What Are The Benefits of Wood Flooring?

There is no doubt in our minds that when it comes to choosing your floors, the benefits of wood flooring far outweigh the other options. There is a natural warmth to wood that no other material has successfully replicated. In a world filled with plastic, this ancient building material is wonderfully tactile and holds both a natural energy and a sense of human tradition.

Your floor is the canvas of your room and the determining factor in its style and atmosphere. A good wooden floor ages gracefully and radiates quality, much like your favourite leather jacket or a vintage wine. At Chaunceys, we offer a diverse range of finishes and shades; there is a timber floor to suit any space, in handsome oaks and other timbers such as Douglas fir.

Wood Flooring – A Sustainable Choice

Sustainability is a vital area of consideration for us at Chaunceys. We do not trade in virgin rainforest timber products; almost all our timber is purchased from FSC® (FSC-C131323) managed forests where new trees are planted to replace harvested ones. Some products are also sourced from PEFC managed forests.

We are proud to play an integral part in the movement for carbon negativity by supplying timber flooring from sustainably managed forests. The oak used by Chaunceys comes from cultivated forestry with an average lifespan of 40 years; a tree can absorb 1 ton of CO2 from the atmosphere by the time it reaches this age. (North Carolina State University, n.d). Building with timber is the safest and cheapest form of carbon capture and storage, which means that in choosing sustainable wooden flooring you are contributing to the vital process of carbon negativity — a must in today’s climate.

In addition to this, we make an active effort to minimise our footprint on the environment in the way we run our business. Nearly all our power usage is generated by solar panels on our warehouse roofs; the rest comes from one of our partner organisations, Ecotricity. Direct deliveries from Chaunceys are calculated by location, and all our external couriers have environmental policies in place. We have a cycle to work scheme in place and many of our staff either walk or cycle into work every day.

Wood: Flooring For Life

A wooden floor is a long term installation; hardwood flooring can be beautifully intact over 100 years after it is fitted with the right maintenance. We offer a range of reclaimed wood, including boards salvaged from deconstructed 19th century French railway carriages, which is testament to the durability of the material. Chaunceys’ own wooden flooring can have all the advantages of an antique floor, including the option of an aged appearance, but with the modern engineering to prevent real damage. For one project, the client chose to apply one of our Vintage finishes to heavily brushed Chaunceys Tectonic Engineered Oak flooring throughout their house in order to create the authentic appearance of an aged floor. This choice of flooring, like much of our range, is sustainability produced and FSC ® certified.

After initial great quality, the key to the longevity of your flooring is regular maintenance. Simple precautions such as putting felt pads under furniture legs and immediately wiping up any spilt liquids will prevent damage. We have a specialist range of maintenance products to ensure that your timber flooring is protected and in top condition for its full life expectancy. Regular cleaning with Chaunceys Wash Care diluted in water will make the surface of your floors fresh and dirt repellent. Chaunceys Wax Care and Magic Cleaner for additional maintenance will also keep your floor protected and looking its best.

Further down the line, we can also help in refinishing your flooring. We offer a refinishing service as well as a fitting service. We can alternatively provide you with your floor’s original finish and guide you through the process of refinishing it yourself.

Do wood flooring and water mix?

Wooden floors have an attractive and striking effect in kitchens and bathrooms. Chaunceys laid Regency Fired Engineered Oak flooring throughout a late Victorian house in Maidenhead as part of its stunning refurbishment, providing a luxurious basis to the kitchen and bathroom as well as the rest of the house. Chaunceys also collaborated with luxury bathroom brand Drummonds to provide heavy brushed oak board flooring for their 2016 Decorex stand.

Many of us have an ingrained idea that the benefits of wood flooring end whenever water is involved, and that it’s inappropriate for rooms with a lot of water around. This is a myth; the right wooden flooring can be practical as well as aesthetically pleasing in kitchens, bathrooms and other wet rooms.

Wood does react to the level of moisture surrounding it, but effectively engineered wooden flooring is much less likely to expand or contract in contact with water. The ply layers of an engineered board support the surface layer of oak (or other timber) to make a reinforced construction that minimises the movement of the flooring. We always tend to suggest an engineered wood with a lacquered finish for extra protection to our customers if installing wood flooring into a wet room.

Perhaps the strongest examples of successful wood flooring in wet environments can be found in Chaunceys work at both Thames Lido and Clifton Lido. Clifton Lido is the oldest surviving lido, and its 2008 restoration was a high profile (and high-end) enterprise. Chaunceys laid wooden boarding by the water and even around the shower cubicles, using Balau Decking and narrow hardwood decking. The boarding was expertly prepared for its regular contact with water to bring a tangible sense of luxury to the lido’s renovation.