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.
Hardwood Flooring – Click here to browse our solid wood flooring products
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.
Thursday, 25 October 2012
Monday, 22 October 2012
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.
Hardwood Flooring – Click here to browse our solid wood flooring products
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.
Hardwood Flooring – Click here to browse our solid wood flooring products
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.
Hardwood Flooring – Click here to browse our solid wood flooring products
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.
Hardwood Flooring – Click here to browse our solid wood flooring products
Friday, 19 October 2012
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.
Hardwood Flooring – Click here to browse our solid wood flooring products
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 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.
Hardwood Flooring – Click here to browse our solid wood flooring products
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.
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
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
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
Saturday, 18 August 2012
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
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
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
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
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
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