Grain-end wooden flooring.

You mean you're going to use butcher block for your floor ??

It seems like a very bad idea because wood is much less dimensionaly stable across the grain than along the grain with varying humidity.

John

It's one idea, but of course it'd ooze more clarse and soffisicayshun coz its a idea i cum up wiv meself innit

Thanks. I did think it'd be hard-wearing, but if it's likely to be an arse otherwise, I'll give it a miss. Maybe I can get some vinyl wrap in that design...

Having admired some of the fine wooden floors of various German stately homes, I have an envy. I did some searching for grain end flooring and some were quite nice, but they tended to be in "rustic" kitchens (not on the countertops). This is a Victorian house so ideally it would be something from that era, if that makes any sense.

Cheers.

Parquet would fit better character wise, and be harder wearing.

Cheers

But then people cover it with rugs because its too noisy or slippery when walking over it in certain types of shoe.

It's a wonder why fitted carpets ever caught on to cover up old wooden floors :) I also wonder how long the fad for fitting laminate floor planks is going to last.

Ha! My pitch pine Parquet flooring took a huge hit on my 21st birthday party. 1965 when stiletto heels were the rage!

The boss insisted on herringbone parquet style flooring in vinyl here.

Engineered wood is a good way to have a wood finish with UFH. Carpet is carpet. Plastic laminate is an alternative to vinyl, but tiles are better than either.

though with an ageing population I hope some regard might be had to differences in risk of injuries (e.g. hip fractures) when landing on different surfaces.

Similar many years ago when I had cushion floor in my toilet. Vinyl flooring with a thin foam like backing laid on top of hardboard.

If you want a safe space, then carpet is probably good. But my mother broke her hip on wet muddy grass.

Frankly, if your bones are weak and brittle, it wont make much difference.

Because most of them were not fit to be seen, and were covered by linoleum with a central decorative rectangular carpet.

And with little kids still learning to walk and falling off stuff they are climbing on.

floorboards with gaps & damage are an eyesore & draughty Low quality laminate I always think is awful & not good value. I guess that's why it's promoted.

I wonder why BR don't insist on springy overjoists to reduce such injuries

I used a fairly cheap (but thick) laminate from Wickes 10 years ago over 2 large attic rooms. Easy to fit, covered a multitude of sins, looks fine to my eye, still looks as new.