. Timber types, include popular woods such as oak or maple, to the more exotic, such as teak or wenge. Your choice of wood, combined with the patterns and finishes offered by Naturally Wood, means you can create truly bespoke flooring.  

Durable - Hard wood flooring is very robust. With the right care and maintenance your solid wood floor can last generations - as much as 100 years - so it is well worth the investment.

Long-Lasting - Wood floor that is dull or damaged can easily be restored to its former glory, whereas other flooring options have much shorter life-spans. A carpet has an average life-span of about ten years, laminate flooring at best between ten and 20 years and vinyl 25 years

Allergy-free - Carpets trap dirt and dust, but any particles on a solid wood floor will remain on the surface where they can easily be vacuumed up or swept away. For this reason, hard wood flooring is a healthier alternative for allergy sufferers.

Easy to Clean - Hard wood flooring is easier to clean than other flooring options such as carpet. Liquid spills, for instance, can be wiped clean right away from the surface of a hard wood floor, but is difficult to remove from a carpet. A carpet with stubborn stains that are difficult to remove will have to be replaced.

Natural - Solid hard wood flooring is environmentally friendly, because wood is a sustainable product. You can find timber to suit all kinds of interiors, from contemporary flats to traditional homes. 

Hardwood Flooring - Oils, Lacquers or Wax Finishes?

If you are opting for hard wood flooring in the home, there are a range of different finishes to choose from including oils, lacquers and waxes. What works best for you is really down to practical reasons and personal taste, but to help you here is our brief guide to some of the options.

Oiled Finishes - This is a popular choice in the home and it helps protect the wood from dirt and dust. Oiled floors do require some maintenance, as the oil needs to be re-applied after 18 months, but this can be easily done by the householder. The benefit of oiled floors is that marks can be touched up without having to replace the floor.

Satin Lacquered Finishes - This produces a shiny, durable finish, suitable for areas with high levels of footfall. The surface can keep its sheen for up to ten years, depending on how often it is used. However, if you need to remove marks or scratches the whole surface would need to be sanded and re-lacquered.

Matt Lacquered Finishes - The overall finish is similar to an oiled floor. However, the finish does not need to be maintained regularly like an oiled floor. However, you cannot touch up individual marks, as you can with an oiled floor.

Waxing - This gives floors an attractive shine, although the overall look is not as glossy as a lacquered floor. Waxed floors require six to 12 months maintenance, depending on how often the floor is used. As in oiled floors, any marks or scratches can be dealt with individually.

Hard Wood Flooring - visit our web site now for a free quote or click here to view our range of Flooring Products

Hard Wood Flooring - Maintaining History While Renovating Your Church

Hard wood flooring has a timeless beauty and warmth, which is what makes it such a great option for church interiors and other places of worship. It can suit modern and traditional buildings and is extremely durable, as hard wood flooring can cope with heavy foot fall.

During the Medieval period, clay tiles or stone slabs were used as church flooring and, before that, churches had beaten earth floors. Timber floors have been used for centuries in churches and are thought to have been introduced in the post-medieval period. Nowadays, there are a wide range of different types of flooring used in churches including carpet, ceramic tiles, marble and stone.

Hard wood flooring is a popular surface because it is so attractive and long lasting - a well maintained solid hard wood floor can last up to 100 years. Naturally Wood specialise in the installation and restoration of all types of hard wood flooring for churches and other places of worship, as well as homes and commercial properties.

If you are looking at having new hard wood flooring laid in your church or place of worship, here are some of the things to consider.

Hard Wood Flooring - visit our web site now for a free quote or click here to view our range of Flooring Products

1. Ensure Your Hard Wood Flooring is In Keeping with the Church Interior

If you have an ancient church with a traditional interior, make sure your choice of flooring reflects this; likewise if you have a modern interior. As a guide, darker woods tend to suit more historical buildings and lighter woods work well with contemporary interiors. Oak is a popular choice for places of worship, and maple is a good option for lighter, more modern interiors.

Hard wood flooring is more robust than softer woods and tends to have a more refined grain. If you are looking for an elegant and durable surface, exotic woods - such as teak or wenge - are more expensive, but are extremely hard wearing.

A parquet floor with a herringbone design is a popular option for churches, and a lacquer finish produces a very robust surface. Naturally Wood have installed and restored wood flooring for a range of public buildings, including churches, and you can see these in the case studies section of our website.

An example of one of our case studies is a restoration project we completed in a church in Ruislip, Middlesex. Our experts at naturally wood restored the original Burmese teak wood blocks and the flooring was finished with Bona Mega Lacquer.

In another case study, we installed oak wood flooring in a church in Willesden, London. Our team applied three coats of liquid Damp Proof Membrane (DPM) to a new concrete sub floor. We then installed Legacy European Oak prime grade wood blocks, and the surface was finished with Bona Mega Lacquer.

2. Work Out How Much You Can Spend on Hard Wood Flooring for Your Church

When you are looking to install hard wood flooring in any building, including churches, you should first work out a budget - but be realistic on how much you need to spend. Discuss your overall budget with Naturally Wood and find out what they can do to fit within this price range.

You may not want hard wood flooring for all areas of the church, but for one section - such as the pews and aisles, but not the altar. Or you may want a new hard wood flooring fitted for a Sunday School classroom, youth area, or community room, but not for the main hall of worship.

Another thing to think about is whether you need a brand new floor fitted.  In some cases, worn floors can be restored to their former glory, so there is no need for a complete re-fit.   Naturally Wood are passionate about the installation, restoration and repair of solid wood floors and can advise you on the best steps to take.

3. Choose a Professional Team to Install Your Church’s Hard Wood Flooring

Once you have decided on floor restoration or installation of your church flooring, it is vital to call in the professionals, so you can be assured that all work will be carried out to the highest possible standards.

Naturally Wood has a family history in the hard wood flooring trade that goes back more than a century and we are proud of our superb quality workmanship. We have the experience of working on church interiors and can advise on all aspects of flooring, including the wood types, finishes, and restoration and repair.

It is vital to call in professionals with a proven track record of working in churches, as there are various considerations to make. This means not only choosing the correct wood flooring to suit the interior but there are also other factors to take on board such as the careful removal and installation of pews. Most pews have concealed anchors instead of L-shaped brackets; they need to be removed correctly and put back exactly in the right place, so as not to damage the new flooring.

Choosing a hard wood flooring company you can trust will give you complete peace of mind.  Contact us for friendly, expert advice.

4. Work Out a Time Schedule To Suit Your Congregation

Our floor repair, restoration and installation work is designed to keep disruption at a minimum. However, there is likely to be some element of inconvenience while work is carried out. 

Work out a time schedule to suit your congregation and think about whether there are alternatives that can be made during this time. It may be that a temporary room can be used for prayer meetings or Sunday worship. We can help and advise you on all aspects of hard wood flooring and installation.

Based in Loughton, Essex, Naturally Wood offers a complete flooring solution for homes, businesses and public buildings in Essex, London, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Middlesex, Hertfordshire and Kent.

Hard Wood Flooring - visit our web site now for a free quote or click here to view our range of Flooring Products

Updating Your School Hard Wood Flooring

When it comes to choosing the right hard wood flooring for your school, there are various factors to take into account. One of the principal factors is durability, as all flooring in schools will generate a lot of pedestrian traffic from pupils and staff. But there are a number of other considerations to make when choosing hard wood flooring and we shall look at some of these below.

Naturally Wood are experts in the installation and restoration of high quality hard wood flooring in schools, sports halls, dance halls, assembly halls, gyms, community centres and more. We are an Essex based company and supply and install a range of hard wood flooring throughout London, East Anglia, and the Home Counties, including Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Kent, Hertfordshire and Middlesex.

Here we shall look at the benefits of hard wood flooring in schools and the factors to take into account on choosing your solid wood floor.

Hard Wood Flooring - visit our web site now for a free quote or click here to view our range of Flooring Products

Hard Wood Flooring - What Do Schools Require?

There are many different hard wood flooring options and finishes available, but the type of flooring you require will depend on its use. The most popular request for hard wood flooring in schools is for gyms, assembly halls and dance floors - and we shall look at the requirements for flooring in these areas.

1. Practicality

Flooring in schools will generate a lot of footfall from pupils coming in and out of lessons. Add this to the movement of furniture and other equipment across its surface and high level of usage (such as a sports or assembly hall) and there is a good reason why hard wood flooring is such a practical choice in certain parts of the school.

If there is a likelihood of furniture, such as desks and chairs being regularly moved across the floor, your hard wood flooring could be prone to marks and indentations. This is often the case if your assembly hall doubles up as another room, such as an examination room. In this case an aged or distressed hard wood floor may be more appropriate, as any surface marks will only add to its character.

2. Hardness

In dance floors or sports halls, oak and maple are popular hard wood flooring options because the surface is so hard wearing.  There are also a range of specially engineered floors available for sports halls and these are stronger than solid wood and less prone to natural expansion and contraction. The type of material used will also depend on the surface the floor is laid on. Sometimes a plywood floor base is needed while other materials can be laid over a concrete sub-floor.

3. Easy to Maintain
Hard wood flooring in schools should not just be durable, but easy to clean, as they can be prone to spills or contaminants. Some gyms or assembly halls may also double up as function halls, where food and drinks may be served. Polished or waxed surfaces were traditionally used in gyms or dance floors. However, lacquered floors are more popular now, as it requires less upkeep.

4. Acoustics

As flooring takes up a lot of space, it needs to be compatible with a teaching environment, so pupils can hear what the teacher is trying to say. The wrong flooring can hamper a pupil’s ability to learn. How your hard wood flooring impacts on the adjacent room and the rooms above and below must also be taken into account.  At Naturally Wood, our experts will discuss the options with you.

5. Non-Slip Surface

Hard wood flooring in schools should have a non-slip surface to prevent accidents or injury. A lacquer finish for a gym or dance hall provides a less slippery finish than polished or waxed surface.

6. Appearance

Parquet flooring was historically used in large areas, such as school halls, to break up the expanse and was particularly popular in the Victorian era. All types of parquet designs are suitable for this space.

School gyms or dance floors, however, tend to be more minimalist. Hard wood flooring in these areas are usually laid in narrow random length strips, which is less distracting, and works well in both modern and traditional interiors.

7. Cost

Like all businesses, schools will want to keep costs down to a minimum. Hard wood flooring is ideal for schools and, if well maintained, it can last for generations.

Tired, rough or worn flooring may require renovation and this is generally cheaper than the cost of installing a new floor. Naturally Wood are experts in repair, restoration and sanding of all types of hard wood flooring including in homes, public and commercial buildings. Just contact us to find out more.

Hard Wood Flooring - contact us now for a free quote or click here to view our range of Flooring Products

Hardwood Flooring – A Rich History from Humble Beginnings

The history of hardwood flooring in England starts from the early 17th century. Although hardwood flooring specialists Naturally Wood haven’t been around since then, they have a long history in the trade which can be traced back in the family to the early 1900s.

During the reign of Charles I (1625 - 1649) many homes still had ground floors made from beaten dirt, and those lucky enough to have a second floor had plank flooring, rather than the beautiful hardwood flooring we see today.

While the majority of homes had earthen floors, floors of the wealthy were made from locally sourced stone or slate. Meanwhile on the continent, elegant hardwood flooring was introduced into the homes of the elite and in royal palaces in France and they would have included stunning parquetry and marquetry patterns.

By the 1800s many people had wooden plank floors, although more affluent homes had parquet flooring. Factory produced hardwood flooring was introduced in the Victorian era and by the Edwardian times (1901 - 1914) tongue and groove floors were the norm.

After the Second World War, with the introduction of cheaper carpets and synthetic fibres, hardwood flooring fell out of fashion and it has only been in the last 20 years or so that it has risen in popularity again.

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Hardwood Flooring: Then and Now

In the early days hardwood floors were first scraped, then scrubbed down with handfuls of sand. In fact many traditional methods, such as hand sanding techniques, were still used in the early 1900s.

Nowadays Naturally Wood combine traditional methods with high tech machinery and the best quality materials to produce stunning hardwood flooring that will add warmth and atmosphere to your home.

Flooring in England centuries ago was made from oak or elm, timbers that are native to this country and that were also used in ship building, and for furniture, doors and boats. Today oak still remains one of the most popular timbers for hardwood flooring because it is so attractive and robust and is available in a range of colours.

However, in addition to oak, there is now a wide range of wood types to choose from including more exotic hardwoods such as Teak, Mahogany, Wenge, Padouk, Iroko, Maple and Purple Heart.  

Finishes

Early forms of hardwood flooring would not have been finished, instead being polished over time through footfall. Waxing became popular to help prevent staining, although this was not ideal because it needed to be frequently reapplied.

Varnish was introduced in the mid 18th century which improved hardness, and by the 1930s polyurethane was introduced which was a popular form of finish that is still used today.

Naturally Wood offer a wide range of different finishes including oils, lacquering and staining.

Why Use a Hardwood Flooring Specialist for Hardwood Floor Finishes

For your hardwood flooring finish, it is vital that you hire an expert rather than doing it yourself, purely because there are so many different problems that you could encounter.

Among these are bubbling, chipping, discolouration and early wear, and we shall look briefly at these in turn.

Bubbling - This could occur if either soap, or a similar substance wasn’t properly removed before applying the finish, the finish was overworked as it was applied, or it was caused by air movement across the floor, trapping the bubbles as the finish dries. Bubbles can also be caused by applying hot oil finish to a cold floor.

Bubbling can be corrected in a variety of ways including screening and recoating or, in some cases, sanding and refinishing.

Chipping - This is when some of the finish flakes or chips off, which can be caused by a number of things, including spot contamination.

It can be corrected by screening the floor and recoating it.

Discolouration - The colour of your wood floor can fade over time if it is in direct sunlight but this can generally be prevented by shielding it from the light. In white oak though, discolouration can happen more quickly if the right sealer is not used.

Early Wear -  Not sanding the floor properly or not applying enough finish to your flooring can cause early wear. As can cleaning the floor with a wet mop, walking on the surface with gritty or sandy shoes and not applying felt to the bottom of the feet of furniture before you move it around.

A hardwood flooring company will be able to advise you on the correct care for your floor.

Caring for Your Floor
There are some simple measures to take to ensure that you keep your hardwood flooring in tip-top shape:

Do not use household detergents and furniture polishes on your wood floor - only specialist oils, soaps and waxes or specialist lacquer care products (if you have lacquer flooring) should be used.

Do not walk on the floor in stilettos, no matter how tempting this is, as it will create permanent marks on the floor, as will sandy or gritty outdoor shoes. Instead have a mat upon which shoes can be taken off before entering the hallway.

Do not mop your wood floor, instead wipe up any spillages up with a damp cloth and dry the area. And if you have wood flooring in the kitchen, use a mat to prevent getting the floor wet.

Do fix felt pads to the feet of all furniture including sofas, TV tables, bookcases, etc. to prevent the surface being scratched when you move these about.

Hardwood Flooring - click here to browse our range of products.

Wood Floor Restoration

Wood floor restoration is a vital part of keeping your solid wood floor looking fantastic for many years. Solid wood flooring can be a huge asset to your home or business premises, so it is important to keep it looking great through regular wood floor restoration and maintenance.

Wood floor restoration will keep a wood floor in the best possible condition so you can enjoy the look of it for many years to come. Solid wood floors often experience a lot of wear and tear from every day use so it’s important to protect them. Keeping your solid wood correctly looked after with wood floor restoration means that visitors to your home get a good first impression and you benefit from truly beautiful surroundings.

As well as enhancing the look of your home, solid wood floors can increase it’s value too so making sure you keep up to date with any wood floor restoration is well worth doing. If you are thinking of selling your house then doing any wood floor restoration before hand can only increase your chances of selling.

In this guide  we will introduce what the main aspects of wood floor restoration are including replacing damaged areas, removing dents and scratches, removing stained areas, filling gaps, sanding and finishing.

Wood Floor Restoration - click here for full information on our wood floor refurbishment service.

Our Wood Floor Restoration Process

Step 1: Floor Repairs

There are three main types of common floor repairs that need to be undertaken when you are thinking about wood floor restoration.


Replace Damaged Floorboards

Most types of floorboard or floor block can be replaced, solving a wide range of problems. It does however depend on the type of flooring you have and this is why we always carry out a survey before any work is under taken. We offer a free no obligation survey to inspect your floor and give you our recommendations.

Because we are specialists in reclaimed wood we have access to a large range of floorboards, wood blocks and strip floors and these can all be cut to the correct size. It is not completely possible to ensure an exact match to your original flooring but by using reclaimed wood we try and find as close a match as we can.
Scratches

Any scratches on your solid wood floor can be taken away using fine to medium sandpaper depending on the depth of the scratch. Light scratches can be sanded down and the wood refinished to look as good as new.  More serious scratches will need prolonged sanding to expose the bare wood. Only then can the surface be refinished.

The finish on your wood floor will determine whether the scratched and repaired area can be refinished in isolation, or if this patch will stand out too much. If the latter is the case, then for a consistent finish the entire floor will need to be sanded and have the chosen finish re-applied. 

Dents

Dents are a problem with solid wood floors and it’s advisable to ask people to remove their shoes before walking on them, particularly high heels. There are two ways to tackle dents in your wood, they can be filled with a wax which will set and go hard or if the floor is being sanded the dent can be filled with a resin mixed with some of the sawdust the sanding has created.


Step 2: Filling Gaps

Gaps between floorboards will naturally occur but some customers prefer for these to be filled. Small items could get wedged or lost between the boards and draughts will come up through the gaps.

Solid wood floors are all susceptible to the seasons and affected by heat and cold. Wood expands during the hot summer months but then contracts during winter when it is colder. This expansion and shrinkage may cause any filler used to try and fill the gaps to split and disappear.

There are three effective ways to fill gaps between floorboards.

The Stopgap method involves placing strips of plastic in between each floorboard. This helps prevent draughts passing through.

For pine floorboards then Pine Fillets can be used. These are wedges of pine that are placed between the floorboards and glued into place.

If your wood floor has been sanded then the resulting sawdust can me mixed with a resin called Lecol 7500 to fill in all the gaps.


Step 3: Wood Floor Sanding

Sanding is not a complicated process but it is a lengthy one, which requires patience, skill, care and attention to detail. How you sand, the grade of sandpaper used and the machinery employed for the task will all affect the finish of your wood floor.

We can sand all the wood floors we offer including parquet flooring, distressed flooring, end grain floors, engineered floors, strip floors and mosaic floors.

Hardwood floors are beautiful and need to stay that way to give you years of lasting pleasure so how they are sanded down when being restored is vitally important. We only use professional equipment and fully trained staff with a passion and knowledge for restoring the natural qualities of your wood flooring.

Step 4: Staining

Once your floor has been sanded down the next part of the wood floor restoration process is to stain or finish it with an oil or lacquer. Naturally Wood Floors offer all these services once your floor has been sanded down and can advise you on the best choice.

Staining can make a bold statement as the finish for your restored flooring. Stains can either darken or enhance the natural colours of the wood and with wood dyes you can change the colour of the wood altogether.

Our stains come in a variety of colours such as antique pine, ebony, walnut, light and dark teak, brown or red mahogany and light, medium and dark oak. If you have a particular colour you wish to match then we have a fully trained French Polisher who can assist you.

The stain must be evenly applied in order to penetrate the wood completely and then any excess wiped away. It is worth remembering that stains only colour the wood they do not give any added protection and for this you would need to apply a finish.


Step 5: Finishing

There are two main types of finish for a restored wood floor to choose from, oil or lacquer. These can be applied straight to a sanded finish or on top of a stain. 

The plus side of an oiled finish is that when any repairs are undertaken then specific areas can be treated without the need to re-finish the entire floor. As with all wood flooring regular cleaning is a must and then a fresh coat of oil every 1 to 2 years will keep your wood floor looking beautiful. If you try and minimize the risk of heavy scratches then there should be no need to have the flooring re-sanded again. The oil we use, Osmo hard wax oil, is long lasting and hard wearing.

With a lacquered finish again we recommend regular cleaning and a new coat every 1 or 2 years to refresh the surface. Unfortunately with lacquer it is difficult to carry out repair work on single areas so the whole floor will need sanding again if patches of wear and tear are too visible and spoil the look of the floor.  The two lacquers we use are a Swedish brand called Bona Mega and Bona Traffic and they are tough and durable so little maintenance is needed.

Additional Products and Services

In addition to restoring your floor we can also supply you with any relevant floor care products. These will help you to prolong the life of your wooden floor.

We can also carry out Concrete Hearth Removal and Restitch. This is when an existing concrete fire heath needs to be removed by chasing it out. Next we remove any surrounding flooring and then replace the area with reclaimed floorboards that match your existing wood floor.

Wood Floor Restoration  - click here for full information on our wood floor refurbishment service.

Wood Floor Repairs

However carefully you look after your wooden floor, wood floor repairs will need to be done occasionally. Common wood floor repairs include the removal of scratches and stains or correcting a badly laid floor.

Many beautiful wood floors are covered by carpet or vinyl but once revealed, with just a few wood floor repairs they can be stunning again. Or perhaps you have recently moved to a house with original wood floors that need some care and attention. The wood floor repairs that need carrying out to a floor could range from sanding down and varnishing a simple stain to replacing whole sections with new wood.  If the latter is the case then the job really needs to be tackled by a professional floor layer to get the best results. And that's where we can help!

Wood Floor Repairs - click here for full information on our wood floor refurbishment service.

DIY Wood Floor Repairs

After watching DIY shows on television many people think they can save money by carrying out wood floor repairs themselves. At best this will usually prove to be a false economy, due to the time it takes, the cost of equipment hire and the potential to be unhappy with the result. At worst, you could spend money on materials and equipment to fix the floor and then still have to hire a professional to correct your mistakes! Or you could cause long-term lasting damage to your floor by mishandling machinery, reducing its lifespan by up to 50%

It is therefore much safer and cost effective to hire qualified floor layers from the start, as they will have the expertise and correct machinery for the task. This will prolong the life of your floor and give you a perfect finish.

Wood Floor Repairs - click here for full information on our wood floor refurbishment service.

Common Floor Problems Fixed With Wood Floor Repairs

Here are some of the most common wood floor repairs problems with solutions.

Scratches

Removing scratches is one of the most common wood floor repair jobs and these can often be rectified with a light to medium sanding. Fine scratches are rubbed down with light sandpaper before refinishing the surface. If the scratches are more engrained, then medium sandpaper will be used to take the finish right back down to the bare wood. In most cases only the area affected will need to be repaired but if the finish of the floor makes this patch stand out, then the entire floor may need to be restored.

Dents

Dents are another problem with wood floors, especially those caused by high heels. If the whole floor is being sanded down then any dents can be filled with a combination of resin filler and sawdust. If only the dents need repairing and no other work is being done to the floor then hard wax will bring the surface flush again.

Broken Boards

It is possible to replace broken or damaged floorboards or blocks but it does depend upon the type of wood flooring you have so this is always subject to a survey. A survey of the condition of your wood flooring will determine the degree of work needed.

Stains

If the stain has gone too far down into the grain of the wood then the intense sanding required could mean that section of flooring would not look the same as the rest. Therefore if a floorboard is too badly stained the best solution is to replace it.

Correcting a Badly Laid Floor

A badly laid floor will always need a site survey to ascertain what the actual problems are and where the installation went wrong in the first place. The work required will depend on the type of flooring and the type of repairs needed.

How We Work

• We offer a complete range of services for wood floor repairs and restoration such as repairing dents and gaps, sanding to take out scratches, replacing floorboards and re-laying floors as well as oiling, lacquering and staining. We can repair all types of wood floors including distressed flooring, engineered floors, mosaic floors, parquet flooring end grain floors and strip floors.
• Our surveys are free and without obligation.
• All of our staff here at Naturally Wood are fully trained and keep up to date with changes in methods and products to give you the best possible service for your wood floor repairs.
• In addition, our state of the art equipment will minimize the production of dust particles during wood floor repairs.
• Whilst our equipment is fully up to date, we work with traditional, time honoured floor laying techniques. We use reclaimed wood to try and find the closest match we can to repair your wood floor, although it is never 100% guaranteed we could ensure an exact match

Why Choose Naturally Wood

• Our business is all about the installation and restoration of solid wood floors and it’s a real passion with all our staff.
• We can install, repair or restore all types of wood floors including engineered floors, strip floors, mosaic floors, wood block floors, aged and distressed floors and parquet floors.
• The best materials are used by our knowledgeable and highly experienced team to provide you with the complete flooring package, from supply, design, installation, restoration and repairs
• A high standard of workmanship and the quality of our wood floors is very important to us and we strive to carry on growing our reputation for a fantastic product combined with the best possible customer service.
• Naturally Wood Floors are based in Loughton and work with customers for our complete wood floor installation and restoration packages in London, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Kent, and Suffolk.

Wood Floor Repairs - click here for full information on our wood floor refurbishment service.

Solid Wood Flooring – The Benefits of a Solid Wood Floor Over Laminate, Carpet or Vinyl

Naturally Wood specialise in solid wood flooring for domestic and commercial properties in London, Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex and Kent. We have many types of wood styles of solid wood flooring on offer,  providing customers with a practical and beautiful wooden floor solution for your home or business..

Solid Wood Flooring - click here to browse our range of products

Below we will explain the benefits of solid wood flooring over alternative flooring types and detail what solid wood flooring can do to enhance your home.

Why Choose a Hardwood Floor?

There are many benefits to solid wood flooring both practical and aesthetic. Primarily people choose solid wood flooring for their home because of its warmth and beauty. There are many different wood types to choose from, each with their own individual qualities that make them so attractive.

By far and away our most popular choice for solid wood flooring is Oak, which comes in both American red or white or French varieties. Oak exudes a natural warmth with it’s light golden brown colour sometimes flecked with a hint of red in the grain depending on the variety you choose.

Another popular choice for a light, almost white floor is Canadian Maple. Alternatively for those who prefer dark wood then the deep chocolatey Wenge or the rich red and browns of Merbau with it’s gold fleck, both create stunning results.

It’s not just wood types that make solid wood flooring beautiful but also the design of your floor. There are many types to choose from ranging from simple strip or engineered floorboards to mosaic panels and bespoke parquet designs in a choice of elaborate patterns like herringbone, basket weave and chevron. Different treatments of solid wood flooring can also add to its beauty and visual appeal. For those who prefer a rustic look, aged and distressed floors are an excellent choice. Here each individual floorboard or panel is tumbled and hand finished which gives a genuine lived in appeal to the look of your solid wood flooring.

Solid wood flooring is also very hygienic and easy to keep clean. Food and drink spills can be wiped up easily and you can sweep or vacuum the floor as required. Dust is visible and has nothing to become ingrained into so you always know your solid wood flooring is completely clean.

Durability and value for money is another big benefit of installing a hardwood floor. It depends on the wood you choose for your solid wood flooring but hardwood floors should last you a lifetime if looked after properly with only the need for a refresh of its finish every 1 to 2 years.

And because solid wood flooring is so desirable and is such a long lasting investment in the beauty and practicality of your home it can raise the value of your property if you wish to sell it. It is often seen as a key feature for estate agents to use in  the house description.  

Why Choose a Solid Wood Floor Over Laminate?

• Although good quality laminate floors are made to look like solid wood flooring they don’t have the same natural, beautiful appearance you only get with real wood.
• Solid wood flooring has a much longer lifespan than laminate flooring. Laminate floors will last at best between 10-20 years.
• Laminate floors cannot be restored or individual floorboards repaired. So once part of a laminate floor is damaged, the entire floor must be replaced. In contrast, wood floors can be sanded on average between 4-8 times, restoring an 'as-new' finish.
• Although solid wood flooring is no less dusty than laminate floors it is just as easy to keep clean and it will add more value to your property depending upon the kind of house you have.
• Laminate is only really a temporary solution to your flooring needs compared to the lifetime of pleasure you can get from solid wood flooring.

Why Choose a Solid Wood Floor Over Carpet?

• For many years carpet was the first choice for flooring in most homes but as fashions and styles have changed there is now much more of a trend towards cleaner lines and natural materials. This means that solid wood flooring is an ideal choice as an alternative to carpet.
• Solid wood flooring retains it’s beautiful appearance for much longer than a new carpet. Carpet can soon look dull, tired and shabby with an average life of just 8-10 years. If properly maintained your wooden floor will last a lifetime.
• Once a carpet is worn or damaged then it needs to be replaced whereas a solid wood floor can be repaired or restored by sanding down and refinishing. This means once you’ve had the initial floor laid you don’t have the upheaval of having it done again.
• Carpet can trap dust and dirt particles you cannot see, which even a high tech vacuum cleaner cannot get to. Because any dust or dirt sits on top of the surface of the wood, hardwood floors are much easier to keep clean and more hygienic, especially in rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms.
• Solid wood flooring is a  healthier option for Asthma sufferers.

Why Choose a Solid Wood Floor Over Vinyl?

• Vinyl flooring is often a popular choice in kitchens and bathrooms and can last up to 25 years but it is often not of the greatest quality and certainly has a very dated look in today’s modern home.
• It is a misconception that you cannot have solid wood flooring in kitchens and bathrooms. With the correct wood choice, finish and sealant then wood will give you a stunning natural look that will compliment any changes in décor over the years, and also be highly durable.
• In short, solid wood flooring looks better and lasts longer than vinyl!

Guide to Hardwood Floor Types

Here is a guide to some of our most popular wood types used for flooring.

American Oak - comes in both white and red varieties and is of a medium hardness. Both American and French Oak types are among our most popular wood choices for flooring.

French Oak - can come in quarter swan, flat sawn, natural or rustic grades. They are all of a medium hardness and predominantly light golden brown in colour with a dark grain and some with large knots.

Canadian Maple - is harder than Oak but has a much brighter white colour with small black flecks in the grain.

Burmese Teak - is an exotic hard wood with a trace of yellow in its grain underneath a dark brown base colour.

American Black Walnut - is a very dark wood, almost black in parts from the colour of the grain. Although it’s hardness rating is soft to medium it is very durable and extremely resistant to moisture.

Wenge - an exotic wood from Africa that is almost black in colour. This makes a very dramatic statement for flooring and is ideal due to its hardness and resistance to denting and footfall.

Merbau - an Indonesian wood of medium to hard strength, this wood will give you a very different look with its red brown colour and yellow grain.

Beech - a very light, almost blonde wood with a modern contemporary feel, Beech is of a medium hardness and holds the colour of additional stains very well.

Solid Wood Flooring - click here to browse our range of products

Wood Floor Laying - Choosing Your Hardwood Floor

Wood floor laying can be a very detailed process and there are many aspects to think about when you are choosing a hardwood floor from Naturally Wood. We are a wood floor laying company with a long tradition in the business and our experts can guide you through every phase of the wood floor laying in your home.

Wood Floor Laying  - Click here to view our range of flooring products and service

Below we will explain step by step the process of selecting a new wood floor and our wood floor laying procedure which includes installation and finishing.

Step 1 - The ideal place to start when considering a new wooden floor is the Internet. Browse our main web site www.naurallywood.net for a wealth of ideas on wood species, floor patterns and different flooring products. Or if you prefer a hard copy to read through, then our company brochure can be downloaded from the website, or sent to you in the post.

The two main choices you need to make are the type of wood and type of flooring that you want. Here at Naturally Wood Floors, we can advise you on the best choices for your wood floor laying process.

Our wood types range from the traditional Oak, Beech, Maple, Walnut and Mahogany to exotic hardwoods such as Wenge, Merbau, Burmese Teak and Jatoba.

Our range of floor types is extensive from engineered, strip and wood blocks to mosaic panels and bespoke parquet flooring in a wide choice of patterns.

Step 2 - the next step is to give us a call to discuss what you have in mind and then we can recommend the best products to match your ideas.

Our highly trained craftsmen will talk you through the many differences of our entire product range including floor types and designs, wood types, grades of wood and finishes.

We can give you an estimate over the phone for your new wooden floor. To do this we will require the total square metres of the floor area to be covered and the wood and type of flooring you would like.

All wood flooring advice from Naturally Wood Floors is provided free of charge from our friendly and very helpful staff.

Step 3 - After providing an estimate over the phone, we will arrange a site meeting and inspection. Here we will draw up plans of the area or areas you want wood flooring for, take accurate measurements and inspect the sub floor. We will discuss with you the whole project including if there is any initial preparation work needed before the floor can be laid and if you require any accessories like perimeter beading and door thresholds.

At the site visit we bring along large sample panels of the wood type and flooring pattern you have chosen so you can see them in your home and get a true feeling of what they will look like and how they will fit in with your current décor.

Step 4 - Once you are happy with your choices and the work we need to undertake to begin the wood floor laying in your home, then a written quotation will be sent to you for your approval. In this quotation we will frequently put forward some alternatives to reflect different budgets for you to choose from.

Step 5 - You have chosen your flooring and wood types and approved the quotation so now it is time for the wood floor laying to begin. We will usually schedule the work in during Monday to Friday but sometimes weekend work can be arranged on request.

First the sub floor will be prepared as discussed at the site inspection and in accordance with our quotation. This preparation means uplifting and disposing of the old floor covering such as vinyl or carpet and then making any necessary repairs  to the sub floor.

Sometimes there is a need to fit a plywood sub floor or apply leveling compounds to a concrete sub floor before work can begin. Any joists that are damaged will need to be repaired too.

Step 6 - It depends on the flooring type you have chosen as to how your wood floor will be installed so here are details of the process for our most popular floor types.

Engineered Flooring - This can be installed in two ways. The T&G joints can be joined together with glue and then the floor is floated on an underlay. We have a variety of underlays such as foam underlays incorporating DPM suitable for concrete floors or others, which help to minimize the impact noise.

Engineered flooring can also be fully fixed to a concrete of plywood sub floor using a flexible adhesive.  If you have chosen a 20mm structural engineered floor, then this can be secret nailed through the T&G to the existing joists or timber sub floors.

20mm Solid T&G Strip Flooring - As long as the width chosen is no more than 130mm this type of flooring can be secret nailed to existing joists or a timber sub floor. It can also be fully glued with flexible adhesive to a concrete or plywood sub floor.

20mm Solid T&G Wood Blocks - A flexible adhesive is used here to attach the flooring to a concrete or plywood sub floor.

End Grain Flooring - A 2 part PU/Epoxy adhesive is used here to attach the flooring to a concrete or plywood sub floor.

Mosaic Flooring - Mesh backed Mosaic flooring can be installed on top of a concrete or plywood sub floor using a spirit based or 2 part PU/Epoxy adhesive. Felt backed Mosaic flooring can only be installed using a spirit based adhesive.

6-10mm Parquet - A 2 part PU/Epoxy adhesive is used with very small 23G stainless steel headless pins to fix the 6-10mm parquet flooring to a plywood sub floor. The plywood thickness can vary from 4-6mm over existing timber floorboards and 9-18mm over concrete sub floors.

Step 7 - The last part of the wood floor laying process is to finish your floor. Naturally Wood Floors offer a large range of different finishes such as stains, oils, lacquers and treatments.

Stains - These darken or even alter the colour of the original wood and come in light and dark teak, antique pine, ebony, light, medium and dark oak, brown and red mahogany and walnut. A stain will only dye your wood floor it does not offer any additional protection.

Oils - based on vegetable oils and waxes our matt, satin, snow, white spruce and a large range of coloured oils offer protection against wear and tear and make your wood flooring much more moisture resistant. Oils leave the surface of the wood in a very natural state whilst guarding it against dirt and liquids.

Lacquers - provide an excellent shield against scratches and scuff marks whilst enhancing the natural beauty of your wood floor with a subtle sheen. Our range comes in matt, silk and gloss.

Treatments - various treatments can alter the look and texture of your wood flooring. Oak can be smoked, fumed or thermo treated which will darken its appearance and our flooring products can also be tumbled, brushed or have bevelled edges to alter their look.

About Naturally Wood

Naturally Wood are based in Loughton Essex and supply a complete flooring solution of wood floor laying, design and restoration for homes and businesses in London, Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex and Kent.

We have a huge range of wood types and styles to choose from and can supply and install strip floors, bespoke parquet floors, mosaic panels, engineered floors, wood block floors and aged and distressed floors for homes and offices as well as shop floors, dance floors and floors for large commercial premises.

We have a wealth of experience in the wood flooring trade and our overall intention is to maintain the high levels of our products, workmanship and customer relationships to give you the best possible service.

You can contact us via the telephone or on our website to discuss your requirements and for a free home consultation and quotation.

Wood Floor Laying  - Click here to view our range of flooring products and service