If you are moving into a new home, one of the most important considerations is the flooring. Many homes that are sold have had carpets on the floor and so the owners take them with them when they leave. Fair enough, but it means that, unless you are prepared to live with bare floorboards for months on end while you settle down to your new life, then you need to do something about the flooring as soon as possible.
Of course, it may be that you have brought some carpet with you from your previous home, or it may be that carpeting has been left, but simply because it is in so poor condition and threadbare, and you just need to get rid of it.
The floor doesn’t necessarily have to have been carpeted, of course, It could be tiles in some rooms, such as the bathroom or kitchen, or maybe wood flooring, laminate, lino, or one of many other surfaces. If it is wood flooring, or perhaps engineered wood, and has scuff marks on it or scratches, then it is easy enough to sand it down and repolish it. You may be able to do this yourself or call in a contractor to do it for you. But that assumes that you are happy with that sort of surface. If you are, then well and good.
Another option with a wood surface is simply to cover it up with carpet if you don’t like the look of the wood. You could also use laminates, luxury vinyl tiling, or even natural fibres such as seagrass or sisal. There are many different options available using these.
Flooding Issues
One problem that is affecting more and more homes in recent months is that of flooding. As you have seen in the papers recently, there are many towns and villages in the UK that have suffered flooding from storm Babet, and as this goes to press it seems that we are about to get another one in the form of storm Ciaran. Thanks a lot, Ciaran!
Obviously, you should have been aware before buying a property that it had been flooded, but if this is recent it may very well be that the subfloor is still wet or damp. In this case it is necessary to ensure that it is dried out fully before replacing the floor surface because otherwise there could be long term repercussions, not the least of which is to your health.
A subfloor can be dried out fully by using a dehumidifier. You will need a specialist company to do this, and, of course, that costs money. But far better that than putting up with the dampness. It may well be that you have allowed for this in the price that you offered for the property in the first place.
A Good Carpet Store
Whatever you are planning on doing with the flooring, you will need to find a good carpet store in London that can supply and install the flooring of your choice. Many carpet stores are just that: they sell carpet. Period.
However, there are also other businesses that will supply and install all sorts of different types of flooring and not just carpet. So, you don’t really want a carpet store (unless you only want carpet), you should look for a flooring business.
For instance, you might be looking for engineered wood flooring for sale in the UK. This is an increasingly popular type of flooring as it looks like real wood but is made up of several layers underneath the surface. One of the advantages of engineered wood is that it can last for many, many years, and yet can be cheaper than solid wood. Not always, but cheaper than some luxury woods such as cherry or maple.
Other options when looking for flooring, apart from engineered woodflooring, are things such as tiles, of which there are endless designs and colours. These are great for use in the kitchen, and also any room in which you are installing underfloor heating, because the tiles will heat quickly, and will also store the heat, letting it out gradually. This saves money on the electricity bill. You also get an even spread of heat across the whole room, which doesn’t happen with a radiator system.
