Wood Flooring Frequently Asked Questions
Is solid wood flooring is better than prefinished wood flooring?
Solid and prefinished wood flooring are equally good; your choice will depend on your individual building and design requirements. Prefinished wood flooring has the following advantages over solid wood flooring:
- A wider choice of wood species and looks
- The multi-layer construction is as strong and dimensionally stable as solid wood
- The factory finished UV-hardened lacquer provides a flawless finish and excellent wear, scratch and stain resistance for many years
- It can be resurfaced 4-5 times if necessary
- Quick and easy no mess installation; solid wood requires additional sanding and polishing
- Prefinished wood flooring helps to conserve forests by consuming less slow growing timber
What is the difference between plank and 3-strip formats?
Plank is made using a 1820mm long continuous strip of 145mm wide wood veneer and offers an elegant, clean and more uniform look.
3-strip is made using random short lengths of timber laminated together three wide to form a 190mm wide board. 3-strip has more character because of the variation in colour. It is more affordable and has the advantage of hiding marks especially in the darker timbers.
Any tips on choosing the wood species?
Choose the wood species according to the colour and look that you desire however...
Lighter colours will show imperfections and marks more readily than dark colours. Large well light areas and passageways also highlight marks.
You should also think about your family’s requirements and the use of each room. It may be wise to choose a harder wood for busy living spaces where the floor is subject to harsher wear.
What does Prime quality mean?
Prefinished flooring often comes in more than one grade to signify the amount of uniformity/variation in grain and colour i.e. heartwood versus sapwood content. WoodWorks products are only supplied in the highest quality “Prime” grade timber unless otherwise stated. A good example of this is WoodWorks Maple - less expensive grades have dark brown mineral markings compared to our more uniform Prime grade product.
Are wood floors suitable in kitchens and bathrooms?
Wood floors are suitable for kitchens provided care is taken to avoid wetting the floor excessively. Wood floors are ideal in entrance ways, stairs, family rooms, lounges and bedrooms.We do not recommend wood flooring in bathrooms. Their high levels of moisture and humidity and standing puddles of water can damage wood floors.
Do you recommend under floor heating under wood flooring?
Under floor heating works well with most wood flooring provided it is on a thermostat and limited to a maximum setting of 27 degrees C. The heating system must be a water-borne or self-limiting electrical heating system that provides an even heat over the whole area of the floor. It must be switched off 48 hours before and after the installation of your wood flooring then brought up to temperature gradually over several days.Avoid Beech, Kempas and Maple installations with under floor heating as they are more sensitive to changes in humidity.
My wood floor has changed colour since installation?
A slight colour change immediately after installation is usual. After about a month the change will be less noticable. The change is more pronounced in some timbers such as Cherry.
Should I expect colour variations in my wood floor?
Being a natural product, there will be minor imperfections, and grain and colour variations in every wood floor which is considered to be a feature, not a defect. You will see variations from board to board in all ranges regardless of the timber grading. Two boards are never the same. Over time the colour will mature upon exposure to UV-light.
You should always check the colour match with your sample before installation commences because timber colours vary considerably from pack to pack and often within each pack.During installation an experienced installer will work from several open packs, dispersing the boards evenly to optimise uniformity and use non-uniform boards in less conspicuous ways.
How long will the surface coating last before it needs sanding and polishing?
The life of the surface coating is entirely dependent on how much the floor has been cared for and the conditions it is subjected to. Proper cleaning and protection from abrasive particles, UV rays and moisture significantly prolong the life of the coating. With proper care the floor should not require resurfacing for at least five years.
If my floor gets damaged by an accident, how can it be repaired?
Yes, individual boards can be cut out and replaced provided that spare planks have been saved for such occurrences. Unfortunately we cannot guarantee the availability of the same size planks as trends in board width and locking systems change regularly.
What tips can you give me before installing my own wood floor?
Read the installation instructions carefully first, then mark out the room
The sub floor must be level, dry, clean and stable; repair any undulations Lay a 0.2mm polyethylene moisture membrane over concrete substrates
The moisture content of the floor must not be above 75% RH (relative humidity) Allow an expansion gap of 10mm around the entire perimeter of the room
Working from several open packs, disperse the boards evenly during installation Use the correct adhesive and apply the recommended quantity
Always keep a few spare planks for any future accidents requiring repair
For more detailed installation instructions…