Flooring Glossary

Our quick, plain-English guide to common flooring terms:

• Acclimation: Letting flooring sit in the room before fitting so it adjusts to temperature and humidity. Reduces movement later.
• Adhesive: Glue used to bond the flooring to the subfloor.
• Backing: The underside of carpet or vinyl that adds stability.
• Bevelled edge: Angled board edges that create a small V-groove when joined.
• Broadloom: Carpet supplied on a roll (as opposed to tiles).
• Bullnose (stair nosing): Rounded front edge on a stair tread for a neat, safe finish.
• Carpet: Textile floor covering in wool or synthetic fibres for warmth and comfort.
• Click (click-lock): Boards that lock together without glue to create a “floating” floor.
• Delamination: Layers separating in laminate or engineered products.
• Distressed finish: A worn or rustic look applied to wood or wood-look floors.
• Eased edge: Lightly rounded edges; softer than a bevel.
• Engineered wood: Real wood top layer over a stable core; less prone to movement than solid wood.
• Expansion gap: Small gap left at room edges so floating floors can expand/contract.
• Floating installation: Floor laid over underlay without fixing to the subfloor (click systems).
• Gripper (tack strip): Spiked strip fixed at room edges to hold stretched carpet.
• Grout: Filler for joints between tiles or tile-effect LVT.
• Hardness rating (Janka): Measures how resistant a wood is to dents.
• LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile): Vinyl planks/tiles that mimic wood or stone; glue-down or click.
• Laminate: HDF core with a printed décor layer and clear wear layer; floats on underlay.
• Linoleum (lino): Natural product made from linseed oil, wood flour, cork and resin on a jute backing.
• Moisture barrier (DPM or Damp Proof Membrane): Layer or treatment that stops moisture rising into the floor.
• Parquet: Patterned wood layout such as herringbone or chevron.
• Peel & stick: Tiles/planks with self-adhesive backs.
• Ply boarding: Laying plywood sheets to smooth and stabilise timber subfloors before fitting.
• Reducer: Trim that bridges between different floor heights.
• Screed / smoothing compound: Levelling layer applied to subfloors for a flat, smooth finish.
• Seam sealer: Adhesive used to seal sheet vinyl seams.
• Sheet vinyl: Vinyl supplied on a roll; warm, quiet and budget-friendly.
• Skirting / scotia: Perimeter trims that cover expansion gaps.
• Solid wood: Boards made from a single piece of timber.
• Stone flooring: Natural stone such as slate, marble or limestone.
• Subfloor: The base you fit onto; must be clean, dry and level.
• Tongue & groove: Board edges that slot together; can be glued or floated.
• Underlay: Layer under carpet, laminate or engineered wood for comfort, sound reduction and longevity.
• Veneer: Thin layer of decorative wood used on engineered boards.
• Vinyl: Resilient, water-resistant flooring (sheet, LVT or rigid core).
• Wear layer: The clear, protective top layer on LVT/laminate that resists scratches and stains.