Top Tips for Your Sunroom or Conservatory Floor

Once your conservatory has been completed it is natural to want to get things tided up and finished as soon as possible but the first thing to be aware of is that the room must dry out properly before you lay any floors or start decorating. Conservatory Designs always lay concrete floors and these must typically be left 6 weeks to dry for tiles and up to 3 months before a timber floor is laid. Tiles are porous so even if there is some residual damp in the floor it can escape through the floor but with conservatory timber floors it is a different matter. If a timber floor is laid on damp concrete, the rising damp will cause the underside of the timber to swell which in turn will cause the planks to warp. We recommend having the floor contractor first test the floor with a damp meter before starting any work but what follows are some of our top tips for your sunroom or conservatory floor.

Top Tips for Your Sunroom or Conservatory Floor

Once your sunroom concrete floor is dry you are ready for flooring (we recommend that you first decorate the walls and ceiling (Sunroom) first so there is no risks of spillages on your new floor). There are 4 main types of floor that you can choose; tiles, timber, laminate and carpet. Here is my take on each.

• Tiles: This is the best floor if you need a hard wearing surface; choose light colours to reflect light back into the house. I do not recommend a shiny surface, choose a matt finish, the shiny porcelain floors can cause a glare problem if in direct sunlight. Only use tiles you have installed a properly insulated floor otherwise you risk having a cold floor.
• Laminate: This is very popular as the quality and range of finishes has immensely improved, the reason they are popular in conservatories is that they are a warmer floor than tiles, cheaper to install and can look as good or better. We have two of our show units floored using laminates.
• Timber floors: Timber floors are natural looking, warm and cosy but remember there are a few things you need to be aware of. Timber will fade in the sunlight so be sure to choose a light colour such as Maple rather than the darker colours such as Walnut. Make sure that the timber has been dried properly before installing and if possible store the floor in the room for a few days to allow it to adjust to the humidity and temperature before fitting it. Be careful if using rugs, move them around otherwise you will end up with different colours in your floor where parts have been covered and parts not.
• Carpet: A favourite of mine (kids are older now). A light coloured carpet will create a very comfortable room. Like timber be careful to choose light colours to reduce fading and again be careful using rugs so there are no permanent colour differences.

Top Tips for Your Sunroom or Conservatory Floor

And so there you have it, some top tips for your sunroom or conservatory room floor. If you have any questions about the best suppliers or providers for flooring for your new build get in touch and we’d be happy to share some of our trusted suppliers with you – as an example for conservatory or sunroom tiles we like Discount-Tiles.ie

Next week we’ll be giving you some tips on how best to paint your conservatory or garden room. At Conservatory Designs we know that building a conservatory or garden room is only half the battle, the room still has to be lived in and decorated and over the years we’ve accumulated a lot of tips on how best to decorate your conservatory so time to share.