There is too much humidity the wood will swell and blister

“There is too much humidity; the wood will swell and blister.” Utility rooms are borderline, as is a kitchen with a washing machine in it. “Leaks are a major problem for all floor coverings other than ceramic tiles. When it comes to kitchens, minor splashes from washing up won’t affect the floor; nor will any other spillage that you deal with immediately.”Junckers was founded by a young Danish forester, Flemming Juncker, in 1931. Long before environmental awareness had become trendy, Juncker realised that large quantities of small logs were being wasted, and he developed new techniques to make them into flooring.

When he died last year, he had seen his company’s products become sought-after worldwide.Wood type is not the only key to quality, though, says Maltby. “The machining and sealing are the most important things to look at when you’re buying a floor. If the machine tolerances are no good, the finished floor will be gappy and lippy And look for a high quality of finish. That’s what you see and what you will be walking on.”If you wear stiletto heels, you’d be well advised to slip them off before crossing your wooden floor. But any floor covering other than granite will suffer from the effects of stilettos.

And wood, once it’s down, is both hard-wearing and low maintenance. Bernard Tarmey is director of the Birmingham-based Wooden Flooring Sales company, and his family have been in the timber trade since 1880 “Wood is tough Maple, for example, is one of the most durable It’s used on sports floors in schools. It lasts a minimum of 60 years, and up to 150 years.”Modern finishes will make wooden floors last even longer, Tarmey says. “There are new ceramic coatings being made in Austria and Germany that don’t look any different to the usual finishes, but are so damn hard it’s impossible to mark them.” Oil-impregnated wood floors are highly water-resistant, and a new technique combines oil treatment and ceramic coatings for flooring that’s virtually indestructible.When it comes to maintenance, less is more The days of a wax polish once a week are long gone. On a well-sealed floor, virtually all that’s needed is dust control – vacuuming or wiping over with a mop will do the job in minutes.