|
|
 |
|
| Kahrs
Oak London Woodloc - Andy |
I have recently bought a new house. A contemporary,
clean feel is what I wanted to achieve in the hall and
two ground floor rooms. I undertook a fair amount of research,
with the original intention of putting down a solid wood
floor with a light and airy feel. New houses are invariably
built on a concrete slab and so the ground floor is only
a sealed, screeded base. Although a solid wood floor could
be put down on this, it is not recommended, especially
without putting in wooden batons on which to nail it.
So, being dissuaded from using a solid hard wood plank,
my alternatives were a laminate floor or a 'structured
board' (see below) - also known as 'engineered board'.
Although laminate has its uses as a quick, cheap and widely
available flooring, it remains recognisable as a plastic,
with a limited quality, repeating photographed wood-grain
effect pattern, that is liable to chipping and does not
stand up to areas of higher wear. Consequently, I would
only use laminates in areas of light use, which remain
dry, such as bedrooms and studies. And so I investigated
structured boards.
What is Kahrs Flooring?
Kahrs are probably the premier manufacturer of plank flooring.
Comparable alternative manufacturers include Tarkett and
Junckers. Kahrs have a huge factory in Sweden where they
have been producing floors for over 30 years. Finishes
include oak, pine, beech, maple and others, in a variety
of colours, that vary depending on the original wood and
the layers of varnish that are placed on top. With a desire
for a light, clean, yet classic feel, I choose Oak London.
This is a light oak that has only a little variation of
plank colour, whilst very large knots are avoided and
any knot holes are filled. Kahrs also produce a 'character
grade' that has higher levels of variation and knotting.
Kahrs offer a 30 year (!) guarantee against defects.
So what are structured boards? These boards are made up
of three layers, the top wear layer (a few mm thick) is
bonded to soft wood strips that go across the board (with
small gaps between them) and which in turn are bonded
to soft wood board as a bottom layer. This structure gives
the board strength, resistance to warping and the ability
to keep the price down. The number of strips that are
bonded onto each plank can also vary, typically one to
three. Oak London is a single strip plank. Therefore each
plank, 2.4m long by 240mm wide, has a single piece of
4mm thick oak as the top wear layer. With the three-layer
construction, structured boards can be up to 20mm thick.
Oak London is a little less at 15mm.
How does it go down?
Structured board typically goes down as a floating floor.
This is the same as laminates. Floating floors are not
fastened to the main sub floor and instead just 'float'
over the top, and thus are free to expand and contract
with the changes in ambient air temperature and humidity.
In contrast to this, solid wood floors are normally fastened
(nailed normally) down to batons, floorboards or existing
load bearing beams.
Again, similar to laminates, structured board requires
an underlay (which begs the old joke - "What do Mexicans
keep under their carpets?..Underlay, Underlay"!) I used
a combined damp-proof membrane (DPM) and underlay that
is also produced by Kahrs. It is a simple construction
of polystyrene balls, squashed and stuck between two layers
of clear plastic sheet. Just a couple of mm thick. Other
similar underlay would be suitable, whether as combined
product or separate DPM and underlay.
Kahrs have fairly recently introduced a click system across
many of its products, Oak London being one of them. Consequently,
there's no gluing involved and planks simply click together
(just like most laminates nowadays). Skirting boards do
not have to be taken up and instead a beading could be
used between the edge planks and the skirting, but a better,
more professional finish is obtained by removing the skirtings.
Where the planks butt to the walls, a gap should be left
for the whole floor to move (expand and contract). I tried
to leave around 5 to 10mm. With most skirting board mouldings
being 12-15mm deep (and beading similarly), a variance
from the wall should be easy to hide. A point to remember
here is how you intend to cope with the mouldings around
doorframes. Cutting them off and sliding under them is
fine on the wall where you start laying the planks but
not possible on the wall toward which the planks run or
the last wall going across the room. In these cases you
have to cut the planks to drop around the moulding or
pull the mouldings off the wall and re-fix afterwards.
Think this through carefully beforehand. You have been
warned! There may me places where you can't knock the
plank down. It is possible (and described in the instructions)
to cut off the raised edge on the edge tongue. This allows
the plank to be slid in from one end or more easily 'clicked'
together. PVA wood glue may be required in these cases.
Starting along one straight wall and working in line with
the main natural light in the room, planks are laid end
to end, the last one being cut to length and the piece
cut off being the first piece of the next run (just as
long as it is big enough to reasonably offset the planks
- 500mm minimum is recommended). Clipping the planks together
is a little more involved than laminate as you can imagine
for a 15 mm thick, 2.4m long plank. My supplier included
a specific wedge that is used to lift the preceding plank,
and by using this, a tamping block I had from previously
laying a laminate floor, and a medium hammer, working
along the plank a few times whilst encouraging the plank
into the horizontal, results in a perfect fit.
Walls that are not square, stair bottoms, doorways, pipes
and other non-movable objects, will require the cutting
and shaping of the planks. This can be a lengthy business
depending on the complexity and the tools you have available.
See below regarding tools. The only advice I can give
is take your time, use paper templates to get the right
shape and then place these on the plank, draw round the
template and cut to shape.
Working across square areas, the planking covers quickly,
giving a beautiful and rewarding finish, faster than you
can say dustpan and brush. 'L', 'T' and sloping 'R' cross-section
matching wooden profiles are also available to finish
across doorways.
Included in each pack is an instruction pamphlet in more
languages than the combined skills of the United Nations
translation team. The instructions per language are therefore
not as extensive as you would first think but are perfectly
adequate. A few reads I found useful to ensure I was totally
clear.
As with any wood or laminate floor, the base upon which
the floor is being laid must be ostensibly flat. In my
case, I had to level the floor with self-levelling compound,
the original screed being far too uneven. The maximum
floor variance recommended by Kahrs in +-3mm in any 2m,
and 1mm in any 250mm. After my amateur screeding, I had
some variances that exceeded this. The floor does seem
to cope with this although it can feel like a just little
give under foot whilst feeling more solid in other places.
How does it wear?
With a 4mm thick wear layer, Oak London will provide years
and years of wear. No doubt that stiletto heals (with
a 'heavy' foot), grit, dropped heavy items and other such
aggressive treatment will mark the floor. Wood dents,
no matter how hard the wood. That said, the plank is treated
with seven layers of a hard wearing, multi-layer UV Cured
Acrylic Urethane finish that provides a sealing layer
of about 0.3mm, giving a satin lustre finish. (Other finishes
on different Kahrs products range from Matt to High Gloss).
If you need to - in years to come - the wear layer can
be sanded. This will likely remove up to 1mm of the wear
layer. It would then need to be re-finished. Even in heavy
domestic and commercial environments, Oak London should
give many tens of years of beautiful service.
The instruction pamphlet also includes a small table that
suggests the appropriate way to clean the floor, depending
what has been dropped or spilt onto it. It would appear
that there are remedies for most types of common spillage.
The golden rule is to get any liquid off as soon as possible.
If left, it will seep between the planks and cause them
to swell and warp.
What experience, skills and tools are needed?
Professional floor layers will have no problem laying
Kahrs. I decided to do it myself though and I've been
exceptionally pleased with the results. OK, where a professional
quoted 4 days for the three areas, it's taken me twice
that, but I had the time, saved me hundreds, and given
me a fantastic sense of achievement.
My experience was only laying one laminate floor beforehand.
I have reasonable DIY experience but no formal skills
beyond school woodwork.
As for tools, the more you have, the easier and better
the finish. As a minimum I would suggest you need a wedge
and a hammer for laying the planks. For cutting the planks
I invested in a circular saw. I already had a cheap jig
saw but cutting plank lengths was likely to be too much
for it and be extremely slow. Using handsaws for anything
beyond small cuts would be almost impossible. A compound
saw would have been useful too (not that I have one) although
a handheld saw will definitely be required. For the more
detailed cuts, I used a hacksaw and a small hand saw,
along with files. This sounds time-consuming and at times
it was. A band saw or fret saw (or 'Rotozip'?) would have
been quicker and possibly offered better results.
A steel rule and pencils are other obvious tools. I would
also add a pair of kneepads and a source of music as essential!
What are the benefits?
Firstly, a real wood floor. It looks beautiful. Being
a structured board, it is more versatile than solid wood
whilst the click together system is a joy. The overall
look is superb and should be maximised by choosing the
right planks to be adjacent to one another so as to keep
the grain types, the extent of knotting and the colour
variations as even as possible.
For sufferers of allergies and dust, wooden floors are
an obvious choice. Vacuum cleaners, brooms, dustpans and
'Swiffers' (personal favourite) are all easy ways of keeping
the floor spotless.
And with a lifetime that will likely exceed the time you
stay in the house, the investment of a real wood floor
is a one-time investment that will add value to your house.
And all your friends will go 'Ooooo' and 'Ahhh' too.
What are the limitations?
Wooden floors do have their limitations. As already mentioned,
they don't like water - not for any period of time anyway.
So a damp under-floor, or water on the surface that is
not soon wiped away, will start to make the planks split,
warp and show the gaps between. Dirt will get in and start
to look very unsightly. So, I would think carefully before
using Kahrs in a kitchen, bathroom or cloaks, although
with care it may be suitable.
Pets may also struggle a bit on a wooden floor - those
that run anyway. The lustre finish doesn't offer any level
of grip and so they may end up scrabbling. That said,
they'll get over it and definitely won't complain and
might even be a source of some amusement!
Not as hard as stone, tile or linoleum, wooden floors
are mid-way between these solid finishes and fibre products
such as carpets. So, if you or your family (especially
the very young and very old!) are susceptible to failing
to stay upright, the odd bruised knee or worse might be
on the cards.
As already noted, a flat sub floor is required. Variances
in surface levels, easily coped with by carpets, will
result in your wooden floor creaking, feeling springy
underfoot and could result in cracking.
Again, as already mentioned, sharp objects under foot
will dent and scratch the floor. As will heavy furniture
if moved thoughtlessly. As a minimum, have mats to remove
grit and damp from shoes at thresholds to outside. Use
pads on the feet of furniture.
Any hard floor will be noisier than carpets. So footsteps
will be more obvious downstairs whilst on upper floors,
persons underneath may well think that migratory animals
and stampedes have been let loose above! (Slight exaggeration)
The last limitation is price. The RRP for Kahrs Oak London
is £49.95/sq.m in UK. You can get it markedly cheaper
than this (see below), but it is still a significant investment.
From where can I get it?
Just about all carpet suppliers offer wood too. So some
will supply Kahrs. The Internet is another avenue. This
is where I found the cheapest supplier. www.flooringsupplies.co.uk
were brilliant. They do have a showroom in Norfolk. Too
far for me, they instead provided me samples by next-day
post, always on the end of a phone to offer help, and
delivered when they said they would (using a third party
delivery company). Offering free underlay, free delivery
(min. order value) and the all-important wedge, I paid
around £32 per sq.m. Door bars were extra at around
£15-£20 per door. You may need to check what
the latest offers are.
To have it fitted for you (and there's plenty of professional
floor layers in Yellow Pages), expect to pay £15-£25
per sq.m. More if there's preparatory work.
And the end result?
Better than I could have imagined and just as you see
in the brochures and web sites. A top quality, fantastic
floor of which I am very proud. Go on, you won't regret
it. A mouse click and a click together, a beautiful floor
is just a click (or two!) away. |
| |
| Quickstep
Laminate Flooring - Colin |
I recently laid quick step uniclic flooring in a relatives
bedroom. This is the 12th laminate floor I have laid,
6 were glued boards and 6 have been click style boards,
so I'm definitely qualified to speak on the subject!
Background
I've listed a con as 'experience required'; this may be
slightly unfair as I would say it's true of all laminate
floors, especially the cheaper ones. They will only look
really good if they have been fitted really well. The
quick step uniclic floor is however at the higher price
range of laminate floors at around 13.99 per sq metre,
so I would say it is slightly more forgiving when mistakes
are made. When dealing with home improvements materials
I tend to stick to the old saying, "you get what you pay
for". I feel I've been proved correct with laminate flooring.
I've dealt with cheaper floors and they don't give the
same appearance and they definitely pose more problems
when fitting.
Fitting
Fitting a laminate floor is not too difficult a job. Yes,
I DO think the more you've done it, the better the floor
will look. However you won't get anywhere if you don't
try! As with all laminates, the room has to be clear and
an appropriate underlay has to be fitted. This would normally
be a foil backed foam sheet. Other types may be required
for unusual circumstances, floors with damp problems etc.
The shop will advise.
This floor was probably the easiest I've ever fitted.
The boards were thick, 8mm I think, which is a good thing
as they're not flimsy and won't bevel or warp easily.
The instructions are fairly self explanatory, just a few
points to consider about spacing between walls etc. The
'clic' system was particularly good as it really wasn't
difficult to put the boards together. I've found other
click floors a nuisance as the boards have been tricky
to fit together. The clic system is definitely superior
to gluing which is much more time consuming and generally
harder. Glued floors also can't be walked on until dry
and usually extends ends up extending the job by a day!
The boards also cut well using power tools and had tools
alike. When cutting with power tools care has to be taken
to avoid excessively damaging the laminated side as this
sis the side you will see.
The floor was quite quick to fit. I did a room approx
12ft x 12ft in about 4 hours. Beginners will take longer!
The floor, if skirtings are not removed, will have to
be finished by beading round the edges to cover the expansion
gap. If skirtings are removed you simply re-fit them over
the top of the floor.
Overall
The floor is on the expensive side but you do get a quality
looking floor which is much easier to fit, when compared
with the cheaper versions. A point I would make is about
tools etc. You will need a bit of general know how on
power tools and have access to a jigsaw and maybe a mitre
saw (saves on the strength sapping hand saw!) . It speeds
the work up and does a much better job of the cuts.
If you fancied having a go at fitting a laminate floor
I would suggest spending a few extra quid on a good quality
click flooring such as this. It pays dividends in the
long run! |
|
|
|
|
solid wood
flooring