Deep Into Construction

Your Complete Guide To Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring is featured in various properties in the UK. A well-fitted hardwood floor can uplift the look of your residential or commercial property, however there are many options and plenty of room for confusion. In this guide we will go through your options to ensure that you select the type of hardwood most suitable for your property.

Types:

The first consideration to take into account is the type of hardwood floor. There are two types that both look the same when fitted, however underneath they each carry a slightly varied construction. The traditional type is solid hardwood and the alternative is engineered hardwood.

Solid hardwood floors – Each floorboard is made from complete solid wood such as Pine, Cherry, Oak and Walnut. The result is a floorboard that is extremely strong and can withstand the test of time better than many other types of floors. If you follow and visit period homes across the UK you will likely come across solid hardwood used widely in the property from its flooring to its furniture. While its natural construction is its biggest benefit, it also contributes to its biggest drawback. Wood has a natural tendency to expand when the temperature rises over a certain degree and the other way around to contract when the temperature drops. This can cause the wood to buckle, expand and contract. A natural reaction that causes flooring fitters to leave expansion gaps when fitting the floor.

Engineered hardwood floors – Each floorboard is made from solid hardwood, however only as a top layer that is supported by syntactic materials such as Plywood, MDF and Softwood. The result is a type of wood flooring that looks precisely like solid wood, however there are two major differences between the two. On the durability side, engineered wood will never equal solid wood as its syntactic materials are not as strong as wood. On a more positive note, the floorboard will not react to temperature changes and can be fitted in damp areas such as the kitchen, bathroom and conservatory when a suitable coating is applied.

Grade of wood:

By now you are well aware that both solid hardwood and engineered hardwood contain solid wood but in different quantities. The visual side of the wood often comes as a result of the finish, but more so as a result of the grade. Grade is not an indication of quality, but an indication of how fine the wood is. There are four grades to choose from:

Prime Grade – Prime grade wood flooring are cut from the middle of the tree which means that the floorboard will have the least amount of colour variations between the boards and knots are very few between. They are the most expensive.

Select Grade – Select grade wood flooring are cut from the second ring from within the core of the tree which means that the floorboards will show some colour variations between the boards and some knots can be expected.

Natural Grade – Natural grade will feature sapwood and black knots of up to 30cm in size. Compared to the previous two grades, price difference between the three will become more substantial.

Rustic Grade – Also referred to as ‘country grade’, rustic is by far the grade with the most texture, as you cannot mistaken the floor for wood. Floorboards will feature sapwood and black knots of 35cm. There might be unlimited colour variation between the floorboards. Rustic is the most affordable option.

Fitting methods:

As your builders will tell you, another consideration when choosing hardwood flooring is the type of fitting methods available. The cost of fitting is based on time and material, flooring accessories and machinery. There are four types of fitting methods.

Glue – A bonding agent or glue is applied to the sub-floor. Glue down method will benefit from extreme durability when applied correctly. On the other hand, you will need to wait some time before walking on the floor so to allow the adhesive to bond.

Nail – Used extensively for solid wood due the weight and thickness of each floorboard, it is longer lasting when fixed over a layer of wooden sub-floor.

Staple – Quicker than nail down method, it works on the same principle but requires special staple machinery. Both this method and nail down will allow you to walk on the floor right after the fitting had finished.

Floating – The quickest method of the four, it is only suitable in the case of engineered hardwood flooring. It requires an underlay to keep a gap between the boards and the sub-floor.

Article by wood flooring company Wood and Beyond. For more information you can read their blog.

Comments (0) 16.04.2012. 21:00

Confident Home Insurance in UK Properties – Why You Need to Know About Exclusions

Not many home insurance companies will go to the lengths of letting you know about their exclusions up front: which can be extremely frustrating for a person trying to find the right home insurance in UK policy for their requirements. The exclusions are a hugely important part of the conditions of your insurance policy. Here’s why:

Let’s say you get an Aviva home insurance policy. The entire advertising blurb tells you what a great policy it is, and how you’ll be covered against fire and theft and damage in transit: but what it doesn’t tell you is what circumstances you won’t be covered in. That’s information you have to find elsewhere.

Actually, Aviva home insurance in UK policies are quite a good example of the value of the exclusions – because unlike a lot of insurance companies, Aviva home insurance lists all its exclusions clearly so you know exactly where you stand.

It’s all about confidence. When a company shows you the exclusions to its home insurance in UK policies, you know exactly where you stand – and that means you can make the right decision for your home, your family and your property from the off.

Exclusions to Aviva’s policy include radiation damage, which may arise from the burning of nuclear fuel; radiation or toxic damage caused as a result of nuclear explosion; and loss or damage incurred as a result of war, terrorism, civil war or military action. Cover is also excluded from pressure waves caused by aircraft, or pollution events that are not sudden and with a known cause

An Aviva home insurance policy lists all exclusions (these are only some) in its booklet. Get the most from your home insurance, wherever you go, by asking to see what you can’t be insured for.

Comments (0) 26.11.2011. 22:06

WHY CHOOSE US

At The Extenders Ltd We understand that it can be hard to find reliable builders and other tradesmen, especially in the Greater London and Central London area, so we want you to be absolutely confident that you are dealing with a reputable and professional company.

Here’s what sets The Extenders apart from the rest:

Experience – Company Director and Founder Serhiy Korohoda has been involved in the construction industry for over twenty years and all our tradesmen are experienced and highly-skilled professionals.

Attention to detail – We pride ourselves on making sure that every last detail of a job is taken care of, right down to making the site clean and tidy at the end of the project.

A comprehensive service – We offer a full range of construction and building services, from architecture and design right through to building, carpentry and plumbing - we have it all covered. Dealing with us will save you the time and hassle of dealing with multiple firms and tradesmen – we can supply everything you need and all our staff are managed directly from our Central London offices, with project mangers always on hand to deal with any questions or worries you may have.

Honest pricing policy – We provide all our customers with a full and detailed quote before carrying out any work. This is a completely free service and puts you under no obligation to proceed.

Insurance and certification – You can rest assured that all our tradesmen are fully insured and belong to relevant trade organisations.

References – If you would like to hear from someone we have worked for in the past, then simply let us know and we can put you in touch with one of our many satisfied clients across the London area.

We want you to be completely happy that you are dealing with a reputable and experienced firm of construction specialists so if you have any questions then please don’t hesitate to call us on the number provided on the contacts page.

Comments (0) 14.08.2011. 17:41

Our Personnel - hand picked for Quality Services

Here at The Extenders Ltd, we work in a unique way – which ensures that all of our personnel are the best in the business. Unlike other building companies, who farm out subcontracts to the “best” bidders – the “best bidder” is often the cheapest, and therefore the least reliable – we employ all of our staff directly. That means every single person working on your project is guaranteed by The Extenders (London Builders Pro) name. We’ve worked hard, over our 10 plus years in the trade, to create a team composed of the best carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers, electricians, plasterers, painters and decorators in London: probably, we think, the best in the UK. It’s a business model that works for us and for you equally. Because we know that our personnel are the best at what they do, we can relax and get on with your job knowing that we’re not going to be let down by subcontractors. And because everyone who works for us is employed by us, you know you can get clear, honest answers to any questions you have concerning any stage of your work. Our personnel are all reporting to one project manager, who can convey their progress to you directly.

Simply put, you won’t find this level of friendliness and expertise in any other building outfit in the country. There are other builders – and then there’s The Extenders Ltd, the only construction team that can bring you everything you need under the protection of a single name.

Comments (1) 06.06.2011. 18:22

Why The Extenders Ltd?

It’s something you’ll hear every building company ask. Why choose us? Why not go to another company, or even stick with the one you know? The answer is simple. When you work with London Builders Pro (The Extenders Ltd), you’re getting a different kind of service. Friendly, stress free and completely transparent. Now that’s something other construction companies simply can’t offer.

There’s more to it than that, of course. Our service has been designed in a completely unique way. We’ve built a network of trusted colleagues and contractors into a single building service – one that can perform every single part of a build with extraordinary skill, from planning and legal obligations all the way through to cutting the ribbon on the finished article. Why choose us? Because everything you need is done by us, rather than outsourced to unproven or unknown third parties. And that means you’re coming to us for information at every step of every project, rather than chasing around third party contractors to find out what you need to know.

It’s a completely different way of building, and one that London Builders is justly proud of. The reason for that is simple. Where other building contractors are more interested in spreading themselves over as many jobs as they can, we’re only concerned with providing a friendly, centralised service that can be trusted to attend to all of your building and construction needs. We know that building work can be extremely stressful and worrying, precisely because it is so often difficult to know who is doing what, and who to talk to about any concerns or changes that might arise during the course of a project. What we’ve done is to bring everything in under one roof: you’ll have a dedicated, friendly project manager from start to finish who is personally in touch with every part of your project. And all the people working on those parts are employed directly by us, rather than operating under a sub contractor.

We’re also one of the only London building contractors to offer a cast-iron no stress guarantee. We’ve completed hundreds of outstanding building projects in London, and we know what works: transparency, clear and constant communication, and an honest commitment to budget. That’s why we guarantee to bring off your project within cost, and on time, no matter what. Our initial consultation with you is designed to ensure that we fully understand the exact specifications of what you’re looking for, enabling us to give you an accurate and proper quote. And we undertake not only to give you regular progress updates, but to answer any questions you may have about the progress of your build, clearly and immediately as required. With London Builders Pro, there’s no chasing and no to-ing and fro-ing. We keep it simple, clear and honest.

So why choose us? Because we’re different. We’re the only London building company that can guarantee genuine stress-free builds on every scale, using only accredited and trusted colleagues rather than occasional sub-contracting. Building, after all, is a name for many enterprises that all head towards the same goal – we’ve just made sure all those enterprises are genuinely accomplished by a single company. Us. You can try the rest – or you can come to London Builders Pro, where our guarantees are both simple and real. Trust, honesty, friendliness, timeliness and attention to budget. All under the same roof.

Comments (0) 29.04.2011. 18:39

Make a whole new floor with a dormer loft conversion

A dormer loft conversion can open up the attic space of your home so that you can use it as a proper third or fourth storey. A dormer loft conversion makes the ceiling area of the loft roughly equal to its floor space by extending the roof area into flat rather than pitched extensions. That makes the interior dimensions of a room made by dormer loft conversion much closer to the dimensions of the rooms below. If you extend a dormer loft conversion both ways you’ll get a whole extra floor to your home – though you may run into planning permission issues here because some of the windows will be facing the road. For information about planning permission and dormer loft conversions, visit our page at http://www.london-builders-pro.co.uk/snews/planning-permission-for-loft-conversion/.

We can offer advice on the most suitable type of dormer conversion for your property – and help you turn that unused attic into a brand new storey.

Comments (0) 16.04.2011. 11:23

The streamlined office: how to get better use out of your space with a raised access floor

You know what they say – a tidy office is a happy office. Unfortunately it’s not always that easy to keep things in check when you’ve got printer cables and network cables and extension cords and communications cables spilling out behind every desk in the building. A raised access floor is an excellent way to clear the clutter and make your office space one that really works for you.

Our office refurbishment and design team can create and fit a flexible and functional raised access floor system for you, which will route all the cables you need to individual work stations without any mess or clutter. Your flooring system comes complete with access hatches that allow you to add or remove connections at will. Don’t suffer the mess, confusion and wasted time that exposed cabling can bring: check out our raised access floor options at www.london-builders-pro.co.uk

Our experienced team of commercial building contractors has worked in every conceivable shape, size and layout of office. No matter what your configuration is, or how cluttered it currently is, we can help. Give us a call to talk to us about a raised access floor today: or contact our customer services department through our website: www.london-builders-pro.co.uk. We’ll provide you with an in depth, no obligations consultation that shows you exactly how we can make your office work better.

Comments (4) 08.04.2011. 22:32

Making your company work better with office custom made storage

One of the things we love most about what we do is the look on a client’s face when we show you a finished office fit out. You know that what we are doing is going to make your life a lot easier, because we’ve planned it together. But when you actually see it for the first time: well, there’s no beating that feeling. We get it a lot when we fit office custom made storage for a client. Once you realise that your office has just changed from a space you’ve inherited to a place that has been designed and built to work for you – that’s when the look happens.

We don’t see why you should have to put up with the unused dimensions of your office, or the inherited storage furniture that doesn’t really cut it for your needs. Come to us for office custom made storage and we’ll design and fit storage options that work with the processes of your office to make your life easy, efficient and clutter free.

Our team of expert commercial building contractors can create a whole office custom made storage solution for you, including completely redesigned storage rooms and custom built office furniture. Working in close consultation with you, we’ll develop and deliver a project guaranteed to bring out that look we were talking about. The “I had no idea my office could work this well” look. Check out our office custom made storage solutions at www.london-builders-pro.co.uk: or give us a call to talk about a preliminary project plan. We’d love to help you get the most out of your building. No shape, dimension or layout is a problem – we have plenty of experience. London Office Refurbishment - Free quality for any project!

Comments (0) 08.04.2011. 22:19

10 Reasons to Extend

Why go through all the heartache of moving house when you can unlock the real value of the home you already live in? Extending has become the new moving and here are the top 10 reasons why.

1: You’ve built a life where you live already. Why knock it down by moving when you can build an extension instead?

2: Your home is full of potential just waiting to be unlocked. An extension lets you make the best use of your property area.

3: You didn’t design the layout of your home – so change it to what you’ve always wanted by extending and rearranging.

4: New arrivals mean more bedrooms. Why move when you can simply add to what you already have?

5: Selling a house at the moment is difficult. Extend now to fit your lifestyle and your increased living space will be a real asset when the housing market opens up again.

6: Old fixtures, great home? Use an extension project not just to expand your space but to make it more energy efficient with modern heating solutions.

7: Indulge yourself. If you’ve always wanted a home cinema, a gym, a studio or a pool – take the plunge and add a finishing touch to your existing house.

8: It’s easy. New laws (see our blogs on Permitted Development) allow you to make extensions to your home without having to get planning permission.

9: It’s cost effective. You get the same increased space as you would with a move for a fraction of the price.

10: It lets you design exactly what you want. Moving house just means going into somewhere bigger that is almost, but not quite, what you are looking for. When you extend, you can make your space perfect.

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Comments (4) 26.03.2011. 14:06

Warm your wallet with a rapid masonry extension

These days, heat efficiency is a must for a new extension. Government guidelines aside (which demand certain levels of heat efficiency and insulation from all new builds and building materials). A rapid masonry extension can deliver huge per annum savings on heating bills thanks to its superior insulation and outstanding seals. The majority of air and water ingress in building comes through old fashioned masonry joints, which are wide enough to risk easier damage and loss of seal. Rapid masonry extensions use a completely new type of masonry join – it’s much thinner, so there is far less danger of air and water getting through. For more information take a look at www.london-builders-pro.co.uk – we’ll be happy to answer your questions, or take a look at your property and advise yo if it is right for a rapid masonry extension.

Don’t let the cost of your home extension keep on growing after it’s finished. Put a cap on those heating bills with a modern rapid masonry extension.

London Building Contractors are Top Rated London House Extension Contractor