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Wood flooring upgrade can pay dividends

20th February 2012

People who purchase a home with chipboard floors may be keen to replace them with proper wood flooring as soon as they can, particularly as the former type is known for creaking.

The task has been discussed by home improvement expert Jeff Howell, who used his latest column in the Telegraph to offer one property owner some advice on laying down softwood timber floorboards in place of chipboard.

According to the DIY guru, the job is certainly a "worthwhile home improvement". However, householders will need to make a few important considerations before they go ahead.

Firstly, they will have to check if internal partition walls have been constructed on top of the chipboard, rather than directly over supporting walls below.

If they have, then retaining the chipboard next to the partitions and just replacing the other sections with wood flooring could be the best option.

Mr Howell also advised people to have their new floorboards cut to length and screwed loosely in place, before leaving them for a year to acclimatise. This should help to avoid drying shrinkage of the new timber.

As a temporary measure, rugs can be used to cover the wood flooring while the boards are acclimatising.

Bringing wood flooring into a property can be recommended for a number of reasons, not only when outdated chipboard flooring has become a problem.

In a recent Washington Post article, US couple Eric and Jennifer Jewell were advised to consider replacing traditional carpet with hardwood floors.

The pair have twin girls who are four years old, so experts Denise Standen and Anne Quinn from Take 2 Interiors pointed out that wood flooring represents a practical option in the living room.

"They will withstand the wear and tear of children and pets," the design gurus explained.

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