flooring
Vinyl planks Vinyl planks are a great option if you are considering a timber-look floor but do not want to have to treat the floor like it is timber – it seems strange, but it is possible with vinyl planks. I am always surprised at how good and accurate vinyl planks actually look like real timber these days PROS: Vinyl planks are flexible, extremely durable, quiet under foot and water resistant, which means you can use them in your bathroom or laundry, and unlike the other floating floors, mopping is totally fine. They are very easy to install and do not require any underlay like the other products do, either. In residential use, they do not require glue, however, in commercial applications, most builders like to glue them down for extra piece of mind. Because they are flexible, they will hug the contours of your floor, which can be both good and bad at the same time – good if the floor is not level, and bad … well, I’ll explain that next. Again, it comes in many different sizes and colours to suit all different styles, so if you are after a long-lasting product that is hardwearing and resistant to scratching, then vinyl is a serious contender. CONS: The flexi...
PROS: Engineered hardwood floors can be installed and walked on on the same day. The cost comparison to real boards is not even close, and the time and effort required doesn’t compare. In fact, without sounding bias towards engineered hardwood flooring, there are not too many cons. The flooring should be treated just like a traditional hardwood floor. It is capable of being scratched, but like a traditional floor, it can be sanded and re-polished at least once during its lifetime, and in some cases, depending on the product, it can be sanded a second time. Because the veneer is real timber, if it is scratched, the colour will not change like a laminate or vinyl plank. One of the biggest bonuses with engineered hardwood floor is that there is a huge range of different species of timber to choose from, including local species such as jarrah, blackbutt and spotted gum, as well as exotic species such as merbau, kempas and iroko, not to mention all the American species of oak. They also come natural, stained or smoked, and wide boards are available with beveled edges or round edges, depending on the look you want. You can also purchase boards with a distressed surface to achieve a used...
Engineered hardwood Engineered hardwood flooring is real hardwood, normally about 5-8mm thick, that is stuck onto structural plywood, which acts like a veneer. This technology is unbelievably good considering the only other option if you want to use hardwood is to go down the path of laying traditional tongue-and-groove floorboards that require climatising, laying, sanding and polishing, which can take weeks to do and will leave your home looking like a construction site … oh, and did I mention the exuberant cost?
LAMINATE PROS: The value for money is great, and again, there are many different brands and manufacturers on the market with a variety of different sizes and colours to suit all budgets and styles. Laminate is very hardwearing and because it is made from a print that is protected by a coating, it shouldn’t fade or stain. It is also easy to clean and maintain, as long as you do not use water. CONS: Because laminate products are made of MDF or custom wood, they are not at all water resistant. They act like a sponge and when they get wet, they swell and the strength disappears out of them. It is not recommended to use a wet mop when cleaning the boards but rather use a micro fibre-type product instead. Some spills may be ok, but if you experience a flood of some sort, the boards will be damaged and will need replacing. The other issue is that if a board is scratched, then the custom wood under the surface can be exposed and the scratch cannot be fixed or sanded out – and it will definitely not just blend in
Laminate Laminate floors are basically photographed prints stuck to manufactured board such as MDF or HDF, otherwise know as custom wood, and then sealed with a protective coating. They are generally known for being a cheaper option for people wanting the timber look without spending the money. They are commonly used in rental properties, renovated properties about to sell or in family homes on a tight budget. These days, the laminates are far better than ever before. The better quality products usually come out of Germany, because of their advanced engineering and locking systems, and their accurate representation of the timber look. If you are looking for something that is going to last longer in high-traffic areas, find a German-manufactured product that has a high-quality protective coating, because if you choose a low-quality coating and it wears out, all the boards may need to be replaced. A good-quality board that is used in the right location should not wear, fade or stain
PROS: Bamboo is easy to clean and maintain and is extremely hard and durable. It is also a fast-growing plant, so it provides a renewable source of flooring, making it more environmentally friendly. It comes in numerous sizes and colours, which means there are a variety of products available to suit most people’s style and budget. Bamboo is reasonably cheap when compared to engineered hardwood floors, making it a great choice if you are looking for hard floors on a tight budget. CONS: It has been known to scratch easy, which is something to consider if you often move furniture around or if you have kids. More popular in dryer environments, bamboo also has the capability to hold up to 20 per cent of moisture content, which causes the board to naturally expand and contract more than ordinary timber would. This is not a major problem, it just means that expansion joints are vital when laying the boards down in large areas, and that you should avoid using bamboo in wet areas such as laundries or bathrooms.
Bamboo Bamboo floors have exploded onto the market and now make up one third of the total floating flooring market. Bamboo is a highly-regarded hard floor with a loose-laid operation, and is generally engineered and manufactured in China, simply because of the abundant amount of bamboo that is grown there. There are two types of bamboo flooring on the market today, and both products will require an underlay prior to laying. There are a few different types of underlay, which, in any case, are not expensive. The first is solid bamboo, which is made up of hundreds of bamboo strands that are glued together in a press, which creates the flat board. The board is a solid mass, meaning if you scratch the board, the colour below the top surface will always be the same, unlike laminates. The second type is engineered bamboo, which is made the same way except it is generally thinner and wider, and is then stuck to plywood. The reason for this is because of the amount of expansion and contraction bamboo has. The plywood allows the boards to be wider with less expansion and contraction.
Engineered timber floorboards Engineered timber floorboards are a less expensive option than regular floorboards that can look just as beautiful, but only the top layer is timber. The remaining width is a filler known as substrate. engineered timber that uses American and European oaks are becoming popular, and have come a long way in recent years.“There used to be a stigma about veneers – they looked cheap – but those days are over; now the thicker veneers are quite good.” The timber top layer can be 2, 4 or 6mm thick. If it’s your own home, Megowan strongly advises going for the 6mm option. “The cost is not exponentially higher; it’s money well spent,” he says. The real benefit of a 6mm layer is that you can do three sandings, meaning your floors are going to look great for about 30 years. A 2mm layer can’t usually take any sanding at all. Unless you’re buying an investment property with the intention of doing it up cheaply and quickly flipping it, Megowan says a 6mm thickness is otherwise advisable. Engineered timber is more stable than hardwood, which expands and contracts with temperature and moisture levels, but only when the substrate is multi-layered ply or similar. If ...
Espaliering is the art of training a tree or shrub to grow against a wall or fence to create a flat, two-dimensional effect. It’s a technique steeped in history that dates back to ancient Roman and Egyptian times, but it was during the Middle Ages in Europe that the art of training trees was perfected. Fruit trees were artfully espaliered against castle walls to provide fruit and decoration, without encroaching on the courtyard space. The flattened trees were grown against brick or stone, which absorbed the sun’s heat and created a favourable micro-climate for fruit production.
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