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Tips and decoration

Advantages of wood flooring

• The main advantages of a wooden floor are:

• Long lasting: a wooden floor lasts for an average of 70 years and can last for well over 100 years. Unlike other types of flooring, wooden floors can be easily renovated.

• Natural: wood is healthy, it does not produce dust, preventing many risks of allergies. It is also very easy to maintain.

• Wear resistant

• Insulating and sound deadening

• Attractive

Choosing wood flooring

The type of flooring is selected according to the construction (engineered or solid wood), the species, the method used for laying (floating, bonded or nailed) and the pattern (straight, diagonal, etc.).

Various factors also need to be taken into consideration when selecting the flooring:

• The lighting in the room, the colour of the walls and furnishings (a fairly light room might have a darker floor whereas a darker room could have a lighter floor).

• It is also important to consider whether the floor is to be laid in a room where it will be subject to intensive foot traffic or not. The floor may be a harder European wood or softer tropical wood depending on whether it is intended for a corridor leading to the outside which is subject to intensive wear or a bedroom which is used less often. 

In which room will the floor be laid?

• Rooms that are not used very often without access to the outdoors: guest room, attic.

• Rooms that have moderate to normal usage without access to the outdoors: living-room, drawing room, bedrooms.

• Rooms used frequently: all rooms in the house except bathrooms.

• Rooms used intensively: all rooms in the house except bathrooms and offices.

• Special for bathrooms.

Colours and floors

A dark floor brings out the walls but creates a darker environment: the room needs to be very well lit with bright colours.
Uniform light floor and light walls give an impression of space but need to be defined by reliefs and touches of colour.

You are welcome to ask for samples so that you can compare colours against your wall covering, curtains and furnishings.
You can also try out the effect created by the flooring using our interior decoration simulator.

Different ways of laying the floor

The appearance and visual impact of the floor will depend on how it is laid. There are many different combinations of patterns to meet your tastes and requirements.

Strips laid lengthways will make a room look longer. Strips laid across the width of a room will make it look wider. However, the strips should always be laid in the direction of the light.
Wood flooring can be laid in a wide variety of patterns, from the very simple to the very intricate, mixing shapes as well as colour and texture.
The pattern depends on the size of the room as some patterns do not make the most of small areas.
The most complex patterns require specialist expertise and we advise having them fitted by professionals.

Wood flooring patterns