When it comes to choosing the right wood flooring for your re-flooring project, much will depend on your personal taste and which room in the home you’re working with. In this guide to which flooring you should choose, we’ll take you on a journey through the home, room by room, giving you tips and hints about what you need to take into account.
Hallways
Hallways are one room in the house that have a whole lot to contend with, day in and day out. No matter whether you’re a couple or a family with five or six children, your hallway is likely to clock up more footfall than any other room in the home. It’s for this reason that you need to choose a wood flooring option that’ll stand up to some pretty extreme wear and tear. If you don’t have under floor heating in your hallway, you’ll be able to choose between solid or engineered wood flooring. If you have under floor heating, then engineered flooring is the best way ahead. When it comes to finish, both lacquered and oiled finishes have their advantages, but one thing to bear in mind when you’re planning your wood flooring for your hallway is to invest in a really effective, high quality doormat to protect your floor.
Lounges or sitting rooms
Because lounges and sitting rooms are likely to have a reasonably easy time when it comes to wear and tear, you should be able to allow your imagination to go pretty wild when choosing your wood flooring. Depending on the proportions of your room, you might plump for a narrow or a wide board to balance out any room disproportion or to create a stunning visual effect. Either way, the enormous choice of wood flooring available nowadays will let you choose anything from an almost white board to a black board without breaking the budget. What this means is that you can create a look for your lounge or sitting room either using the furniture you already have or the furnishings you plan to buy.
Dining rooms
The over riding element in any dining room is, not surprisingly, your dining table. Quite often these days, dining rooms tend to be on the small side and sometimes need to double up as a room with a secondary function, such as a home office. Either way, you can use your choice of wood flooring to reinforce the style you’re seeking. It may well be that you’re after a light and airy look with some shabby chic thrown in; or you may want to create a formal and classic looking backdrop for your furnishings. Either way, once again, if you don’t have under floor heating, you’ll be free to choose between either engineered or solid wood flooring and any finish you like. When it comes to board width, again you might want to reinforce the proportions of your room or create a funky, out of the box look. This chevron flooring is a relatively new and highly stylish option that is particularly well suited to dining rooms.
Kitchens
Kitchens can be hot and humid spaces, where temperatures and moisture levels typically shoot up and down on a daily basis. It’s for this reason that engineered wood flooring is, without a doubt the best option for kitchens. When you choose the wood flooring for your kitchen, make sure that the finish you choose will stand up to potential spills and stains as well as being easy to clean. A top tip for fitting your flooring is to make access to any pipework or drains nice and easy, just incase of leaks or accidents in the future.
Bathrooms
Once again, bathrooms are likely to suffer significant temperature and moisture changes and because of this are best fitted with engineered wood flooring. Which option you choose will depend on the look you’re seeking to create, but some of the whitewashed or distressed options create a lovely shack style look.
Bedrooms
Bedrooms are the perfect place to allow your imagination to go wild when it comes to wood flooring. You can either choose to have the same wood flooring in each of your bedrooms or choose a theme for each one. You could, for example, opt for a dark and designer look in one room, a light, whitewashed New England look in another and a warm, honey toned oak affair for the final room. Once again, if you don’t have under floor heating, you’ll be able to opt for either solid or engineered wood flooring.
Attic conversions
Attic conversions tend to get quite a bit of sun and can get pretty hot in summer time and cold in winter time if your roof insulation isn’t all it should be. With this in mind, it’s probably a sensible option to choose engineered wood flooring so you don’t have the risk of damage caused by temperature rises and falls. Another thing to think about in an attic conversion is the finish on your floor. If you have a lot of sunlight in your attic conversion, then it’s well worth investing in a UV finish on your floor so it won’t fade with the excess light.
Home offices
Finally, with more and more people choosing to work from home, there’s more and more demand for flooring to suit the home office environment. If you’re going to spend all your working hours in this room, you should choose an option that delights you as well as being able to stand up to the wear and tear, particularly around the desk area. On the basis that this room isn’t likely to be all that big, another benefit is that you can let your budget go to pot!
Your options by room side by side
| Room | Flooring considerations |
|---|---|
| Hallways | Engineered or solid wood if no underfloor heating is present. A durable finish is necessary due to high footfall. A high-quality doormat is recommended to protect the floor. |
| Lounges/Sitting rooms | The choice depends on personal preference and room dimensions. Can choose from a range of colours and finishes as wear and tear is minimal. |
| Dining rooms | Can choose from engineered or solid wood if there’s no underfloor heating. Consider the size of the room and the style of the dining table. Chevron flooring can be a stylish option. |
| Kitchens | Engineered wood flooring is best due to fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels. A finish that can handle spills and stains and is easy to clean is recommended. |
| Bathrooms | Engineered wood flooring is recommended due to moisture and temperature changes. A whitewashed or distressed look can create a lovely shack-style aesthetic. |
| Bedrooms | There is much room for personal preference in bedrooms. Can have a consistent theme or a unique look for each bedroom. Can choose from engineered or solid wood if no underfloor heating is present. |
| Attic conversions | Engineered wood flooring is sensible due to the risk of temperature changes. Consider a UV finish if there is a lot of sunlight to prevent fading. |
| Home offices | The choice should be pleasing and able to handle wear and tear, particularly around the desk area. The budget can be more flexible as the room is likely smaller. |
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FAQ
1. What type of wood flooring is suitable for hallways?
Engineered or solid wood flooring can be used in hallways if there’s no underfloor heating. It should be able to withstand a high amount of foot traffic.
2. What factors should be considered when choosing wood flooring for a kitchen?
Due to fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels, engineered wood flooring is the best choice for kitchens. The finish should be able to handle spills and stains and be easy to clean.
3. Can the same wood flooring be used in every bedroom?
Yes, you can have consistent flooring in all bedrooms, or you can create a unique theme for each one. Both engineered and solid wood flooring can be used if there’s no underfloor heating.
4. Why is engineered wood flooring recommended for attic conversions?
Engineered wood flooring is suitable for attic conversions due to its ability to handle temperature changes. A UV finish should be considered to prevent the floor from fading due to excess sunlight.
5. What should I consider when choosing wood flooring for a home office?
The chosen wood flooring should be visually pleasing and able to withstand wear and tear, particularly around the desk area.