How To Fix A Wood Floor That Buckled

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Sandblasted Oak in Natural, £27.99 a sq metre, Impressive Ultra by Quick-Step

Find the perfect timber or smart lookalike wood flooring.

Wood effect

Replica wood floors can be every bit as impressive as the real thing, and they come in a huge and tempting variety of timber types and shades. They're easy to care for, too.

Laminate flooring consists of sheets of board with a photographic impression of wood on top, protected by a lacquer.

Vinyl wood-effect flooring is a practical, water-resistant option available in planks or sheet form. 'The secret to achieving a perfect luxury vinyl floor is all in the sub-floor preparation,' explains Caroline McLaren, head of technical services at Karndean Designflooring. 'If this isn't done correctly, it can cause unsightly bumps and a poor appearance.'

LVT, the abbreviation forluxury vinyl tiles or planks, describes particularly long-lasting vinyl floors. These are manufactured from several layers that have been laminated together, incorporating a printed film design layer and wear-resistant top layer, often textured to mimic the wood grain.

Porcelain planks are a hardwearing type of ceramic tile. They're completely waterproof so they're a good choice for bathrooms and kitchens.

Real wood

Beautiful and practical, real wood flooring is an excellent choice for a kitchen extension. Solid boards are durable and have the advantage that if the surface gets damaged, it can be sanded as often as needed.

The alternative is engineered wood, which is made up of several layers, with a decorative real-wood surface. It's more resistant to changes in moisture and temperature, but it will only withstand a couple of sandings.

'Solid and engineered wood will give similar performance in a kitchen, though in a high-traffic area solid wood will last longer,' says Steve Maltby, managing director of Junckers UK. 'Both types can be used with underfloor heating, but do check first if you're fitting solid boards as not all are suitable.'

Oak flooring is a favourite for its warm tones, and it comes in a huge range of colours and textures, including brushed finishes that emphasise the grain. Parquet flooring, made up of interlocking blocks, is a retro style that's on its way back and looks just as good in contemporary rooms as it does in traditional schemes.

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Parquetry in Seashell, £74.94 a sq metre, Fired Earth

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