We like a lovely-looking floor as much as anyone, but when it comes to choosing the best possible product for your home, looks aren't necessarily the primary consideration. Appearance is important, it's true, but what good is a beautiful wooden veneer that's ruined by a week of being walked upon?

That's why a good, robust laminated pine floor is, in many respects, superior to hardwood products. It may not be as luxuriously organic, but the wood-style laminated pine veneer is still sensationally good-looking. And, what's more, the good looks of the laminated pine floor aren't likely to fade away with age! Hardwood flooring is notoriously difficult to maintain, but versatile flooring products like this laminated pine design are built to last, and with minimal maintenance, too. Even the most hectic household won't spoil this laminated pine floor!

If you want exquisite elegance for  your living room, hallway, or dining room, Floormaker's laminates are a sensational choice. We are particularly keen on this pine laminate flooring, but laminated pine is far from the only choice; there are plenty of other beautiful wood-style floors to be found in our Laminate section.

Just as not all floors are the same to look at, they’re not all the same when it comes to laying. Different floors come with different mechanisms and installation processes and one of these procedures is Floating Flooring. 

A floating floor is a system where the floor planks are laid on top of an underlay. The planks are connected to each other by a ‘tongue and groove’ connection system and are not stuck down to the subfloor. The floor sits on top of the underlay meaning it has the ability to move. Now, this doesn’t mean your flooring is literally going to get up and wander off; it simply means that the wood floor boards have the space and agility to expand and contract. 

All wood floor boards expand and contract due to temperature and these particular Floating Floors need more room and ability to do so. So by not sticking these floorboards down to the subfloor, they’re able to change accordingly much more easily. 

First and foremost leave your laminate flooring planks to acclimatise in the room you’re going to be laying them in. This will allow the flooring to adjust to the room’s temperature. 

Secondly but more importantly, you cannot lay a floating floor underneath any appliances/furniture/worktops that are stuck down onto the subfloor. A Floating Floor needs room and space to expand and contract; so nailing this floor down underneath kitchen work surfaces or appliances that need to be stuck down to the floor will ruin your flooring. When laying in an area like a kitchen or bathroom simply go around the surfaces and appliances. 

When laying a Floating Floor, you need to leave a 12mm expansion between the walls or work surfaces/appliances and your flooring in order to allow for the natural expansion and contraction of your flooring. Floormaker advise using Cork Expansion Strips to fill this excess area as they’ll help give your flooring a professional and tidy finish. 

Ensure that you stagger your floating flooring so the ends of the boards don’t line up. For example, if you have begun the first row with a whole plank, begin the second row with half a plank. The reason for staggering a floating floor is so that in future they don’t become uneven due to pressure and begin to buckle. 

All of Floormaker’s floors come with instructions so ensure you read these before you begin laying you floor. Read them even if you’ve hired someone to do the job for you, after all it’s your flooring and you want it to look professional and stay healthy. If you would like any more information, just call us on 08444 889 177. One of our friendly flooring advisers will be happy to help. 

Floormaker have come to stock a wonderful range of Designer Laminate Floors. They’re exquisitely made with only the best and finest materials laminate flooring can have. Parador is just one of Floormaker’s designers, and what incredible laminates they make. Once you get a glimpse at one of their laminates, they’ll be no going back; you’ll be hooked to their incredible patterns for life.

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Just take Parador’s 8mm Lava Block Laminate flooring. It’s both strong and elegant and won’t let you down even the busiest of home environments. Parador crafts their laminate floors carefully to give them the best protection and stability a laminate flooring needs. 

And don’t worry if the Lava Block isn’t quite up your street, Parador have many many more designs for you to choose from; including their Wine and Fruits laminate flooring. It’s utterly gorgeous and is the ideal thing for adding a rustic twist to your home’s décor. Parador’s Wine and Fruits provides a fun and original alternative. It’s nothing like anything you’ve seen before! 

You can be sure that when you buy a Parador laminate flooring you’re not just paying for flawless beauty but durability, strength and resilience against all household pressures. However, this being said, always make sure you treat your laminate well and give it some TLC when needed. A gentle sweep and mop will keep your laminate flooring dazzling.

Flooring thickness can be a confusing game at first. You might wonder if your living room (or whichever room you’re renovating) demands a particular thickness; you might wonder whether thicker is always better. These are valid concerns; you don’t want to buy a floor that you can’t use, but how much difference can a few millimetres make?

Well first of all, you’ll be pleased to hear that you’re free to choose any thickness you want for your new floor. Different thicknesses have different properties, but anything you buy from Floormaker should be more than adequate no matter what your living room’s like.

That leaves the second question – is thicker better? Well, yes, kind of, but there are two sides to this story. A thicker laminate floor is sturdier, more robust, and probably easier to lay, but it will also be more expensive. Take a look at our laminate flooring department, and you’ll notice than the lower-priced floors are also the thinnest; the collection starts with affordable 6mm floors before moving up to 8mm and finally 10mm products. There are exceptions, but as a general rule, you’ll pay more for a thicker floor.

So if you’re still unsure what thickness to opt for, we’d recommend going right down the middle. Go for some reasonably-priced 8mm laminate flooring; it’s sturdier than the 6mm stuff, but not as expensive as those high-end 10mm laminates. It’s the perfect compromise!

Simply put, a glossy tile floor is a fabulous floor. A glossy finish is more reflective, and this will make your room feel larger and more spacious. That alone is reason enough to have faith in a glossy tile floor, but a dazzling appearance isn’t the only advantage!

In addition to being more shiny and striking than a regular matte finish, a glossy finish is also a fair bit more resilient. Products like the Piasentina glossy tile floor come with increased resistance to stains and scratches, so that fabulous glossy veneer will stay beautiful for a long time indeed. If you’ve got children or pets in your home, a glossy tile floor could be the perfect choice – these floors are difficult to damage!

But even if you’re bored stiff by talk of durability and damage resistance, a gloss tile floor will still get you excited. Just look at the likes of the glossy red tile flooring – how bright and brilliant is that? There’s a glossy tile floor for everyone here at Floormaker, so no matter what kind of space you’re working with, our Laminate Flooring section will cater to your requirements.

Floormaker’s Guide to Protecting Your Laminates.

Although Laminates are specially crafted to be one of the toughest kinds of flooring around, that doesn’t mean they’re indestructible. Laminate floors do need their fair share of TLC so it’s only fair we give it to them as they provide so much for us. 

Laminate floors are stain resistant but that doesn’t mean proof! So as soon as you notice a spillage or hazard that could potentially cause staining make sure you get some warm soapy water and give your Laminate a good mop. If you catch the spill quickly your beautiful laminate is less likely to be damaged. 

You can use cleaning aids on Laminate floors but be careful what kinds of aids you use as some can just make things worse! Floormaker do provide a special Laminate Cleaning Aid but we suggest testing it first. Testing goes for all cleaning aids. If you have a spare plank of your Laminate floor spray a bit on there, leave it for a couple of hours and see if there’s any damaged done. If you don’t have a spare plank lying around you could find a corner that’s out of sight and try it in a small area there. 

Door mats are essential for all homes as they’re one of the most effective ways of preventing stains. Door mats will absorb any excess water, mud or dirt that’s on your shoes or your pet’s feet, helping to protect your Laminate flooring. Door mats should be placed by every entrance/exist to your home. And luckily, Floormaker provide a wide range of door mats for you to choose from to help keep your home sparkling. 

Now, when it comes to scratches the best thing to do is to try and scratch proof your home. Laminates can handle a lot of pressure but it’s better to be safe than sorry! Felt pads are a really effective way of preventing potential scratches. Felt pads simply go on the feet of chairs, sofas or stools and can also be placed under tables, TV sets; anything you think may cause scratching. 

Hopefully if you take these precautions your Laminate will remain healthy and sparkling for years to come. If you need any more information on how to keep your Laminate safe, simply call us on 08444 889 177 or email sales@floormaker.co.uk 

Named for a colossal English oak tree in Nottinghamshire, the 8mm Major Oak Floor is a gorgeous product that’s capable of adding a nice, natural touch to any interior. The wood-style veneer is one of the most convincing in our entire Laminate collection – anyone but an expert would mistake the Major Oak floor for a solid wood product!

The Major Oak tree itself is internationally famous, and not just because of its size. Legend has it that Robin Hood and his Merry Men used the Major Oak as shelter, sleeping beneath its extensive foliage, which provided ample protection from the elements. The Major Oak floor isn’t actually made from Major Oak wood (we’d have to chop it down, for one thing, and that would be a great shame indeed), but we think that its organic charm and natural-looking beauty are a great homage to Sherwood Forest’s most famous tree.

So if you want to bring a bit of nature into your living space, this exquisite oak floor is the ultimate way to do it. This sensational 8mm laminate is fantastically robust, staying beautiful even under pressure, and the wood-style veneer will do wonders for your home’s atmosphere.

Floormaker have some great news for you today! All of our Laura Ashley Products are on SALE! Oh how we love a sale. Our Laura Ashley products are constantly on demand because they’re just so exquisite and now you can get them for less! And there are loads of options to choose from. Laura Ashley always caters for all types of customers and personalities. 

So whether you’re looking for a modern chic look or beautiful rustic English Heritage design, Laura Ashley has something. 

Finding a floor to suit your bathrooms can be tricky, you need flooring that will be able to tackle the moisture and fight against the constant temperature changes. These factors can cause havoc in any ordinary flooring, you need some extra smart and extra durable and tiles is the way to go. 

Be it Ceramic or Vinyl tiles, Floormaker stock both and they’re both highly recommended in bathrooms and kitchens. But let’s start with Ceramics. 

Ceramic Tiles are part of the Laminate Family so if you’ve had your heart set on a laminate then you won’t be disappointed! Yes, they look a little different to the original style of wood laminate flooring; for starters they’re tiles rather than narrow floorboards. But Floormaker recommend these clever ceramic tiles. They’re tough, durable and attractive and have got everything flooring needs to wrestle moisture. 

You won’t be disappointed by our ceramic tiles. They come in an array of different colours and styles so you can find the perfect flooring. The classic white and black tiles are constantly on demand but Floormaker have just had a whole new stock in, meaning a wider range or designer styles. The Patterns on these tiles are stunning and are sure to add a sophisticated, classy look to your home. 

Vinyl Tiles are slightly different to Ceramics and have been specially crafted for areas where lots of moisture is apparent. Floormaker’s Vinyl Tile range is huge as there are so many cool and creative designs out there. Vinyl Tiles cater for all design tastes. Whether you want a modern or rustic look you’re sure to find something to suit your interior décor taste buds in our vinyl collection. 

And the fun doesn’t stop there. With vinyl tiles you can even get stone effect, mosaic or wood designs so there really is something for everyone. You won’t be easily let down by this wondrous creation – they’re practically indestructible. Scratch, dent and moisture resistant there isn’t a thing these vinyl tiles can’t handle. So if you’re looking for something extra strong that will last for years then vinyl is the way to go. 

If you want a living space that’s the very embodiment of the word ‘contemporary’, there are a few different flooring types that should be hovering near the top of your interior design wishlist. A light-coloured wood floor is a good choice, and we’ve got plenty of excellent engineered flooring designs that are as modern as modern can be.

But the very best of all, the cream of the contemporary crop, is the 8mm Carrara Marmor White Tile Floor. It’s a straightforward white tile floor at heart, but it’s the attention to detail that really sells this beautiful flooring product. The marble-effect veneer would make any living room look like it’s been clipped straight from the pages of an interior design magazine, and the light-coloured design ensures that even a rather small space will feel sprawling and spacious.

This white tile floor is based upon a classical concept, and we think that Kronotex have executed it perfectly. It’s an exquisite choice of floor, although Floormaker’s prices don’t reflect this – you’ll be surprised at how inexpensive this rich-looking white tile floor is!