Hard wood flooring vs floorboards?

Question

Hi I recently sanded my dining room floor and experience a number of problems. Firstly half of the rooms floorboards were rotten so we had to replace them with new ones that are a completely different colour to the old ones. And secondly we varnished the boards in a clear dulux varnish that has no replaced the dirt so our boards look permanently dirty. The room has been decorated so i want to avoid sanding again at all cost - any ideas. By the way the rest of the house is real hardwood flooring and i was considering putting that down but when i realised that it would involve the skirting boards being move i had second thoughts - Any ideas?

Answer 1

Your best option would have been to dark stain them first to even out the colour as you have now varished them it's too late, I would paint them with a french-style eggshell finish in a pastel colour, vert pale, very stylish....whatever you do you'll need to give them ast least a light sanding first, that should make too much mess.

Answer 2

If it's for a utility room, entry way or kitchen, I would go with tile over both laminate and real wood. Tile is going to be the easiest to clean and the most durable. Something else you may want to look into is engineered hardwood, it's kinda a mixture of both. But here's some pros's and con's of both flooring's: Moisture: Hardwood is affected by changes in humidity and is not recommended for bathrooms, kitchens, or below grade. Engineered hardwood requires a moisture barrier to be laid down first, but with this layer in place, it is suitable for all rooms, above and below grade. Many laminate floors are water-resistant, but you should check the warranty to be sure what is and is not covered. Durability: Hardwood floors do tend to dent and scratch more than laminate floors. They can also fade if they are in areas with a lot of sunlight. On the plus side, traditional hardwood can be refinished. Depending on the type of veneer, engineered hardwood can sometimes be refinished, but usually not more than once. Laminate floors are very resistant to scratches and dents, but can be chipped. Once damaged, they cannot be easily repaired. If there is significant damage, you may find yourself replacing the entire floor. Laminates do not fade in sunlight and are stain-resistant. Longevity: A well-maintained hardwood floor can last a lifetime, and floating engineered hardwood floors can last anywhere between 40 and 80 years. On the other hand, a laminate floor is estimated to last up to 20 years. Aesthetics: Because laminate is an image of wood, to some people the aesthetic value is less than that of real wood. With real wood, there are tremendous variations in the wood grain, whereas the same pattern is repeated every five boards in a laminate floor. Hardwood does costs more to purchase and install, but lasts longer and offers greater resale value to a home. Laminate is cheaper, easier to install and does provide considerable durability, if not the same longevity as hardwood. Good Luck

Answer 3

you can still use hardwood so the room is matching the rest of the house.In an ideal world you do need to move the skirtings and refit them after the floor gone down,alternatively try get your carpenter/flooring man to cut wood as near as poss to skirting,allowing for expantion/movement and then use a bead that they use on laminate flooring,for around the edge of the room.Is not ideal but better than the gap been left open and you will have a matching room too.

Answer 4

skirting boards can be cut with a door trimmer and the hardwood flooring slid underneath then nailed, I do it all the time as ripping skirting off usually brings the plaster with it.

I would recommed you sort out the damp problem first you need to get under the exsiting sub floor and se whats causing it, putting a dpm over the sub floor then fitting the hardwood above it will prevent the sub floor breathing and will worsen the rot

Answer 5

move the skirtings and put the hardwood floors down , if you dont you will regret it later , it is a pain in the **** but better a bit of hard graft now than looking down and regretting every day.

Answer 6

laminate flooring ...quick clean and inexpensive

Answer 7

buy a nice rug. this takes away the color factor.