Hi there. I'm redoing my office, which is a 4m x 2m room with a concrete floor, and currently an ancient carpet. Only been here 3 years and haven't yet redecorated anything except the bathroom. I have a lot of thoughts, ideas and questions. I'm not sure of the protocol here, but most forums like you to be specific, so this question is about the floor, and the effect on light.
I want a hard floor, i.e. non-carpet. I want a LOT of light in the room (I will be putting operating-theatre-style flourescent lights in), so I was thinking very pale, almost white, but I'm open to opinions on this. I was assuming laminate is the way to go, because I always thought linoleum was cheap and unpleasant compared to laminate, am I wrong? We have lino in our hallway, and it has bubbles/bulges, it's stained (admittedly with 20 years of entrance hallways use) and it just looks unpleasant. Is there an option I don't know about other than laminate or lino?
I was thinking something like the B&Q Bannerton White Oak Effect. Any thoughts on this? I'm no expert in lighting, am I right to think that a pale floor is the right way to maximise the light in the room? Obviously I'm interested in the light at working/desk height, so if the floor won't make a difference to that, please correct me. Similarly, I was thinking pale walls, maybe a light blue or purple because I like them.
Any particular things to aim for / watch out for with laminate floor? I don't want to break the bank for the sake of it, but I do want something which can take heavy furniture, things like a server rack that weighs up to or over 100kg and sits on four 50p-sized feet. Do I need something heavy duty for this? Will cheap laminate crack, or dent under this pressure? I would rather spend money now than later, but if I don't need to, I'd rather not. This is a functional room, not aesthetic.
Also, there is no trace of damp, as far as I'm aware, and noise is not an issue at all. Do I still need underlay for laminate?
I'm going to do the room basically like a kitchen, with worktops and cabinets. But these are different topics for different questions. This post is about floors. And I welcome your opinions. I know it's a bit meandering, but I hope I've been polite if not clear, thank you for your help!
I want a hard floor, i.e. non-carpet. I want a LOT of light in the room (I will be putting operating-theatre-style flourescent lights in), so I was thinking very pale, almost white, but I'm open to opinions on this. I was assuming laminate is the way to go, because I always thought linoleum was cheap and unpleasant compared to laminate, am I wrong? We have lino in our hallway, and it has bubbles/bulges, it's stained (admittedly with 20 years of entrance hallways use) and it just looks unpleasant. Is there an option I don't know about other than laminate or lino?
I was thinking something like the B&Q Bannerton White Oak Effect. Any thoughts on this? I'm no expert in lighting, am I right to think that a pale floor is the right way to maximise the light in the room? Obviously I'm interested in the light at working/desk height, so if the floor won't make a difference to that, please correct me. Similarly, I was thinking pale walls, maybe a light blue or purple because I like them.
Any particular things to aim for / watch out for with laminate floor? I don't want to break the bank for the sake of it, but I do want something which can take heavy furniture, things like a server rack that weighs up to or over 100kg and sits on four 50p-sized feet. Do I need something heavy duty for this? Will cheap laminate crack, or dent under this pressure? I would rather spend money now than later, but if I don't need to, I'd rather not. This is a functional room, not aesthetic.
Also, there is no trace of damp, as far as I'm aware, and noise is not an issue at all. Do I still need underlay for laminate?
I'm going to do the room basically like a kitchen, with worktops and cabinets. But these are different topics for different questions. This post is about floors. And I welcome your opinions. I know it's a bit meandering, but I hope I've been polite if not clear, thank you for your help!
