Frequently Asked Questions

It mostly comes down to the construction and the material used.

Solid Wood: This is 100% natural timber throughout. It’s the real deal – unique grains, natural knots, and all.

Laminate: This is a man-made product. It consists of a high-density fiberboard core topped with a high-resolution photographic layer (the “wood” look) and a clear, protective wear layer.

If you have a busy household with kids or a dog that treats the hallway like a racetrack, laminate is usually the winner. It is specifically engineered to be scratch-resistant and dent-resistant. While wood is durable, it is much softer and more prone to scuffs and “patina” (aka scratches) from claws and heavy furniture.

We generally advise caution here.

Laminate: Some modern laminates are water-resistant, but they aren’t waterproof. If water seeps into the joints, the core can swell.

Wood: Real wood and high humidity are not friends. Wood expands and contracts with moisture, which can lead to warping or cupping in a bathroom setting.

Top Tip: If you want the wood look in a splash zone, consider Vinyl Floor or Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) or wood-effect tiles instead.

Solid Wood: Yes! This is its greatest superpower. You can sand it down and restain it multiple times, meaning a wood floor can literally last a century.

Laminate: No. Once the top wear layer is gone or the board is damaged, it cannot be sanded. You’ll need to replace the individual boards or the whole floor.

Real wood is almost always seen as a premium investment. While it costs more upfront, it typically offers a higher Return on Investment (ROI) and is a major selling point for potential buyers. Laminate is a fantastic, budget-friendly way to refresh a space, but it doesn’t quite carry the same prestige in the housing market as authentic timber.

Think of underlay as the unsung hero of your floor. It’s absolutely essential for all flooring including  both wood and laminate. It provides a moisture barrier, reduces noise, and acts as a shock absorber. Plus, it can help level out minor subfloor imperfections, ensuring your planks don’t bounce or creak when you walk on them.

Absolutely. Whether you’re moving from your new Abfab laminate to a carpeted bedroom or a tiled bathroom, we use door bars (or thresholds). These come in various finishes to match your floor, ensuring the transition is seamless and, most importantly, not a trip hazard.

There’s nothing worse than a beautiful floor ruined by a messy hole around a pipe. We provide radiator pipe roses – small, circular wood or plastic covers that clip around the base of your pipes. It’s a tiny detail that makes a massive difference to the finished look.

While you don’t have to, matching your door bars and edging to your flooring creates a much more cohesive, high-end look. We can offer accessories that are specifically colour-matched to our wood and laminate ranges, so you don’t have to worry about clashing oak tones or “nearly-right” finishes.

Our advice would be to seek professional guidance as this can all depend on the fibres/material used to create your carpet.

If you have chosen the Abfab Uplift and Disposal service then you will need to ensure that all of your old flooring has been removed prior to the fitter arriving. In regards to Sub Flooring this will all depend on condition where we you may need these levelled out. Again this a service our fitting team can provide reducing less hassle for you.

Yes, our skilled fitting team are able to prepare all types of flooring for the job required. This will just need to be discussed at the time of estimation.

Yes, as we are a family run business the owners will oversee this area of the customer journey to ensure you are getting the right level of customer service and attention to the job required. Also this is a free service!

If you require new underlay then we would always recommend new grippers for the perfect finish and support the longevity of the carpets.

In regards to thresholds we stock a whole array of door strips and accessorise to add those final finished to a perfect job.

Carpet will always show wear and tear overtime, this is why using our knowledge can ensure you choose the right carpet/flooring to fulfil all your requirements.

To ensure maximum life we would also recommend looking at new underlay options as this can prolong the life by up to 40%.

This all depends on your budget and we will work with you to achieve your requirements. Our recommendation is to always replace underlay as this acts as a shock absorber which reduces over time.

At Abfab Flooring we have a professional and experienced fitting team. They fit all types of flooring from carpet, vinyl, LVT to laminate and wood flooring.

We generally ask for rooms to be cleared prior to fitting however, our fitters can move most furniture if required. We can also uplift and dispose of existing flooring. There is a fee for both services, and this will need to be arranged inline with your order.