Solid wood flooring: an environmentally sound investment

Solid wood flooring remains a good investment in Chester homes despite strong competition from alternative and cheaper floor coverings such as LVT and laminates.

According to a recent report by AMA Research, the UK market for wood flooring had a small decline in 2018 following six years of growth. This is because the numbers of consumers buying non-essential high-priced items are fewer and there is strong competition from alternative floor coverings such as laminates and LVT. However, the report predicts a 2% growth in the wood flooring market in the period up to 2023, despite some uncertainty because of Brexit and how that may affect the economy.

Import tariffs could make wood flooring more expensive, but this is unlikely to dampen demand. More and more Chester residents are concerned about environmental issues and are attracted to wood floor timbers from FSC- and PEFC-certified sustainable sources. Unlike some floor coverings, wood floors are easily recycled at the end of their life. Reclaimed wood can be reused to form new wood floors.

Wood may be more expensive than other floor coverings, but a solid wood floor adds value to a Chester home. The cost of installation can often be recovered when the home is sold. Many Chester residents are turning away from high volume, low price items and are prepared to spend extra for a quality product that lasts. A good quality solid wood floor can still be in good condition in a hundred years' time.