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The Low Down: Key Flooring Terms You Need to Know

Your saveable list of essential flooring terms for every type of application

Emma Bolger 15 September 2017

Houzz Australia Contributor. As someone who juggles multiple roles, the one thing they all have in common is connection. For over seven years, I've worked within the home decorating industry and am constantly capivated by different decorating styles and spaces, as well as the people that create and live in them. The connection between people and the spaces they live in is truely powerful and one I continually love to explore.

Houzz Australia Contributor. As someone who juggles multiple roles, the one thing... More

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From bevelled edges to watermarking, this easy-to-read guide will have you speaking (and understanding) flooring lingo in no time.

Bloom Interior Design

Given that flooring usually plays a significant role in our decorating budgets, it’s time to learn some key terms that will help us better navigate our flooring journey… starting from B.

Moda Interiors

B
Bevelled: A finish (in the shape of a V) on the edge of hard flooring planks or tiles.

C
Ceramic: A tile material made from clay and permanently hardened by heat.

Coir: A natural fibre made from the husks of coconut, used to create rugs, mats and more.

Cut and loop: A carpet style made of loops and cut fibres of varying heights that together create a textured appearance.

Tiles Are Back On the Grid

Choices Flooring

E
Engineered: A construction method that combines multiple layers of material to form a hard floor, such as these Plantino Engineered Oak boards in ‘Naturale’ by Choices Flooring. This style of construction creates a stable floor that is easy to install, especially when compared to hardwood.

F
Foot traffic: A term used to describe the amount and rate at which people (and pets) travel in a specific area.

G
Glaze: A tile coating comprised of silica, fired at high temperatures to create a glassy surface.

MDF Italia

H
Hardwood: Timber flooring made solely out of hard species of wood.

Herringbone: A traditional European floor pattern that can be installed in a number ways, with or without a border. This modern dining space features the most popular pattern, commonly referred to as chevron or French herringbone.

High-low loop: Also referred to as multi-level loop, this carpet style is made of loops at varying heights that form a textured style.

J
Jute: A natural fibre from the stalks of plants in the Corchorus genus.

Alatalo Bros

L
Laminate: A synthetic, engineered hard flooring with timber-look design. This Quick-Step Laminate floor demonstrates how easy it is to mistake laminate for timber.

Level loop: A carpet style made of loops at the same height that form a textured appearance.

Level-cut loop: A carpet style made of loops and cut fibres at the same height to form a textured appearance.

Lineal metre: A measurement at the width in which carpet is produced (generally 3.66 metres or 4 metres). In most cases carpet is sold in lineal metres, but promoted in square-metre pricing in order to make the shopping process easier.

Claire Stevens Interior Design

Linoleum: Sheet flooring made from natural materials.

Loop: A style of carpet created by the carpet pile forming a loop; it comes from the backing to its full height, forms a loop and then returns to the backing.

Luxury vinyl (LV): Synthetic flooring with stone or timber designs that is generally manufactured to a higher quality compared to vinyl. LV is also referred to as luxury vinyl tile (LVT) or luxury vinyl plank (LVP).

N
Nesting (also referred to as random or nestled): Short hard-flooring board lengths that are included within packs of full-length boards.

Brendan Wong Design

P
Parquetry: A geometric pattern in which certain hard flooring planks and tiles can be laid. Reflecting the history of this beachside home, this stunning hardwood parquetry creates a sophisticated entertaining area.

PET: Short for polyethylene terephthalate, a type of polyester that most of us would commonly associate with recyclable plastic drink bottles. When it comes to flooring, PET carpet fibres are made from PET chips, a majority of which are recycled materials.

Pile reversal shading: An optical illusion caused by light reflected or absorbed from disturbed carpet pile, giving the appearance of a difference in carpet colour.

Parquet Flooring: 10 Things You Need to Know

Create Construction

Plush/cut: A carpet style made by cutting the loops and then shearing the tips. As featured in this beautiful Sydney nursery, plush carpet has a velvety appearance.

Porcelain: A tile material made from clay and permanently hardened by heat. The quality of clay, in addition to the pressing and firing process, provides a stronger and less porous material when compared to ceramic.

Pressed (also referred to as Cushion, Round or Soft): A tile finish created by the tile mould or pressing to create slight curves on all edges.

Austurban Homes

R
Rectified: A tile finish in which all edges have been mechanically finished in order to achieve exact dimensions and near-perfect straight edges. The grey tiles featured in this Perth home have a rectified finish to perfectly set the foundation for its contemporary design.

Rigid/hybrid: New in the market, rigid floors combine the structural stability of engineered flooring with the practicality of a laminate or luxury vinyl.

See more tiled floors

Tongue n Groove

S
Scotia: The most common type of decorative trim used to cover the expansion gap of hard flooring without removing the skirting board. The timber scotia used in this Sydney home seamlessly ties in with its engineered-oak flooring, to provide a clean finish for their contemporary style.

Sisal:

A carpet style made of loops in straight rows that form a textured appearance.
A natural carpet fibre extracted from the leaves of the Agave sisalana.

Fido Projects

Solution dyed: A carpet dyeing technique that allows the colour to go to the core of every fibre.

Square edge: A square finish on the edge of hard-flooring planks or tiles, such as the floor tiles featured in this Scandinavian-style bathroom.

Square metre: A measurement used to determine the quantity of flooring required. One square metre is a square of space in which all sides measure exactly one metre.

Flooring Centre Ltd

U
Underlay: A layer of cushioning used to enhance comfort, insulation and the longevity of carpet and engineered flooring.

V
Vinyl: Synthetic flooring most commonly available in stone or timber designs. Vinyl flooring generally comes in sheets, tiles or planks. Although it may be hard to believe, this contemporary dining space features vinyl flooring, highlighting the quality of designs now available.

Tappeti Hand Crafted Rugs and Carpets

W
Watermarking (also referred to as permanent pile reversal shading): A change in carpet pile direction that randomly appears in irregular shaped light and dark patches.

Wool blend: A fibre made from wool and synthetic materials, the most common of which is 80/20 (80 per cent wool/20 per cent synthetic). Wool blend rugs such as this gorgeous Bellwood design by Tappeti Hand Crafted Rugs and Carpets are a fantastic way to bring warmth and colour to open-plan spaces.

So now that you have a better understanding of key flooring terms, enjoy exploring the many choices available like a seasoned pro.

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