Once seen as the domain of older style, luxury homes, wooden style flooring is today regarded as a versatile, attractive, hard-wearing and cost-effective flooring solution for any home. This is, to a large extent, thanks to the modern-day popularity of laminate flooring.
These days, you can purchase laminate in a wide variety of designs, materials and shades from suppliers such as Discount Flooring Depot and create a look that works with any style of décor and every type of living space.
Flooring Your Flat
If you live in a flat, a wooden floor is just as good a solution as it is in a house. There are, however, some specific considerations you need to bear in mind.
In a flat, you should always think hard about sound pollution and acoustics. Where the flooring is concerned, this is particularly important if you have other residents living below you, as without the right precautions, the sound of footsteps on a wooden floor can be louder than you think, especially if you are in the habit of walking around the flat in your shoes.
You should, therefore, pay specific attention to noise reduction, and there are three ways of approaching this:
Level The Subfloor
For any installation, you need a level subsurface to create the best possible result, but in a flat this is even more important. If there are uneven areas, you will create a creaking noise that will soon drive your neighbours to distraction.
A Thicker Board
Laminate floors come in a variety of thicknesses, from 6mm right up to 12mm. As a general rule, a thinner floor board will have greater flexibility, and is therefore likely to create more sound.
Underlay
There are numerous different types of underlay you can choose from, some of which are specifically designed to have optimised soundproofing qualities. However, this should be considered in combination with other factors that might be applicable to your specific circumstances, such as heat insulation and damp proofing.
A Blended Approach
The best way of approaching a flooring project in your flat is to bear all the above points in mind, and come up with a solution that is right for you, your property and your neighbours.
In some cases, for example, a high-quality underlay will compensate for the effects of using a thinner board, while in others, it might be better to simply choose the thickest you can get.
Under other circumstances, it makes the most sense to prevent movement and gain maximum stability by completely gluing it to the subfloor.
Gather as much information as possible about the construction of your flat, and take into consideration what is there at the moment. Also, see if you can find out what your neighbours have done. Every building is different, so if someone else in yours has found an approach that works, that is very useful information.
Take all this information with you when you go to choose your flooring, and get some expert advice on what is right for you.
*Collaborative post*
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