Solid Wood Flooring
Nothing beats solid wood for a timeless natural texture, and a robust feel beneath your feet. It suits both contemporary and traditional interior design, an is long-lasting with each board precision machined from a single section of timber. Tongue and groove joints make for a tight and strong installation.

Engineered Wood Flooring
Here each board is made from multiple layers of wood pressed together. The solid top layer is what matters as it displays the colour and pattern you’ll see and feel. In the middle of each board is a central core and below that there’s a backing board for stability. Engineered board is available in a wide range of wood types, finishes and thicknesses.

Laminate Flooring
Simulating the appearance of real wood, laminate floors have a printed foil surface showing a wood grain pattern, covered in a tough, transparent layer of melamine. Essentially a man-made solution, laminate flooring has a high-density fibreboard (HDF) core making it strong and flexible. It’s backed with cellulose paper for stability.

Bamboo Flooring
Though bamboo is actually a type of grass, when made into flooring its characteristics are similar to hardwood. Bamboo takes just five years to grow before it can be harvested, and is 100% sustainable. It comes in two styles – traditional, and the more durable strand woven version, which is extremely tough.

Select
This grade looks natural yet consistent, with few knots. Up to 10% sapwood can be found in Select boards, along with considerable grain and colour variation, but only small knots.

Rustic
More of the wood’s character shines through in rustic floors – including large knots, dark streaks, filled knots and colour variation. Again, up to 10% sapwood is likely in this grade.

Extra Rustic
Very little is graded out in the extra rustic category. Large knots, splits, cracks and any amount of sapwood make this a fun choice, and mean that your floor will be all that more distinctive.

A Note About Knots
Knots occur naturally in wood where a branch grows out of the main trunk. They can go deep into the timber’s core. In terms of flooring, there are two types of knot. A dead knot is where the core of the knot has fallen out or been removed, and then filled. With a live knot, the core remains in the board. The rustic and extra rustic grades contain both types of knots.

If you don’t want large knots in your flooring, ask your fitter to cut them out and fill them. Note that it’s not always possible to find an exact colour match when filling a knot.

UV Oiled
The natural beauty of the wood grain is brought to the fore when an oil penetrates its surface. Each board is coated between five and seven times, and cured with a UV lamp between coats to produce a protective, muted appearance. If an oiled floor is scratched, it can be retouched with oil to diminish the mark.

UV Lacquered
Extremely smooth, glossy and exciting, a lacquered floor is also hardwearing, easy to clean and maintain. Five to seven coats of lacquer go onto each board, which is UV cured at each stage of the process. After curing, it’s sanded again before another layer of lacquer is applied.

UV Matt Lacquered
If you love the understated look of an oiled finish but are concerned about its upkeep, a Matt Lacquered finish is the answer. With a dull satin sheen, the surface is smooth and hardwearing, as is true to a lacquer, but has the appearance of an oiled floor.

Unfinished
Could anything feel more natural and authentic? An unfinished floor also gives you the chance to create a bespoke finish by painting, oiling or varnishing exactly how you wish. Unfinished boards are supplied with the knots pre-filled, and are pre-sanded for your convenience.

Brushed
A great option if you love the natural feel of timber, these boards are lightly brushed to remove the softer fibres between the harder grains. The finish subtly highlights the wood’s texture both to the eye and to the touch, for a wonderful feel that instantly evokes woodland charm in your home.

Sawn
If you enjoy nature in its rawest, roughest form then the sawn finish celebrates these elements. Kerfs from the saw marks are left on the boards to see and feel, as though the wood has been freshly cut in front of you. The surface captures a wonderfully rough texture and rustic appeal.

Handscraped
This finish sees each plank painstakingly scraped by hand, bringing a whole new dimension to your natural floor. The irregular ridges and grooves that result add depth and definition to the wood’s surface, creating an aged look that’s distinctive by eye yet smooth to the touch.

Distressed Bevels
Each plank is hand distressed on its edges to produce small grooves and undulations that are reminiscent of a naturally aged floor. The subtle yet interesting effect captures the charming timeworn appeal of a floor that’s been loved by thousands of feet.

Bevelled Edge
A bevelled edge on the boards creates a defined pattern across your floor when it’s fitted. The finish gives a traditional and ordered feel to a space and the depth of the slight groove between planks will depend on the type and grade of wood you choose.

Planed
Planed boards are finely sanded using up to six careful processes in order to create a delightfully smooth finish across the boards. Small and subtle ribbing marks are still visible from the planer for an authentic yet contemporary look.

Square Edge
Fitting seamlessly together, square edged planks result in smooth, clean overall finish to your floor, and can help a room to feel bigger than it is. This finish suits modern décor very well, while the wood’s clean finish takes you away to a relaxing natural setting.

Once your Woodpecker floor has been installed you’ll be able to feel its delightful texture underfoot and enjoy the warm sense of nature a wood finish brings to your home. However, like all natural substances, wood is susceptible to wear and tear. To ensure it always looks its best and lasts longer, here are some steps you can take to protect it…

1 – Floor mats
The natural place to start is at the door, and a good quality floor mat will catch dirt and grit, preventing damage further into to your home. Grit underfoot is like sandpaper, scratching the floor’s finish, so consider fitting Woodpecker Coir Matting which provides a barrier to wet and dirty feet.

2 – Rugs or carpet runners
We know that the last thing you want to do is cover up the beautiful texture of your natural wood floor, but sometimes prevention is better than the cure. Consider rugs or carpet runners for high footfall areas such as doorways, halls and stairs.

3 – Be careful with furniture
Never drag furniture or other objects across your wood floor – it can easily result in unsightly dents or scratches. Woodpecker offers a variety of felt protectors and castor cups that enable you to move furniture easily without marking your floor.

4 – Shoe rules
Avoid wearing heavy shoes or work boots when stepping onto your natural wood floor. High heels, and stilettoes in particular, should be avoided. They exert a huge amount of pressure that easily dents or marks even the toughest of wood floors.

5 – Clean up spills
Liquid is the enemy, so mop up any spilled drinks and never allow water or other liquids to sit for any length of time. The odd drop may not hurt, but excessive amounts of water will cause lasting damage.

6 – Pet patrol
Nothing’s more natural than a dog or cat curled up by the fire, asleep on your wood floor. But remember to keep your pet’s claws trimmed to prevent scratches and, as with point five, if there are any ‘accidents’ make sure they’re cleaned up fast.

7 – Sunshine
It’s thrilling to see the sun illuminating a wood floor, filling the room with natural light and warmth. Sunlight will naturally help the wood’s colour to mellow, so be aware of this and move rugs, mats and furniture regularly to ensure an even maturing of colour. Dark woods like Walnut are more susceptible to fading, which is worth considering when you choose your flooring.

8 – Light cleaning
Regular sweeping with a soft bristled broom will get rid of dust and rogue bits of grit on the floor. You can also vacuum a natural wood floor – ideally with a soft brush attachment to minimise scratching.

9 – Mopping
As per point five, wetness can damage a hardwood floor so always use a well-wrung mop when cleaning and remove excess liquid immediately. Woodpecker supplies specially formulated cleaning kits that include an antistatic mop, cleaning fluid and trigger head spray bottle for easy application. They are available for both lacquered and oiled finishes, with refills available as necessary.