Technical Information
Creaking Floors
The floors from many houses built in Sixties are made from fairly thin chipboard and so are liable to creak very badly after time. Modern chipboards are at least the standard 18mm thick, though these are still not recommended for domestic flooring if they are in tongue-and-groove format. Chipboard itself is known to a phenomenon horribly called 'creep' (!), wherein the chipboard tends to sag under its own weight as the years go by. The only foolproof solution is to replace the chipboard with proper pine boards as a sub-base.
read moreCreaking Chipboard
Creaking tongue-and-groove chipboard is a common condition with houses built since the Eighties. Chipboard is often considered unsuitable for domestic flooring, because it is an inherently unstable material which is bound to sag under its own weight. This causes the joints between adjacent boards to open up, and it is the edges rubbing up against each other that causes the creaking. Unfortunately, despite thousands of complaints, this material continues to be used in most newbuild houses because it is cheap and easy to install. By...
read moreChipboard is not always squeaky clean
Often the problem with a chipboard can be the subfloor. Although chipboard is a recognised sub-base it has the least strength when nailed. It's also possible that the back of the chipboard will blow when nailed. Once the flooring starts to move, the nails can easily pull out of position, creating a loose floor and uneven gapping throughout. Manufacturers do not recommend nailing solid floors to a chipboard base. You can correct any sub-base issues of using chipboard as the sub-floor by uplifting the flooring first, hopefully without any...
read moreSanding & Sealing Floors – sanding wooden floors
Surface preparation is crucial to the sanding and sealing of wooden floors. Oils and lacquers can bring out the best in a wooden floor. However, they will also highlight marks and mistakes if your flooring hasn't been prepared properly. The reason why some scratches may be missed by a sanding & sealing team include using a poor quality abrasive from which the grit becomes easily detached. Even when having a vacuum of the floor after each sanding, it is often impossible to remove every loose grain of grit. The sensible approach is to...
read moreRubber Flooring – Benefits
Rubber Flooring is a resilient and wholly natural floorcovering that makes it suitable for a wide range of residential and commercial locations. Here are some of the reasons why Nora rubber flooring is suitable; *Long-life warranties - due to the durability of the rubber flooring, Nora are able to offer long warranties. *Dirt-repellent - a vulcanised finish creates an extremely dense, easy to clean surface. *Environmentally compatible - PVC-free, high quality rubber. ISO 14001 accredited. Blue Angel award. *No Coatings...
read moreRising Damp
Where resilient, wood and textile floorcoverings are adhered to a conventional screed or concrete subfloor there will always be a danger of damage caused by moisture present in the cement-based sub-floor. Where the screed or concrete sub-floor are correctly installed and allowed to dry sufficiently to attain the moisture content appropriate for the floor being installed, the moisture present in the area should not adversely affect the subfloor and hence the floorcovering you install. Floorings can only be laid on screeds that have dried...
read moreMeasuring Dampness
You need to consider how your new floor with live and breathe. Where you live, your lifestyle preferences and the house you live in will all have more of an impact on this than you may think. When it rains, not too uncommon in this country (!), the structure of the building is affected. Whilst this does not necessarily mean you place will be flooded, unlike those poor souls in Somerset, it does raise the moisture content of the walls which in turn raises the surface humidity of those structures and so the internal humidity. This, then, is...
read moreDealing with Damp
Moisture has been a major problem in the flooring industry for several decades now. In this article we explain the best way to deal with damp, particularly with most flooring contractors still not taking the adequate steps to ensure damp is not a problem in future. You should not allow any form of flooring preparation to be installed until the conditions are absolutely right. Site conditions such as humidity levels need to be taken into account in certain locations, particularly basements in some homes. It is important to find out how...
read moreDealing with Carpet Moths & Pests
Hello there from everyone at The Flooring Group. In this article we will explore how to deal with a common problem. Textile moths tend to be found in natural products of animal origin, such as wool products, woven fibres, woven fabrics etc. Though not a threat to humans, textile moths are certainly a threat to your flooring's longevity. The best way to avoid any problems with textile moths is to prevent the conditions that make it easiest for them to exist; 1) Keeping your flooring well aired as often as possible. 2) Regular...
read moreMarmoleum
Marmoleum is a thoroughly versatile floorcovering made overwhelmingly from natural and harvestable raw materials such as linseed oil, wood flour, chalk and pine rosin. It's as durable as it is beautiful and as easy to clean as it is on the eye. You can design stunning floors from the palette of 30 colourways, range of borders, highlight strips and more. Creating your own unique and beautiful floor has never been so easy! Colour Palette Product Information With the rise in asthma and allergies, it is important to think about ways in...
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