Leather flooring

Leather is the latest luxurious material to use for floor covering. It looks good, it feels good, it smells good…but is it practical?..

Pros:

• durable
• absorbs sound
• warm under the feet
• hard wearing

Cons:

• not suitable for heavy trafficked areas
• needs regular waxing
• not suitable for heavy trafficked areas

Where to use it

Best suited for bedrooms, dressing rooms or occasional rooms but not suitable for kitchens, bathrooms or utility rooms because of wetness, condensation and general spillages

Leather flooring comes in tiles of many different sizes and colors. The tiles are pre-shrunk to withstand central heating and air-conditioning. The tiles need to be glued with adhesive laid onto a clean, flat and even surface such as hardboard or plywood. The gaps between the tiles need to be sealed with wax, then the whole floor needs to be waxed and buffed.

Maintenance

If you are worried about marks, stains and scratches, don’t choose leather flooring. Leather is like good wine, it improves with age; so wear and tear will actually makes it look better and more mature. But it’s advisable not to wear shoes (particularly high heals!) to avoid making deep marks – it feels so gorgeous underfoot anyway so just walk on it barefoot!

Cleaning

Just vacuum clean and wipe it with a damp cloth (do not use too much water). Like leather shoes it appreciates being polished and buffed regularly with a good leather wax to help keep its appearance.