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Covering Floors

Floors are the very base of your livingspace and their coverings are often thefirst thing you have to replace or renewwhen moving into a home.

The major consideration Wasdurability and home-owners spent asmuch as they could afford on it. Now weare touch more mobile and many homesare often seen as short- or medium-ion-11accommodation, because of work or theplanned growth of the family. We alsochange our furnishings more frequently,so often instant design impact and cosrare just as important as durability.Th.ankfUlly, there is a wide range of floorcoverings including carpets, sheet vinyl,and decorative wood panels and strips, tosatisfy all requirements.

Carpets laid loose have been used onfloors for millennia, but it is only a fewdecades ago that wall-to-wall fittedcarpeting became popular. Traditionalwoven carpets made from natural fibreshave been challenged by carpets madefrom synthetic fibres and by alternativemethods of manufacture. There is now a huge choice of colours and patterns intypes to suit all locations and wearconditions, available in various widths.

Sheet vinyl floor coverings come in ahuge range of colours and patterns, andmay also have a surface embossed alongthe lines of the design to give plausibleimitations of other floor coverings such asriles, marble, wood and cork. Some moreexpensive types have a cushionedunderside formed by incorporating smallair bubbles during manufacture, whichmakes them warmer and softer underfootthan their solid counterparts.

There are two main types of woodenfloor covering: wood-block, sometimescalled wood mosaic, and wood-strip. Theformer consists of small slivers of wood(usually a hardwood) laid in groups andstuck to strong cloth to form wooden'tiles', while the latter is just what itsname implies: narrow hardwood plankslaid over an existing floor.

Practicality is important whenembarking on floor work but take timealso to decide on a project than you willenjoy creating and living with.