Saddle-boards and flooring questions

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Setanta12

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Saddle-Boards
New build that came with saddle-boards and doors (fancy that! ) and putting in flooring now.

Two options;

- Retain saddleboards necessitating double-trims (floor to saddleboard for one room, and then on other side of saddle-board another trim for the adjoining room),

OR

- Take up saddleboards and have smooth floors throughout with trim between rooms.

(Whole house apart from bathrooms, stairs and half-kitchen/dining-area being floored)

Floor
We'd picked a nice shade of oak/honey conveying warmth. However its sold out. Thinking about walnut now. What are the pros/cons of a dark floor ?

Does it make any sense to have (different shades of) laminate in child's bedroom and semi-solid/solid elsewhere? In the end, we opted for laminate throughout for cost and uniformity ...


We've been old about lifting up the skirting boards and sliding floor underneath OR using beading i.e. the thn strip that circles the room and sits between/on top of floor side-by-side with skirting-boards - is there any pros/cons here with either option, any preferences ?
 
I was in a similar situation a few years ago with a partially completed new build... First thing to note re the saddle boards - doors, doorframes and architrave are already cut and fitted to the height and profile of the saddle board. If you remove the saddle board and floor underneath you may end up with a gap between floor and door (depending on thickness of flooring/tiles underneath the door). I removed the saddle boards in most situations, and used joining strips between timber and tiles. It worked out OK.

As for the skirting - IMHO take it off the wall, floor, and replace on the wall. It will not go back exactly as before, so get your flooring guy to do a proper job. I don't like the look of beading.

I have semi-solid walnut (badly scratched by manic dog) and semi-solid merbau in different rooms - both dark and both look good to me. Assume skirting is being painted? Then it will look really good with dark flooring. Of course it is a matter of personal taste.
 
If you can remove the saddles boards & not have a gap between the door & floor, then I would recommend that... BUT if there is a gap, then it's open to drafts, looks a bit unsightly (IMO).

Re the skirting - remove & replace... the beading around takes the look off the flooring. I have it in one of the kids rooms & regret not replacing the skirting at the time the floor was being put down...
 
When I bought my house all of the doorways had saddles except one bedroom door. I thought I could live with it but to be honest it looks weird, almost as if that bedroom isn't a proper room, that it was partitioned off as an afterthought (which it wasn't). I would say keep the door saddles, they are more of a visual cue than you expect.
 

Thats the main issue tbh.
 
Definately remove the skirting...I think that beading/trim is a truely dreadful look. The only way I have seen it look anyway half decent has been when skirtings are painted white and the beading trim is also painted white....makes the skirting look more substantial and deliberate design choice.
Most people who use the beading trim usually tend to do it the other way round unfortunately...ie trim same/similar to flooring colour with white skirtings - Aweful - maybe not too bad if shirting/trim/floor were identical.
Get rid of all saddle boards if at all possible and have one straight run through all rooms...nothing between rooms will make the area flow and look like a much larger space.I wish they could do the same with carpet - one long run without any metal trims between rooms....but alas it seems they wont do it for fear of fraying edges unfortunately.
As for dark floors - fabulous...just keep walls reasonably light and it will ground the space very well.Wood reflects the light.Even dark wood/laminate does not absorb as much light as the lightest cream carpet.Only con is that it will show specks of dust more than a light floor....but that may be a good thing if you like to keep a really clean house - at least you can see where the dust is!!
I swore I would never have laminate inside the door - and then due to cost...and practicality of never having to sand/varnish/maintain, I opted for a houseful of it!!Buy the best quality laminate you can afford, with the beveled planks - very realistic if you chose your colour/grain wisely.Most laminates have between 12-25 year guarantee....which by that time you will bound to be ready for a change in fashion anyway. I shudder when I hear people taking about solid wood - lasts a lifetime etc.....I wouldn't want to be looking at the same floor in 20 years time not to mind 50 plus!! Good luck!
 
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