Cottage - What Flooring?

[Trommel]

I'm refurbishing a small terraced cottage which I intend to rent once complete.

I'm wondering what flooring I should use in the sitting room which will be practical but also in keeping with the age and appearance of the building (heavy open beams etc.).

The floors are cement and the front door opens directly into the room - what sort of wooden flooring would suit? I've already discounted laminate and vinyl (ugh), and flags or slate would be too cold.

Any ideas? :?

 

[Nimster]

Your cottage sounds very similar to ours. We're about to put in a neutral coloured carpet that looks very much like Jute flooring. We were going to use Jute but I got a splinter from the roll in the shop, so decided I didn't want it on the floor.

If you're going to rent you should use something similar as the cement floor will be very cold through tiles/laminate and you don't want your tenants whinging.

 

[Penners]

Trommel - where is the cottage, and what age is it?

 

[Trommel]

A hard-wearing carpet sounds like an option, but I'm concerned that a lighter-coloured one will show the dirt as it's straight off the street.

It's in a "village" suburb of Derby (in a conservation area), I believe it's late 18th Century.

 

[Nemesis]

Parquet?

Most other things you seem to have discounted!

 

[Trommel]

Parquet sounds expensive :wink:

 

[Nemesis]

Quarry tiles?

You really are running out of options!

Laying wood planks on top of concrete may work, but it may not.

 

[Penners]

Laying wood planks on top of concrete may work, but it may not.

I agree. if you're going to do this, just be certain that there is definitely a DPM in the floor, and that the concrete is totally dry. I would also advocate having an air gap under the boards if possible.

 

[Moreteyne]

Trommel

We had a 17th century property in Ochbrook some years ago. The typical style of workman's houses had brick floors if my memory serves me correctly.
Whilst you may not want to reinstate this, this was the type used back then.
What about a natural stone flooring ? There is some lovely stuff sold by

http://www.blackmountainquarries.com/

They do wood also.

 

[middi]

The thing is Trommel you are guided by the amount of headroom available without smashing the floor as to what type of flooring you will be able to install.

Like Penners sggested, a ventilated solid wood floor would suit it very well, same as paviours or stone as suggested by others but they are subject to the above mentioned restriction.

Maybe you could settle for quite " modernish" flat solid type stone tiles where, including the adhesive, you only loose 20 or 25 mm in height.

After all they are only going on existing cement floor.

 

[Trommel]

I'm leaning toward wood, as I think stone or tiles will be too cold (or at least, may hinder its letting).

Head room isn't too big a problem, but the door step is at floor level.

 

[Nemesis]

I would suggest that the real restriction would be with the door - I suspect that it opens inwards, and anything laid on top of the existing floor will have to not raise the level by very much. You don't want stone or slate as you have already said, and I agree dirt being trodden in a a hazard, even with a doormat placed there. It may be poss to make a small area as you come in the door with tiles and a mat, and carpet the rest.

A modern wood strip floor may be able to be laid, I noted last time I was in John Lewis they had a selection of stuff which may be suitable for laying on top of cement. I'm not sure of the eco credentials of some of it, but I think some types are chipboard with a veneer, which may be reasonably priced.

 

[Trommel]

Food for thought - thank you for the replies.

As said, there's no step up or down across the threshold so whatever is put down needs to be thin (unless I cut into the cement).

 

[Ushy M]

We have a concrete floor with DPM in the sitting and dining rooms, currently covered by carpet which is pretty worn. We were thinking of replacing it with wooden floorboards, but really have no headroom - the main beams are only 6 feet above. Is it out of the question to lay wood directly onto the concrete, or is an air gap essential? I'd have thought the wood might breathe as well as say stone or quarry tiles?

 

[middi]

the air gap necessary between wooden floor and solid floor is there to dissipate the differential of moisture retension between one surface and the other, the more the humidity on the floor the more air gap needed to dissipate the moisture. The objective is to have stabilised humidity above and below the floor boards otherwise the humidity will create an expansion on the "wetter" side of the board, it will react like a bimetallic strip and will distort in one direction only.

Similar to leaving a new plank of wood in the sun, it will distort in a few hours because the sun will dry one surface faster than the other.

On a cement floor with DPM incorporated an air gap with minor ventilation provision should still be allowed.

 

[Wren]

This is a personal preference thing but I would go for quarry tiles.

To then make the room feel more cosy I would then also have EITHER a kilim type rug OR some natural flooring (seagrass etc) made into a large rug.

Quarry tiles can be laid onto the existing floor, and I think you can shop around on price. Kilim would be nice but expensive (altho firedearth are having a sale), so the natural flooring rug is probably cheaper (again you need to shop around on price).
Quarry tiles relatively robust if you are walking straight off the street, and depending on your tenants the natural flooring rug easy to replace when the time comes.

 

[Trommel]

That's actually a pretty good idea - will give it some thought.

 

[Nemesis]

You will probably be able to sink a well as you enter the doorway, for a mat, to wipe off the worst of the wet and muck as anyone enters.