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LinkExchange Member
Visits since 16 November 1997
The core is multi-cross plywood for ecological, warmth retention, and stability reasons.
A finished floor for ease and speed of laying. It is real wood throughout with a solid wood base. It is a floor for life.
Exotic woods like merbau and bamboo (we do not provide Mahogany) from the Far East
Forests today are replaced with new trees for the future, unlike the days when forests were destroyed and not replanted as happened in Scotland previously.
Ecological, because although the surface is genuine hardwood, it is not unnecessarily thick. The plywood core is made from wood which would otherwise have been wasted. It will last a lifetime without being several inches thick, which is wasteful and unnecessary. Previous traditional wood floors were several inches thick. These floors required numerous re-sandings and re-coatings. They were liable to “move” due to expansion and shrinkage. Hence the familiar “gaps” in old wood floors which are also often very uneven.
The lacquer applied to the real wood surface on modern wood flooring is what gives it its extra hardness and durability. This means you can feel comfortable enjoying a natural product in your home without wasting trees unnecessarily. The wood comes from managed forests, which are replaced.
The glue used to join the wood is also ecological, it is solvent-free, and even when wet for installation, is not a hazard.
Natural wood in a room provides a relaxing environment and is a constant reminder of the beauty of nature.
Musty smells from wet damp carpets which have absorbed the odours of food, tobacco etc. will be a thing of the past. Less need for air freshener sprays to mask the smells.
The immediate effect, once a wood floor is laid, is to make your rooms look and feel much larger.
The natural wood shades, with natural wood grain and markings are decor in themselves. You will have a UNIQUE floor, as no two trees or floors can look the same.
Natural colours, which cannot go out of fashion, from the oldest material known to man.
Wood is unique as a suitable flooring for all environments as it goes with all other decors. It does not matter what colour furniture or walls you have. It will enhance any other types of wood furniture you have in the room as well.
It is purely a matter of personal preference which variety of wood is selected.
The effect of putting lighter woods, such as Maple, in upstairs rooms or dark rooms will brighten them at once.
The only factors affecting which variety of wood to put where are personal preference and practicality, Maple and Birch, being the “palest” woods, may not be well suited in entrance halls where people such as children come in with dirty shoes. But even this is down to life-styles.
The planks of a wood floor usually lie in the direction of the incoming light source i.e. towards windows. The light then travels the length of the plank and shows the wood off to its best aspect.
A small room looks best if the planks are laid along its length.
If a focal point in a room is say a fireplace, it may be preferable to lay the wood in this direction. The glow of flames will throw colours and light along the wood length. (see picture on home page)
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