Flooring for hall

[malumbu]

A high wear area, we made the mistake of a natural covering (sisal/sea grass when that was all the rage).

So the case is against carpet.

I am not a fan of laminate (what, surely not, I must be a heretic)

Engineered wood, would mean major job cutting out the old floor boards.

Similarly parquet, as lovely as it is, would mean lowering the existing floor as it would be too proud of the other rooms otherwise.

Kardean, like laminate, just looks wrong and needs major preparation (may as well use laminate)

Vinyl is cheap but looks naff

Painted flooring could be an option, but I expect wont go well with the generally traditional features of the house.

The original floorboards have been butchered and it would be major operation in relaying.

I thought that a pine laminate that looked like the original boards may work, but it doesn't exist - it all looks like old ship planks which may be OK for a Georgian house in Greenwich!

oak faced ply was a possibility, but with the joins I think that this would not work being incongruous with the rest of the house

I've found 14mm oak flooring which could be laid on top of the original, which might just work.

Any Kevin McCloud's out there?

Yes it is a First World Problem and all abuse gratefully received!

[rendelharris]

Is the "butchery" to the original boards mainly confined to the walking areas in the centre? If so why not renovate the edges as far as possible and buy some nice rugs/runners - some fabulous designs available and easy to change as mood/fashion/wear dictates.

[fishbiscuits]

Personally I think 20mm oak flooring laid on top of floor boards is fine.

If your other rooms are carpeted, then the carpet + underlay will itself have around 10mm thickness, so the difference is not really that bad with the right threshold trim.

[Sue]

It obviously depends on the style of your house, but mine is a turn of the century terrace (1900 not 2000!) which still has the original period features downstairs, and I have painted the original floorboards and stairs white and have rugs/runners on top in some places.

[Jenny1]

I think cork or brightly coloured rubber is good (wears well but needs treating annually). Otherwise paint the boards and mask with rugs as Sue suggests.

[malumbu]

We'll lift the hardboard and see how good/bad they are. When central heating is fitted generally a lot of damage is done to the existing boards.

Not sure about cork tiles though, very 20th century!

[Jenny1]

malumbu Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> Not sure about cork tiles though, very 20th

> century!

But that's the genius of them! Very 'mid-century modern'. And in my view much more 'natural' than all these 'engineered' wood floors - which simply look like pricey laminate to me.

[Sue]

Jenny1 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> malumbu Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> >

> > Not sure about cork tiles though, very 20th

> > century!

>

> But that's the genius of them! Very 'mid-century

> modern'. And in my view much more 'natural' than

> all these 'engineered' wood floors - which simply

> look like pricey laminate to me.

I used to have cork tiles in my bathroom (in the twentieth century!)

Not sure they'd look right in a hall .... I agree with you re the engineered wood floors, though - a weird concept.

[Jenny1]

...you've probably got a point Sue.

[Sue]

Jenny1 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ...you've probably got a point Sue.

Hope I haven't offended you - thought I'd better say that in case the whole of your home has cork floors :))

[fishbiscuits]

Varnished chipboard. It's the new polished concrete.

[Jenny1]

Sue Wrote:

> Hope I haven't offended you - thought I'd better

> say that in case the whole of your home has cork

> floors :))

Only in my dreams Sue!

[Sue]

Jenny1 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sue Wrote:

>

> > Hope I haven't offended you - thought I'd

> better

> > say that in case the whole of your home has

> cork

> > floors :))

>

> Only in my dreams Sue!

:)) :)) :))

Nightmares more like (sorry :)) )

[Sue]

fishbiscuits Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Varnished chipboard. It's the new polished

> concrete.

Yes it is, and it's just weird. But I'm guessing very cheap.

[Jenny1]

Perhaps one of those sepia-tinted, 1970s-themed nightmares.

[Sue]

malumbu Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> We'll lift the hardboard and see how good/bad they

> are. When central heating is fitted generally a

> lot of damage is done to the existing boards.

>

I have central heating and my floorboards are fine, apart from some old woodworm holes, but I think that just adds to the charm .....

[Sue]

Jenny1 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Perhaps one of those sepia-tinted, 1970s-themed

> nightmares.

Yes!! Brown walls! Or at least one. Orange somewhere! Habitat lamps! It all seemed so cutting edge at the time .....

[Jenny1]

I like your 1970s dream/nightmare riff Sue! You weren't a designer on that latest Smiley film, were you? Not a single bright colour to be seen in the whole movie. Really captured the era. And, I have to confess, I still love all that 70s stuff in the right context.

[fishbiscuits]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> fishbiscuits Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> > Varnished chipboard. It's the new polished concrete.

> Yes it is, and it's just weird. But I'm guessing very cheap.

The raw materials, yes. But I think quite labour intensive... would probably require lots of coats of polyurethane plus buffing to get a smooth finish.