Flooring Pattern & Material Guide
A comprehensive guide on common flooring materials, styles, & how tc choose the right floor.
Understanding Flooring Materials
Choosing the right material is the most important decision you’ll make. Each option has different strengths depending on where the floor is going, how it will be used, and what your budget allows. Here’s what you need to know about each one.
Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered flooring is the most versatile option in the range. Each plank is built with a genuine hardwood top layer bonded under high pressure to a multi-ply timber core, giving it the look and feel of solid wood with far greater stability in changing conditions. The layered construction resists the natural movement that affects solid timber, making it the right choice for rooms with underfloor heating or where moisture levels vary. Available in oak, ash, and walnut across a range of grades.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Waterproof | No |
| Suitable for underfloor heating? | Yes |
| Can be sanded and refinished | Yes |
| Durability | Heavy traffic areas |
| Suitable for | Commercial and residential |
Solid Oak Flooring
Solid oak flooring is cut from a single piece of European oak — no layers, no composite core. It is the most traditional form of wood flooring and, maintained properly, the most long-lasting. Because the board is solid timber throughout, it can be sanded back and refinished multiple times over its lifetime, making it a genuine long-term investment. It is more sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity than engineered, so subfloor conditions matter, and it is not recommended over underfloor heating.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Waterproof | No |
| Suitable for underfloor heating? | No |
| Can be sanded and refinished | Yes — multiple times over its lifetime |
| Durability | Heavy traffic areas |
| Suitable for | Low moisture rooms, climate-controlled rooms, Long term heritage homes |
Luxury Vinyl Flooring (SPC)
Stone Plastic Composite is a rigid-core vinyl flooring that replicates the appearance of real wood without the maintenance considerations that come with natural timber. The dense core makes it completely waterproof and highly resistant to scratches and heavy footfall, which makes it the practical choice for rooms where wood would be at risk. It is comfortable underfoot, compatible with underfloor heating, and available in both plank and herringbone formats.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Waterproof | Yes |
| Suitable for underfloor heating? | Yes |
| Can be sanded and refinished | No |
| Durability | High traffic areas |
| Suitable for | Kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms and other wet areas |
Flooring Patterns Explained
The laying pattern changes everything about how a floor looks and feels in a room. A standard plank and a herringbone block can be made from identical timber and still produce completely different results. Here is a breakdown of every pattern we offer.
Plank Flooring
Rectangular boards laid in parallel rows, the most versatile and widely used format, available across the full range of materials and grades.
Herringbone
Individual blocks laid at 90-degree angles to each other to form a continuous zigzag, one of the most recognised parquet patterns and equally at home in traditional and contemporary interiors.
Chevron
Similar to herringbone but with block ends cut at a diagonal so the pattern forms a clean, continuous V-shape, a more geometric and contemporary take on the classic parquet look.
Versaille Panel
A premium pre-made panel format with an intricate geometric design, the most distinctive and high-end pattern in the range.
Understanding Flooring Grades
When you are browsing our range you will notice that many products are described by a grade — Rustic, Prime AB, Antique, Country or Bandsawn. These grades describe the appearance and character of the timber surface, not the quality or durability of the board. Every grade we produce is manufactured to the same standard; the difference is purely in how the wood looks.
Rustic Grade
Rustic grade timber retains the full natural character of the oak, including knots, grain variation, and colour differences between boards. No two floors look exactly the same. It is the most popular grade we carry and suits both traditional and relaxed contemporary interiors.
Defining Features: Knots, grain variation, colour variation, splits, worm holes
Prime AB
Prime AB is the cleaner, more uniform end of the spectrum. Boards are selected for consistent colour and minimal knots, producing a smooth, refined appearance. It suits modern and minimalist interiors where a neat, even floor is the priority.
Defining Features: Slight colour variation, minimal sound knots, clean grain, smooth surface
Antique Grade
Antique grade timber has a deliberately aged, distressed appearance with heavy character markings, deeper colour variation, and a more pronounced grain. It is the right choice for period properties and interiors going for a reclaimed or heritage look.
Defining Features: Heavy knots, deep colour variation, distressed markings, aged appearance
Country Grade
The Country Grade collection is designed to celebrate the natural character and rustic beauty of oak. Each board features a heavily brushed surface that enhances the grain and texture of the timber, while contrasting black filler is applied to the knots, splits, and natural imperfections to further highlight the unique detail within every plank
Defining Features: Heavily brushed, contrasting black filler, enhanced rustic character, grained texture, natural detailing
Bandsawn
Bandsawn refers to the way the boards are cut rather than the character of the grain. The sawing process leaves a subtle, tactile texture across the surface of each board that catches the light differently to a smooth planed finish. It adds a handcrafted quality to the floor and works particularly well in rustic and industrial style interiors.
Defining Features: Textured surface, visible saw marks, tactile finish, enhanced grain depth
Which Floor is Right for Your Project?
Choosing the right floor comes down to understanding how a room is used, what the subfloor conditions are, and what you want the space to look and feel like long term. There is no single best option, each material and pattern in our range has been designed with specific conditions and use cases in mind. These are the most common scenarios we help customers work through, and the straightforward answer for each one.
You have underfloor heating: Engineered oak flooring, is made up of layers of ply which are bonded together to form a solid and highly stable core board. That core board is then bonded with solid oak (or other species) and finished with your choice of colour. The perfect solution for underfloor heating.
You want wood in a kitchen: Engineered oak flooring is an excellent and highly recommended choice for kitchens, offering the timeless beauty of real wood alongside structural stability that allows it to withstand the daily rigors of a busy cooking environment.
You are renovating a period property: We offer a unique range of hand-crafted boards (Antique, Country & Bandsawn) or herringbone flooring, with a distressed appearance and bespoke finish to re-create the indefinable beauty of an aged oak antique flooring.
You want a floor that will outlast everything else in the room: Solid oak flooring, properly maintained and refinished when needed, is as close to permanent as flooring gets.
Creating a contemporary space: Prime grade planks or Herringbone for a clean stylish and modern appearance.
You want a structural wood flooring: 21mm solid oak, other species or 20mm engineered flooring offers the ability to use directly to floor joists.
You want to make a statement in a hallway or reception room: Engineered herringbone blocks, Chevron or Versailles panels are a style or aesthetic appearance that separates it from everything else and gives a unique finish
You are working to a tighter budget without compromising on real wood: The engineered rustic plank range and the Budget Special collection offer genuine oak flooring at an accessible price point.
You are fitting out a commercial space or high-traffic area: Industrial parquet is a unique solid flooring which is laid, sanded and sealed in situ. Solid oak flooring is all so a very high traffic product which can be sanded and resealed numerous times.
Not Sure Which Floor to Choose? Order a Free Sample.
With over 40 years of experience manufacturing and supplying wood flooring across the UK, our team can help you find the right floor for any project. Whether you are working on a single room or a full commercial fit-out, we are happy to talk through your requirements and point you in the right direction.