Toutes les Newsletters - Archive

Flooring

Watch where you step! Unlike our ancestors, whose main concern was to have a floor that was functional, we attach great importance to design when choosing floor coverings. There are endless decoration options for what we tread on all day long.
 
Parquet flooring remains the favourite in French homes and comes in many styles, ranging from elegant to functional. For a long time, parquet was only found in well-off households, but today it is accessible to all.
 
Laminate flooring provides a cheaper alternative to real parquet and can look very similar (or imitate many other materials). It does not, however, offer the same qualities of comfort, sound and heat insulation and durability as parquet does, mainly due to the fact that parquet flooring must have a wear layer of at least 2.50 mm. Parquet flooring can be broken down into three main categories.
 
Wooden floors are increasingly rare as they are more complicated to lay yet are the most hard-wearing. Solid parquet is thinner but is still very resistant. Lastly, glue-down parquets are thin and fragile but can be laid anywhere. (See also: parquet tiles, bearing joists, heated floors, raised floors, podiums, etc.)

Underfloor heating is more effective when coupled with the insulating properties of wood. When embellished with parquetry and edge patterns, parquet flooring looks so beautiful that we hardly dare walk on it.

Tiles are timeless, easy to clean and perfect for kitchens and bathrooms. They have been reinvented over time and come in many different types, including imitations of other materials such as linen, fabric and even bronze! Marble and mosaic floor tiles give rooms a simple yet elegant feel.  The colour and uneven texture of recycled tomette tiles create an original, warm ambiance. (See also: bejmet tiles, sandstone tiles, cement tiles, slate tiles, terra cotta tiles, etc.)

There is also a wide range of paving tiles and stones available on the floor covering market including cork, glass, concrete, rubber, leather and pebble. Pebble stone pavings, however, are difficult to keep clean which can be a deterrent to many buyers.

Frederick Walton revolutionised the floor coverings market in the 19th century and was a perfect candidate for the Inventors Award. His claim to fame is the invention of linoleum. This flexible material made of asphalt, rubber and plastic resin is still popular today as it is easy to lay and above all affordable. (See also: PVC flooring, rubber flooring, Adhesive floor covering , pebble and stone flooring, etc.)

Whether needle-punched, tufted or woven, carpets are fitted in every other home. New techniques and designs are being launched all the time. Unlike during their heyday in the 1980s, carpets are now popular for their top-of-the-range weaves. Emblematic of comfort and heat, they have come back into fashion in a big way. Designers are pulling out all the stops to give our fragile feet something soft to tread on &ndash carpets that entice us to stay at home! (See also: needle-punched carpets, carpet tiles, etc.)

Other rooms in the home can be optimised by laying appropriate flooring. Non-slip and easy to clean, indoor floor paint is perfect for balconies, stairs and garages. Concrete floors are also multi-purpose. Waxed concrete is now used to produce functional yet stylish flooring. Its rough, minimalist appearance, inspired by its original industrial function, gives a popular loft effect. 
 
Outside floors are not being neglected either. On the contrary, they are currently all the rage. A lawn made of Synthetic grass or Cior tiles adds some greenery to the garden. Traditional Duckboard and gravel lead the way. At nightfall, simply let illuminated Paving stones guide you along. (See also: Japanese Paving stones, Gravel , decking, terrace floors, etc.)