What would you buy
Discussion
Need to do our downstairs floors soon, whole downstairs will have the same flooring throughout. I have been looking at floors for 9 months and have narrowed it down to either of the below.
I really want American walnut, it goes well with everything here and i just love the unique graining walnut gives.
I however do not have pick of the bunch, most walnut floors are very expensive for real quality (looking for engineered). A full plank walnut of around 18mm with a 6mm top could be £50,60, 70+ per m2. I just don't have that.
I have found a reasonable quality floor though, 14mm with 3 mm top layer, matt laquer so not as bad with scratches as the usual satin found on walnut, lovely tones but random lengths (basically off cuts made into useable floor of 400-1200mm lengths.) I'm not sure if random lengths is a problem but you obviously dont get the full grain effect iykwim. The actual quality does seem very very good for what it is.
That said i have found a place selling french oak engineered, the wood is sustainable (important within reason as i don't like random forests being chopped down for us). It is full planks of 2-3 meters long, wider too so i,ll get the full grain/knotting effect. It is much better quality, 22mm with a 7mm top layer.
It is also slightly cheaper than the walnut i like.
Downside is it will need finishing on site and also i really am not a great great lover of oak. The plus side is i can stain it the same colour as my iroko worktops and oak doors (both jacobean oak stain) so it will all match in very well).
Heart says walnut but head says oak as its a better buy,better quality,harder wood than the walnut i love.
So help me, i,m driving myself mad here. Do i go for real quality oak which i,m not so keen on and is a lot more work or the walnut which i love but is dearer and not as good quality?
Anyone here got walnut? whats it like to live with? I have heard its a nightmare in terms of scratches.
I really want American walnut, it goes well with everything here and i just love the unique graining walnut gives.
I however do not have pick of the bunch, most walnut floors are very expensive for real quality (looking for engineered). A full plank walnut of around 18mm with a 6mm top could be £50,60, 70+ per m2. I just don't have that.
I have found a reasonable quality floor though, 14mm with 3 mm top layer, matt laquer so not as bad with scratches as the usual satin found on walnut, lovely tones but random lengths (basically off cuts made into useable floor of 400-1200mm lengths.) I'm not sure if random lengths is a problem but you obviously dont get the full grain effect iykwim. The actual quality does seem very very good for what it is.
That said i have found a place selling french oak engineered, the wood is sustainable (important within reason as i don't like random forests being chopped down for us). It is full planks of 2-3 meters long, wider too so i,ll get the full grain/knotting effect. It is much better quality, 22mm with a 7mm top layer.
It is also slightly cheaper than the walnut i like.
Downside is it will need finishing on site and also i really am not a great great lover of oak. The plus side is i can stain it the same colour as my iroko worktops and oak doors (both jacobean oak stain) so it will all match in very well).
Heart says walnut but head says oak as its a better buy,better quality,harder wood than the walnut i love.
So help me, i,m driving myself mad here. Do i go for real quality oak which i,m not so keen on and is a lot more work or the walnut which i love but is dearer and not as good quality?
Anyone here got walnut? whats it like to live with? I have heard its a nightmare in terms of scratches.
Can't be much help regarding walnuts' wearing properties, I've got Elka oak engineered in our lounge; but what I would say is that you've got to look at it, and if you even slightly don't like it now, you'll bloody hate it in two years time.
The number of people that I speak to that wanted a particular paving, but it was just a bit too much money, then come back to replace what they'd bought with what they originally wanted is legion. You have to be happy with what you end up with, otherwise it'll niggle the daylights out of you, and you'll end up doing the job twice.
HTH
The number of people that I speak to that wanted a particular paving, but it was just a bit too much money, then come back to replace what they'd bought with what they originally wanted is legion. You have to be happy with what you end up with, otherwise it'll niggle the daylights out of you, and you'll end up doing the job twice.
HTH
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