On the Floor Front

The selection of flooring options has never been broader. New technologies have improved the range of synthetic carpet available and digital photographs are bestowing wood-grain effects on a range of materials. Home owners are also becoming more adventurous with colour – not necessarily opting for the most subtle neutral floor available. And texture is at the forefront too, as we lean towards more interest and detail in all our home surfaces. Some floors are even being treated as a virtual canvas, incorporating intricate stencils or drawings. We’re mixing, matching and inlaying materials; perhaps wood laid within a concrete floor, or sisal on a wooden floor. Some of us are opting for a unified approach by laying a single flooring type throughout our entire home and others are room-specific in their approach. We’ve also seen a quiet resurgence in timeless, classic elements, such as well-crafted parquet floors and luxurious wool carpets.

 

 

Entrance
Hard flooring surfaces, easily cleaned and able to withstand wear and tear, suit entrances well. Tiles, available in an ever-increasing range of colours, sizes, shapes and patterns, fit nicely here; square black and white tiles laid in a chequer-board pattern are a classic choice. Tile World, which has tessellated, vitrified porcelain tiles made in France, says that the larger the tiles and the fewer the grout lines (which should complement but not match the tile colour) the bigger an area looks. Natural stone is both luxurious and hard-wearing – and any waste from production is recycled, often for use in composite tiles.

 

Bamboo is “very, very dent-resistant… but not as hard or cold as tiles,” says Bamboo Flooring Systems’ Claudia Page, who recommends it for entrances as well as living, family, dining and kitchen zones. Made from renewable grass, it’s $87 to $94/sqm (supply only). Claudia says Compressed Coffee is the most popular colour, although red, blue and even emerald green floors are on show at the international trade fairs. There’s also a trend towards reproducing wood-grain prints on bamboo flooring.

 

 

 

Living/Entertaining/Sleeping
Homeowners around the world often opt for hard flooring in these areas but New Zealanders continue to crave comfort in their living spaces. Whether we’re sprawled on the floor to watch television or padding barefoot through our bedroom, warmth and softness are paramount. Wool carpet has long been a traditional choice, but Feltex’s Rochelle Flint says good-quality synthetic fibres now look more like wool than ever before. In March 2011, Feltex, with DuPont, launched a carpet derived from corn starch – a renewable resource with built-in stain resistance and reduced colour fading. Regardless of fibre, look for carpets that have been independently tested as residential extra heavy duty.

 

 

Carpet can reduce energy bills by up to 12 per cent thanks to its thermal insulation effects, says Desiree Keown of Cavalier Bremworth. Prices range from $25/sqm for low-grade cut-pile to upwards of $100/sqm for premium carpet.

 

Add to that the cost of carpet underlay, $5 to $11/sqm, and carpet installation at $10/sqm.

 

Available in a variety of colours and weaves, natural fibres such as sisal and coir also provide richly textured flooring.

 

Engineered wood floors have an upper hard-wood face on a plantation-grown wood backing. Pre-finished engineered floors, such as Ekowood, are very stable and cost $90 to $260/sqm plus installation, according to Dominion Flooring’s Kevin Dore. Imported from Germany by Eco-Floors, Classen laminate flooring, available in finishes such as oak, rimu, leather and stone, ranges from $67 to $71/sqm plus $29/sqm to install. Laminate floors usually have a plantation wood backing topped by a photographic reproduction of the chosen finish.

 

 

These hard-working service areas need a sturdy floor to match. Versatile tiles are a solid option. Though 600mm square is a popular size, tiles of up to 1sqm are gaining in popularity. Natalie Rogers of Jacobsen Creative Surfaces says boldly patterned tiles were in vogue in 2010 but this year is all about subtle texture instead. Tiles cost around $80/sqm plus $50/sqm to install; stone, which must always be sealed, is about $110/sqm and $60/sqm for installation.

Cost-effective, low-maintenance vinyl is also suitable for utility rooms. Dominion Flooring’s Kevin Dore says that sheet vinyl, with a wood-plank look, ranges from $10 to $100/sqm and vinyl planks, some with a textured wood-grain surface, are $45 to $100/sqm.

 

Whole house solutions
Cork is practical, soft underfoot, non-toxic and non-allergenic. It’s also impervious to water and environmentally sustainable, says Toni Hadlee of Cork Supplies, who adds that cork, which is available in four tile sizes and any colour, can be laid and finished for $160 to $200/sqm. For up-to-the minute hues, she suggests a look at Mossy Path, a blond, textured cork, and bronzy Metallica. Top-of-the-line “graphic cork”, $250/sqm, can have any image – whether a repeat pattern or a mural effect – digitally printed onto it.

 

 

Freedom Flooring’s Brenda Boyer says solid timber flooring is an option for all rooms of the home – and great for allergy and asthma sufferers. Look for wood that is Forest Stewardship Council-approved. Timber floors, which are available in narrow or wide boards and may be finished in oil or polyurethane, cost from $55 to $120/sqm plus $80 to $150/sqm for installation. Rustic, distressed, farmhouse-style flooring complete with visible bandsaw marks is right on trend. Watch also for parquet, wood-washes, coloured oils and tattooed or stencilled patterns between layers of polyurethane.

 

Cameron Greig of Peter Fell says that the thermal mass of concrete, which comes in more than 60 colours, aids heating in winter and cooling in summer. Finishes include smooth, honed, textured, etched, polished, dyed and stained. Colouring, cutting, grouting and sealing can be done for $50/sqm over and above the price of the concrete. 

 

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