Forget about the conventional wisdom that the tile is the go-to for bathroom surfaces. Just because it’s so popular and we see it everywhere, from the bathroom at work to the subway, to everybody’s house, doesn’t mean we have to use tile in our house. And tile and grout aren’t as impervious as you might think and are not required for looks, durability or cleanliness in wet areas like kitchens and baths.

While wood is a durable choice for bathroom floors, it’s also fantastic on the ceiling. It adds a sense of natural warmth in a space. Wood is also easy to seal and clean with basic household detergents, and it’s much less slippery than glazed tile. Using wood in the bathroom enables a mix of materials to create depth and warmth across different materials and styles. Other reasons to use wood floors in the bathroom, besides looks, are ease and continuity. It’s easier to run flooring that exists in the other rooms of the house through to the bathroom. And it creates a flow, a feeling of continuity, that you will find calming.

You will certainly wonder about the potential moisture problems. But think creatively. Wood is used on decks and docks, where it is constantly shifting between wet and dry (and getting snowed on). So why not use it the shower floor or another bathroom area?

When you’re remodeling a bathroom, there are many materials you can use for the walls that’ll help battle ever-present moisture. Water-resistant drywall (often called green board) and cement board are popular, but they’re not necessary or any more durable than natural softwood planks like eastern white pine.

Bare wood will stain, but coating it with a water-based urethane will help keep all that natural wood grain vibrant. And having different-colored wood cabinets and storage is a nice touch, with clean, horizontal lines drywall can’t touch.

Using a fan in the bathroom is recommended, but adding a second barrier between the steam rising from the shower and what’s behind the ceiling might be smart here: sealing the wood surface with boiled linseed oil and/or urethane, as well as sheeting the ceiling joists with 15-pound tar paper (the black paper you see under roof shingles) before installing the wood. Tar paper is water resistant and will keep moisture that does make it through the ceiling (not much, if any) inside the room. The moisture will evaporate back into the room and dry with the rest of the air, especially if you’re using planks instead of a tongue and groove material.

See here ideas for wooden bathroom floors and ceilings and come visit Koligas’ shop (139 Liosion str., Athens, (+30) 210 82 17 184, info@koligas.gr) for more integrated solutions for indoor and outdoor wood floors!  

Source: www.houzz.com

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Neutral is trendy, as well as dark and grey colors

A more traditional approach to color, style and finish for hardwood flooring are on the horizon. Bold will still be popular in some areas, but the general trend is towards a more neutral look and finish.

You can never go wrong with a neutral wood floor. This year’s trend is to go more traditional with neutral and slightly darker colors, as grey and honey.

Grey wood floors are extremely trendy right now. This look can be achieved by either using a gray stain or paint. Make sure, if you choose this route, that you like the plank size and type of wood you choose.

When the trend fades you can refinish the floors to meet the next trend. Lighter honey colored stains are also popular, following the mid-century modern style.

The darker colors create a more sophisticated design element in any home nowadays, making the rooms look larger and grander. The trend towards cooler darker colors and the calm grey tones is out striding the redder warmer tones of the hardwood flooring trends in 2017. The warmer tones of old school hardwoods tend to put consumers off, due to their more seemingly simple hues.

Hand-scraped wood floor for vintage charm

There is a growing interest amongst homeowners who want to replicate the rustic look. This has led to an upswing in demand for distressed, hand-scraped flooring. These floors are also practical; many homeowners select hand-scraped floors to place in spaces that may sustain wear and tear.

The wood flooring of past centuries with its more rustic charms of vast graining throughout the planks and the grooving that can actually be felt under foot and consumer demand is making the old hardwoods become new again. With the use in past years of maple, cherry and knotty pine wood planks in their simple red and brown hues created the warm country feel that was sought after then. Now the use of these woods has a more modern design element. With the different colors of stains and wider and longer hardwood flooring sections, homeowners can take the domestic woods of years past and create a new distressed flooring design in any room of their home.

Wider planks and renewable flooring

This year’s preferences in hardwoods lean towards wider planks or towards using multiple-sized planks, as they give a room the appearance of added depth, making them particularly good to install in a small room or open floor plan to make the space look bigger.

As for the wood to be used, pine and cork are trees that grow relatively quickly, making them more renewable. The wood is softer, but many people don’t mind a more distressed look on the floor. Cork is resistant to fire and very lightweight. Pine is great because it can be cut, stained or painted to achieve pretty much any look.

In a few words, there is a demand for deeper, darker hues and wider planks to create sophistication and bold design features in any room. The vintage look of the domestically used hardwoods is also on the rise making the hardwood flooring trends for 2017 appear diverse in options for the creation of bold and beautiful flooring designs.

All you have to do is contact Koligas Wood & Parquet Products to get a free in-home consultation and expert advice on popular hardwood flooring options, as well as what it will take to turn your flooring into a trendy masterpiece.

The post Wood flooring 2017 – a brief on the expected trends first appeared on Κολίγας.

ENGINEERED TIMBER
With improvements in quality, aesthetics and choice, engineered wood has become a popular option for durable environmentally-preferred flooring.

It’s made up of three layers: a top and bottom layer of wood with an inner core of softwood, which runs at a right angle to the other layers to help prevent the natural movement of the timber.

Engineered timber flooring comes pre-finished and is relatively easy to install. It’s more stable, so is ideal for areas where moisture or heat pose problems for solid hardwood floors.

It provides the beautiful warm, soft aesthetic of timber but with more options. Like wider planks and the revival of parquet.

Wide planks
Increasing the size of wood planks makes the space feel larger with a contemporary look and feel. It’s a subtle change that has a big impact on the feel of the space.

Parquet
Parquet dates back to the 17th century but is having a revival (nothing is really new is it!). Parquet floors are formed from small timber shapes laid in decorative patterns of varying complexity.

CONCRETE

Today concrete can be finished with a variety of colours, glosses and even textures.
Polished concrete provides a durable, long-lasting and easy to clean surface. With underfloor heating concrete radiates heat throughout the area.

PATTERNS

Why not let your floors take some of the limelight?

Choosing patterned flooring for your home can make a statement. It’s a design choice that takes careful planning and commitment but, when done correctly, can have stunning results.

This pearl of wisdom brought to you by Ovaboard. Ovaboard temporary floor protection protects floors while you work. Learn more about us.

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The post The latest flooring trends for 2016 first appeared on Κολίγας.

Architonic.com featured an article about the Stadthaus, which was completed in 2008 and was regarded as the world’s tallest structure made of timber wood. Yes, wood (not just concrete). The building was 30 metres tall and sat in the heart of the borough of London Hackney – all made of wood. The said structure is of 9 stories high; and what’s amazing about it was that it was just completed in less than a month by 4 people. The architectural wonder still stands beautiful until today.

Another building made of wood was also showcased in the same article. This ten story building known as the Forte was completed in 2012 and is located in Victoria Harbour. It only took 5 people about ten weeks to finish it. Click to view them pics here.

Architectureanddesign.com.au mentioned in an article that though counter-intuitive, it is environmentally preferable to use wood rather than the regular modern building material such as concrete, brick or aluminum as it is renewably safe and abundant in quantity. Modern construction techniques are in the works in using wood as an alternate building material as shown in mid-rise buildings.

In the same article, the trend of using cross-laminated wood has also been proven to compare in strength with steel over time, and harvesting wood for use in the construction industry would reduce incidences of wildfire as well. Local people would also become more mindful of its reforestation and likely, more job opportunities. Going greener for Mother Earth is a huge responsibility for all humanity to observe.

Source: http://www.realtytoday.com/

The post New Designs: Is Hybrid Wood Replacing Concrete? first appeared on Κολίγας.