We've just had a loft conversion done and I now need to buy and lay the flo oring.
My experience of doing flooring has been the living room and hallway, in wh ich I installed solid maple strip, with hidden nails. The result was great, but hard work with the manual hidden nail gun + sanding + several coats of varnish.
I'm looking for an easier install for the loft room, which is about 30 sq m etre, with lots of corners etc.
I've looked at some of the numerous suppliers online and I feel overwhelmed by the choice and variation in pricing etc. I'm looking for solid wood (no t laminate), preferable 150mm wide planks. Oak is a favourite, but there ar e so many variants, I'm scared of getting it wrong.
So here are my questions - if anyone can advise:
What do the various grades mean, e.g. rustic I assume means more knots in t he case of oak ?
What sort of price range should I be looking to spend per m2 ? Oak plank se ems to vary massively. Maybe avoid anything sub £25 per m2 ?
Are there any woods that should be avoided - I found a good price on birch, which I really like the look of. Is birch any good for flooring ?
What's the best way to fix down the floor onto chipboard - hidden nail ? Do I need a foam membrane underneath ?
Thanks for any advice
cf