Frequently Asked Questions.
Here are some common questions about Our Servces.
What is the best timber?
What is the best timber?
Good question.What is the best car?
My wife says Volkswagon beetle,
My neighbour drives Porsche,
I love Toyota Land cruiser.
Every timber floor is different. One is dark, one is wide in size, and the other is pale or has a honey colour. Buy what pleases you. YOU will live in your house, YOU will enjoy your new floor.
What you may consider is:
THE USE
Where do you want to install the timber floor? Is the new floor going to be in a unit, house, office, shop or gym? What will be the traffic on the floor? A busy family with 4 kids, 2 dogs, and a lot of visitors ? A quiet couple of retirees ?
Is it for a stand-alone house or an unite on the top floor ?Will there be noise transfer concern? Will you be better off using a floating floor or solid floor?
COLOUR
Lighter timber will bring more light into your house, brown may match better with your furniture, otherwise black or a stained floor is lately very much “in”, that is why you adore it.
SIZE
Wide boards (130mm) will suit better to large rooms but they usually shrink or grow more than narrower boards (80mm), therefore you may experience more pronounced opening and closing of gaps in between planks due to a change in humidity.
GRADE
Select grade looks spotless but some people do not like it. For example, you may ask;
“Karl it is too plain, I would like something with more character” therefore
Natural grade shows more character but again some people do not like it:
“Karl, this gum vein is awful, can you putty it up, please? “ This is a very personal decision according to your taste and liking.
Please respect it. Timber is timber!
TERMITE RESISTANCE
There are species which are more resistant than others, for example;
Red Bloodwood, Cypress pine, Grey Box, Forest Gum, Ironbark, White Mahogany,
Red Mahogany, Gympie Messmate, Tallowwood, Blackbutt, Spotted Gum and, White Stringy bark.
HARDNESS
The harder is better…but the floor will cost you more…Soft pine in your new kitchen ? Think again… the kitchen is the highest traffic area in your home… you may call us for floor re-sanding and re-polishing in 3-4 years again…
Floating floor against solid floor
They don’t require sanding and polishing (vast majority),
They have better sound insulation rating thanks to the underlay, therefore are more suitable for multi storey buildings, offices etc.
Depending on the thickness of the upper veneer layer, a timber floating floor can be re- sanded and re-coated at least once. This doesn’t apply for laminate floating floors.
Timber floating floors come up pre-coated from the factory. The gloss level is an even finish without dust particles, blemishes and sanding marks.
After installation the new floor level will be typically between 10-20mm higher than the original floor.
The length of a sinlge plank is set and usually measures between 1-2.3m in length.
The majority of floating floors are imported from Asia and Europe.
Solid timber floors have a much longer life, because they can be sanded and polished many times (well this depends on the skills of your floor sander) as the name suggests they are more riggid and feel more solid under your feet.
You need a good floor sander and polisher to create a high quality professional finish.
The standard thickness of tongue and groove (T&G) flooring is 19mm.
You may run three scenarios:
1. If you lift up the existing timber flooring which is installed over bearers and joists, and replace this floor with a new installation, then the new floor level will be almost the same. (Sometimes old timber may be thicker – 22mm or thinner-due to being repeatedly sanded overtime.
2.Installation of a new timber floor over an existing one will increase the height by 19mm.
3.If you have to install 19mm battens or plywood first then your new floor level will be 38mm higher.
The timber boards are available in random lengths varying from 1-6m.
They can also be installed in units but the cost will be higher due to the sound insulation protection and plywood, which the floor is laid upon. (The new floor level will be typically 38-50mm higher).
Majority of solid timber floors are produced from different types of trees grown in Australia from plantation or natural forests.
The property value will be higher with a solid timber floor than with a floating floor.
Acceptable appearance from timber floor
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Here are very good comments from the Queensland Timber Flooring and Finishing Asociation
