This is a very specialist job and should not be left to inexperienced builders, chippy's or fitters.

Environment: Solid wood flooring will react more readily to changes in the environment, such as fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Under cold and dry conditions, it will cause the wood to contract which will result in the appearance of gaps between boards. Likewise during warmer periods, heat and moisture in the air will cause the wood to expand, resulting in the boards to cup, buckle or warp. Therefore, during installation of solid wood floors, it is important to allow the boards enough time to acclimatise to the humidity of the environment that it is going into (preferably one to two weeks or more). Also there is a need to ensure sufficient space (at least a 15mm gap) around the perimeter of the room to allow for this natural expansion of a wooden floor. This can be achieved by laying the floor before putting the skirting board on, or leaving a gap of 18.5mm under the skirting board, this will ensure that there is sufficient space for the wood to “move” which it does due to it being a natural material.

• Use of stain, filler or putty stick for touch-up during installation should be accepted as normal procedure.
• When flooring is ordered, 5% must be added to the actual square meterage needed for cutting and grading allowance.
• Should an individual piece be doubtful as to the grade, manufacture or factory finish, the installer should not use the piece.
• Use of appropriate products for correcting subfloor voids should be accepted as normal industry practice.