Wide plank floor

[Helvetica]

Hi all, I usually post in the Neanderthal section, so I'm not sure if this is the right area to ask this question but here goes.

Myself and the wife are building a house soon and we're looking for wide plank floors; probably oak, limed if we can get it. The flooring supply stores around here (Dublin) are horrendously expensive. Seeing as it's wood we're after, I thought the gentle folk of UKWS might be able to throw some light on the best way to get top quality, good value hardwood floors. I'm prepared to import from Europe if needs be. Many thanks, Paul

 

[neilyweely]

We just managed to fit a floor to a flat in town for a fraction of what it would normally cost. We did it by going online to see how cheap we could get a floor that was suitable, as long as it could be delivered to us, and then price-matching with Wickes. They are not that fussy; as long as it is same sort of floor ie Oak 18mm then they are not really gonna make noise about it, but that may vary from store to store.
Gotta say the floor we got from them was VERY good quality, went down very well and looked really good when down. It had a locking groove, so no need to glue etc. Sat tight together, no bevel but still looked great, and really no problems fitting at all. Little bit difficult doing the edges but you cope, eh?
Wickes match the price and then take another 10% off, so I can't recommend them enough. Some folk will slate wickes for quality but I have fitted floors from all different suppliers and manufacturers and the last wickes one I put down was as good as any others I have done. Why not suck it and see, eh?

Hope this helps

Neil

PS, the retail for the floor was about 4k, we got it down to about 1700. The client could not believe it!

 

[neilyweely]

Sorry, just noticed the Dublin bit, but no probs, you can still pop over and get it, right? Would you have to pay silly taxes and stuff?

Neil

 

[Helvetica]

I'd say it would be well worth renting a van for the weekend, thanks for the tip! You mind me asking who you got the best online quote from?

 

[jimmyhenson]

Whatever you do stay away from Scott's wideplank flooring, we dealt with them and it was a disaster

 

[Aden30mm]

Dependent upon the amount you need it may be prudent to short circuit store flooring and obtain it where our grandfathers would source it. Namely timber merchants or even better saw mills.

About 10 years ago I purchased a whole elm tree that was converted into 7" planks, and I fitted it to my conservatory, and then machine sanded them when they were laid. I'm please with the results and the floor is extremely durable.

Looking online for sawmill's planking oak will show you some options. If you wish to save even more you could buy the wood still wet (just planked cut) and using the old adage a year for each inch thickness, air dry the timber yourself. If you can keep the wood in garage, with a dehumidifier bringing down the moisture content, you should be able to reduce this time.

Regards

Aden30mm

 

[Teckel]

I'd say it would be well worth renting a van for the weekend, thanks for the tip! You mind me asking who you got the best online quote from?

Wickes are here aswell. Their in Limerick.

 

[JakeS]

Would you have to pay silly taxes and stuff?

May be irrelevant since Teckel suggests RoI has Wickes as well, but for what it's worth: if you buy something in one part of the EU, you shouldn't have to pay any taxes to take it to another part of the EU. Import duties are only for goods brought in from outside of the EU, and VAT - as I understand it - should be charged at source.



(Also, what's so great about a bevel edge on wooden flooring? I keep seeing it and I keep thinking "that's just going to catch crumbs and other rubbish and make it harder to clean". Am I missing something?

 

[gregmcateer]

I have seen it for sale at Travis Perkins and Howdens, so get / use a trade account for a good price, (assuming you have them in ROI)

 

[Jake]

(Also, what's so great about a bevel edge on wooden flooring? I keep seeing it and I keep thinking "that's just going to catch crumbs and other rubbish and make it harder to clean". Am I missing something?

I ended up bevel edge because that was what the best pallet available was. I thought much the same as you beforehand and was set on plain edge, but actually it is not a problem, even with a broom. The bevels are actually pretty clever, and act a bit like a shadow gap - the deliberate regular groove takes the eye off the accidental and irregular gap between planks as they open and close with the seasons.

The supplier we used was French Oak Direct, near Ashford in Kent, who I would again any time, but is completely the wrong side of the country for the OP. Better than anything in the sheds, though.

 

[Helvetica]

Dependent upon the amount you need it may be prudent to short circuit store flooring and obtain it where our grandfathers would source it. Namely timber merchants or even better saw mills.

This sounds like a great idea. I think I have been conditioned to believe that floors have to come from the floor shop. What do you make of something like the oak below? Is there anything in particular I need to look for? I assume I need a fairly stable, hard (janka scale) wood that is climatised to the room before fitting. Then just tongue & groove it and nail it to the concrete?
http://www.celtictimber.co.uk/product/1 ... sh-x-1-m2/

 

[Teckel]

Dependent upon the amount you need it may be prudent to short circuit store flooring and obtain it where our grandfathers would source it. Namely timber merchants or even better saw mills.

This sounds like a great idea. I think I have been conditioned to believe that floors have to come from the floor shop. What do you make of something like the oak below? Is there anything in particular I need to look for? I assume I need a fairly stable, hard (janka scale) wood that is climatised to the room before fitting. Then just tongue & groove it and nail it to the concrete?
http://www.celtictimber.co.uk/product/1 ... sh-x-1-m2/

Yep..nail it to the concrete......
Would be better to stick it down I'd say