When you're Building a Home, you'll need to Consider using Floating Floors and Engineered Timber Floorboards as an option
Still referred to as a timber floor, floating floors can be a less expensive option than regular floorboards and can look just as beautiful.
Instead of using a solid board, to keep costs down floating floors use a veneer of timber fixed to an engineered substrate like ply wood. They come in a standard length and are laid on site directly over the slab or chipboard floor. Both floating floors and engineered floors are floating floors in that they are not nailed or glued to the substrate. They float on an underlay and are clicked into position.
There are subtle differences with an engineered floor. The main difference is the thickness of the veneer both in width and depth, the species and the polishing. Engineered floors are sanded and polished on site. The thicker veneer will allow them to be re polished if required.
Both types of floors come in a wide variety of species both local and imported. Engineered floors can be as expensive as a solid timber floor depending on the species selected and where they are sourced from.
The more common floating floors are cheaper because they tend to use a thinner veneer of timber and substrate than an engineered floor. Floating floors are sanded and polished in the factory (pre-finished) which makes them ideal for D.I.Y projects. The use of these floors is becoming very popular as they are a cost effective alternative to traditional hardwood floor and look very similar.
On the down side the more popular floating floor cannot be re-sanded and can feel spongy to walk on.
TIP: When installing a floating floor you will get the best result laying the floor first and sit the skirting board on top. This will look much better and remove the need for an ugly trim being used to hide gaps between the floor and the skirting board.
Flooring Options For New Homes
Part of our Flooring Options For Your New Homes series.
This series of articles is designed to help you explore flooring options for the home we build for you. Choosing flooring for your new home is an important step. If you're still unsure, speak to us as we have years of experience customising new homes and helping people make the right choices for their lifestyle.
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