Wooden flooring provides an attractive all-natural base for your home's aesthetic and should last a life, but it can be challenging to know where to start in regards to picking hardwood flooring. Since you will be residing with your choice for many years, it's simple to be a bit overwhelmed by all the choices that are available to you.
At Chaunceys, our experts will be happy to talk you through your project and direct you in the ideal path, but feel free to read the guidelines below which give an overview of the questions you should be asking yourself when it comes to choosing wood flooring.
With so many fantastic options available, what do you need to consider when selecting a wooden floor?
THE LOOK
The desired look of the flooring is normally the first step you will consider, and with all these possibilities -- all of them beautiful in their own way -- it is a tricky decision to make.
Do you need a traditional or contemporary look? Are you leaning towards a light or dark floor? Is it sleek and understated, or distinctive and full of personality?
COLOUR
Dark flooring will offer you a sense of luxury and cosiness, and mild flooring can give a feeling of space. Or you may opt for more organic mid-tones that are welcoming and warm.
You can pick from a broad colour palette with wooden flooring. Have a peek at the Chaunceys color guide to get some inspiration.
FINISH
Consider the sheen level you envisage to your own project. We supply a range of finishes from Ultra Matt to Gloss in the two oils and lacquers.
GRADE
As they are natural products, every wooden floor has its own individual personality and beauty. The knots, splits, and colour variation in each plank will be unique to each board, and you'll be able to choose to have less and more of those features depending on the grade of timber you choose. We've developed our very own grading guide to help you pick the look you are after.
LENGTH AND WIDTH
Chaunceys offer a massive array of board sizes to fit your needs. To remain on-trend, elect for extra-wide single-width floorboards. These are especially ideal for larger rooms. We suggest Taking a Look at our Extra Long Engineered Planks.
A more traditional look can be accomplished with the boards laid with 4 or 3 varying widths.
Utilizing our Fixed Length boards provides a timeless look of traditional hardwood floors, whereas mixing lengths can create a more distinctive contemporary feel.
THE SIDE PROFILE OF THE BOARD
The border of your floorboards may either be square, which provides a sleek modern look or can have a slight bevel to them. Micro bevels give a more traditional feel and may also hide the small potential height differences between the planks.
PATTERNED FLOORING
Parquet floors is another excellent choice to think about. Chaunceys provide a range of beautiful Herringbone, Chevron, and Versailles panels. These geometric patterns make an impressive statement in entrance rooms and hallways.
LOCATION AND TRAFFIC LEVEL
Are you currently planning to match your preferred hardwood floors in a room where there will be a lot of footfall? If this is so, we advise you go for a hard-wearing wood like Oak, or a finish that can withstand the elevated levels of traffic. It's also better to prevent lighter floor tones in these regions as they'll show more marks and dirt.
Which rooms will you be placing the flooring in? We urge engineered boards for kitchens and bathrooms since these will provide more stability for rooms more vulnerable to humidity and spillages.
SUB FLOOR & STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS
When picking wooden flooring, it's important to take into account the surface you will be fitting your new floor over. Can it be put over new or old screed, wooden batons, or on top of an existing wooden floor? Do you, or will you have underfloor heating? These factors may affect your options and concerning flooring choice and how it can be fitted.
You might also have to take into account the thickness of the boards if the flooring needs to be structural i.e. load posture. 20mm thickness boards are needed if you're crossing joists, for example.
