Welcome to Our Wood Flooring Range

Every wooden floor is unique. Wood is a stable, strong and beautiful material that looks well with any interior design. Wood floors give a feeling of elegance to any area with the advantages of creating a healthy environment that is both easy to clean and maintain. As Ireland’s leading supplier of timber products, we are stockists of some of the world’s leading manufacturers of wood flooring. Our dedicated sales staff can offer you expert advice on choosing the right floor for you. Whether it’s a solid, semi- solid or laminate floor you’re looking for, we carry an impressive range so you can be sure of finding a floor to meet your requirements.

Before you Start

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Decide how much you want to spend: Floors vary in price significantly depending on the type of wood you would like. Our staff are happy to do up a quote on any style you wish, just bring your measurements along to your nearest branch.

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Make sure you choose a suitable floor: Estimate the volume of traffic that will pass through that particular room before choosing your floor. You should ensure that the wood is durable enough to withstand wear and tear if it is a busy area.

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Choose a style to match or compliment your décor: As your floor will last a number of years (in some cases a lifetime) choose a floor that compliments the room interior. Our staff will be happy to give you a small sample of floor to make sure you are happy with the match before you buy.

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Use a professional: It is always important to use a professional wood contractor to install your floor. There are many technical issues that may compromise the product. Just ask our staff and they can recommend a contractor in your area to lay your floor for you.

Choosing the floor type

Choosing the right type of floor Choosing the right type of floor will stand to you in years to come. Picking a floor of a quality suitable to the level of traffic in the room will ensure a longer life span and durability. Entrance Hall As this is the first impression people get when entering a home, it is important that the hall looks open and bright, classic styles work well here. Choose a durable wooden floor as the traffic is high through this area. Brighter woods are recommended as darker colours show wear and tear easily. Welcome mats prevent wear and tear in the immediate door area. Kitchens/Family Rooms Kitchens and family rooms are the most common rooms in any home for wood floor installation. They are also some of the warmest, rooms of the house — a natural choice for classic wood flooring. Keep in mind that kitchens and family rooms can also be high traffic areas. Very dark or very light wood floors do not fare well in such areas. If water spillage is an issue in your home, engineered wood floors may fare better than solid wood flooring in kitchen areas. Formal Living and Dining Rooms Formal rooms such as living or dining rooms are often traditionally appointed, making them excellent locations for dark-stained or classic solid-wood floors. Of course, any design considerations for formal living and dining rooms should be made with your furniture and décor in mind. In terms of colour, the key is complementary compatibility — not an exact match between floor and decor, but similar in tone. Keep in mind that the darker the floor, the smaller the space will appear, and the greater the floor maintenance. For formal rooms however, these aspects of dark flooring are usually not a concern; in seated formal settings, ‘smallness’ quickly becomes cosiness, and the low-traffic of such rooms makes maintenance negligible.

Bathrooms Because of the moisture associated with baths and showers, solid wood floors do not do well in bathrooms that receive daily use. Consider engineered wood flooring for such rooms. Guest bathrooms are a different matter — the rich tones of solid wood is welcoming and warm for the occasional guest. In any bathroom with wood floors, always use bath mats or area carpets, and be sure to always immediately wipe up any spilled water. Home Offices, Bedrooms The warmth and traditional elegance of natural wood makes them extremely popular decorating choices in both home offices and bedrooms. Often, these wood floors are used in combination with area carpeting. Note that to prevent damage to wooden office floors, all rolling furniture (TV tables, office chairs) should have well-maintained, clean coasters to prevent damaging dragging. You choose a particular floor not only for practical reasons but also because you like a specific colour. When choosing the colour of the floor, you should take into account the desired end result and influence of the other existing or planned colour elements on the interior. The result of this combination is more than the sum of the individual elements. The whole space is given a new identity, as it were. Every room is different and requires a specific approach, depending on the desired end result.

Choosing the floor colour You choose a particular floor not only for practical reasons but also because you like a specific colour. When choosing the colour of the floor, you should take into account the desired end result and influence of the other existing or planned colour elements on the interior.

The result of this combination is more than the sum of the individual elements. The whole space is given a new identity, as it were. Every room is different and requires a specific approach, depending on the desired end result.

A dark floor with pale walls and ceiling widens the room.

A dark floor with dark ceiling widens and lowers the room.

Dark walls in a room with a light floor and ceiling emphasize the horizontal lines.

Light floor, ceiling and back wall: space is narrower, deeper and higher.

A room with a light floor and light walls creates a spacious effect. Too many pale colours make it cool and impersonal.

A dark back wall and pale side walls and floor decrease the depth of the space.

A light ceiling, dark floor and dark walls result in a basement effect (light only above you).

A light floor, light back wall, dark side walls and a dark ceiling create a tunnel effect.

If all spaces have the same dark colour, they lose their shape.

Guide to Successful Floor Laying

Sub-floor: general notes and preparation Cement screeds: They must be flat and fully dry - this means that the moisture content must be no more than 5%. The screed must be level to a tolerance of no more than a 3mm gap under a 3 metre straight edge. A selflevelling compound may help to achieve this tolerance if the base is found to be uneven. Timber sub-floors: Ensure the floor has adequate protection from damp from below. If the floor is on joists, ensure the void below is ventilated to building regulation standards. The moisture content of the timber substrate must be maximum 12 – 14%.  The base must be level to a tolerance of no more than a 3mm gap under a 3 metre straight edge. 

If the floor is a ground floor over a cavity or unheated room, a vapour barrier should be placed between the new floor and old floor to prevent an increase in the moisture content of the new. Polythene sheet is not a recommended damp proof membrane as this may cause sweating and increase the moisture content. Choosing underlays: On concrete screeds a vapour barrier of 1000g polythene should be laid. If joints are necessary, these should be lapped at 300mm and taped. The polythene should be lapped up at all walls. Underlay foam (3/4mm) should be fitted at right angles to the direction in which the floorboards will be laid. These must be butted together but not overlapped.

Guide to Successful Floor Laying

General floor laying instructions Laying the floor: Mix the planks from various packs of wood before laying to ensure a random pattern of colours and shades. Expansion gaps must be left around all perimeters. Allow 3mm for every metre of flooring width at each side. A minimum gap of 15mm must be allowed. Expansion gaps must be allowed around radiator pipes or other obstructions protruding from the floor. The boards must be cut to allow 15mm space for movement. If you are laying the floor in more than one room, ensure that adequate space is allowed around door frames. It is advisable to break the flooring at the doorway and use a cover strip to hide the joint. Note: Please be aware that the moisture content of every house is different so please use the details above as guidelines only.

General maintenance tips To keep the floor looking its best: Sweep or vacuum your floor regularly. When necessary clean the floor with a non-abrasive floor cleaner. Do not allow puddles of water to dry upon your timber floor as moisture damage may occur. Place effective door mats at all external doors to remove grit, sand and water from shoes. Use felt pads on furniture and chair legs and non-slip matting under rugs to protect your floors surface. Wood is a natural product and therefore will mark. Please apply the guidelines listed above to keep this to a minimum. Detailed installation and maintenance instructions applicable to each flooring range is supplied with each pack of flooring.

Tools & Accessories To assist in the installation of your floor and give your floor it’s finishing touches, Brooks carry a large range of accessories. •

MDF  

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Trims

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Glue

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Self adhesive

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Hand Tools

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Felt pads

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Power Tools

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Flooring membranes

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Porta nailers & nails

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Skirting and Architrave

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Hardwood mouldings

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Floor oils and lacquers