Wood Flooring Installation terms from installation to finishing

AcclimatisationAll solid wood flooring and Bamboo flooring should be placed in the room / environment where it is going to be fitted. In some cases where you have underfloor heating engineered wood flooring should also be acclimatised but can be fitted as soon as it is received if the conditions are normal. Every room or location has its own humidity levels and will depend on a lot of things. Acclimatisation means that wood flooring needs to get used to local humidity levels and heat. To acclimatise the boards correctly you should unpack them and allow the local air to circulate so that they can expand or contract and be stable prior to fitting. You should never acclimatise wood floors where there are still wet trades (wet trades means wet or damp plaster, damp concrete etc.)

AdhesivesThese are the glues we use to fix the wood floor to the sub floor. Normally you would use the Bona R850 which we can supply along with a free notched trowel which can also be termed and applicator

ArchitraveThis is a wooden trim to match your floor that goes around the door trim. If you have an existing one our fitters can use a special saw to cut underneath.

BattenThis is a piece of wood normally 25mm x 50mm or larger that supports the hardwood flooring so that you can secret nail the floor. In most cases you should glue directly to concrete or joists but batten can be used to take account of different level so that when you floor is installed it is all on one level.

BorderOur floor fitters can use contrasting materials such as white Oak and Walnut to create a border around the floor or in the middle.

ChipboardThis is a man made board using small particles of wood as its main constituent. It is put in a high pressure press similar to the hot and cold press method used to make engineered flooring. Chipboard is one of the most common used subfloor as it is cheap but it is also very susceptible to damp. Leave it outside in the rain and it will disintegrate. Screws and normal nails will not work so if you use this as a sub floor you should glue the wood boards directly to this using Bona R850 adhesive. A better sub floor is bonded plywood.

Sandpaper Grit
Our floorboards are sanded to 120 grit and to put oil on the surface should be 120 grit to 180 grit. Grit is the coarseness of the sandpaper and 20 grit is very course with 180 grit being very smooth in comparison

Blanchon Hardwax Oil
Modern oil finishes are perfect for a wooden floor, especially where a more natural look is required. These natural oils penetrate the wood’s surface and cannot therefore be used with a UV oil which sits on top of the surface and totally seals the grain. If you try this then you will get a sticky surface. In fact if you put more oil on wood surface than is necessary you will get this as the oil should harden beneath the top surface and not remain on top like a lacquer. In this way the floor will last for years and can be easily maintained with modern purpose made kits.

Heart Wood
This is the hardest part of the tree and is normally darker than the outer rings of the tree and on a floor board will show as dark streak. With oils you can diminish this effect if you are trying to get a very uniform look.

Hygrometers
These instruments measure the moisture content of the air. To do this accurately you need a good quality instrument and it must be left in the area to be tested for at least 24 to 48 hours. Moisture from the surrounding walls (especially if they have been recently plastered) and also the sub floor exchanges with the air and this rate of exchange will depend on the ambient conditions prevailing at the time of the test. So to get accurate readings the device needs to be left so that it can get an accurate average reading. When installing a wooden floor to ensure that there are no problems in the future the relative humidity should be between 55% to 60% and the moisture content of the subfloor no more than 8%.

Insulation
This is often part of the subfloor but in old buildings you may not have this. If you have an old concrete floor always use BonaR410 or R580 to seal the top surface and keep any potential problem below not against the wood.

Joist
This is a structural beam that is used to support the upstairs floor or in old house the ground floor where there is a space under the ground floor with air bricks allowing air to circulate. The size of the joist will depend on when the house was built and also the loading it has to take. In old houses with air bricks the air circulated as we had open fires in these house with central heating the floor boards will react more than they did in the old days which is why there are often large gaps as we like living in a hot house!

Latex Screed
You would use a latex screed if the concrete subfloor you were installing the wood floor on was uneven or unlevel. These can sometimes be referred to as self levelling compounds which is a liquid cement mix or where they add a paste or plastic to make the screed more flexible. These screeds can be anything for 3mm to 15mm thick and are normally quick drying. If you use such a levelling screed then we do not advise gluing the floor to this unless it is at least 12mm thick as it could lift from the original cement screed so please use these screeds with caution.

Damp Proof Membrane (DPM)
This is normally a plastic sheet that is impervious to water and moisture and is put below the cement screed before the cement is poured to stop any moisture going through the cement. It can get damaged so we also have a DPM on top of the cement such as Bona R410 or Bona R580 which are rubber type compounds that completely seal a floor to prevent any moisture from coming to the surface and gives you double protection. We always advise putting a DPM on top of a screed before fitting a floor because the last thing you want is for some moisture to creep through in a year and your nice wood floor lifts and warps and twists and does other nasty things that wood can do when subjected to too much moisture. In newer screeds the bottom of the screed will not have dried out anyway to the required level. The relative humidity in the screed needs to be less than 40% and the moisture content should be below 2%. If the wooden floor has a moisture content of 7% then the screed must be a lot lower than this.

Expansion and Expansion GapAs wood is a hygroscopic material it will expand when it absorbs water or moisture and will also then contract when it loses it. However due to the cell structure and fibrous nature of wood once it expands it will never contract back to exactly the same size or shape which is why you can have cupped boards. When fitting a wooden floor even engineered you must always leave a gap around the perimeter at least 5mm for engineered boards and 10mm for solid wood. In the UK when we get humid weather the moisture content of wood flooring will be at its highest especially if doors and windows are left open, this means that the wood will absorb moisture and expand. In winter when we close all our doors and windows and turn up the central heating the humidity levels will be low so the wood will shrink, be careful not bring the humidity level below 20% otherwise you could cause serious damage to your wood floor even if you have engineered wood flooring. You should therefore “air” the house occasionally to maintain a natural environment.

Decibel Value and Sound Insulation
This is the measure of sound and our underlays have this in their specification. Normally used in flats to prevent sound travelling to other apartments.

Face Nail and secret Nail
This is where you see the nail head on old floors that are in old buildings. Nails were normally punched below the surface and then filled and when they rust through you get dark patches on the surface of the floor. We now secret nail our boards thorough the tongue and groove but any solid board over 150mm wide should also have face nails otherwise with high humidity levels the boards could lift. This is why we only supply engineered boards wider than 150mm. BS8201:1987 states that boards exceeding 100mm in width should be fixed with surface nails we believe that secret screwing will be more than sufficient especially on our engineered boards up to 340mm wide.

Floating Floor This is where the tongues and grooves are glued together using a PVA adhesive and the floor sits like a large slab on an underlay, so it “floats” on top. This is not our preferred method of installation as it is always prone to problems. However with electric underfloor heating and some type of hot water system this is the only method that can be used Engineered boards can be floated but NEVER float a solid wood floor there be too movement.

Fillet
This is normally a thin piece of wood that is used on top of joists when they are not level

Noggin
This is a piece of timber that is fixed between joists so that it helps support the end of a board that spans the joists.

Floor sealer
This is a common term for varnish or lacquer to seal the surface this just sits on top of the wood.

Rising Damp
This happens when the membrane underneath a concrete screed or even in your foundations has failed and is cracked which will then allow moisture to rise up through the screed or walls. Moisture will always go to the driest part which is why we recommend adding a DPM on a screed even if it is perfectly dry and moisture free.

Scotia
This is a concave shaped wood floor accessory that is used like beading not something we recommend as you should always fit you floor under skirting boards.

Screed
This is the concrete floor that is your subfloor

Movement
This is the movement of your natural wood floor that will change throughout the seasons depending on humidity levels and heating conditions.

Nailer or porta nailer
Professional floor fitters use these nail guns to ensure that the secret nails go through the tongue at the correct angle and correct pressure. They can be either electric or air pressure operated. They can be easily hired form most tool hire companies.

Natural Oil
This is a modern product used to finish floors, the latest are VOC free and use natural substances that are environmentally friendly. Having research the market extensively we use Blanchon and WOCA Woodcare Denmark products and example products can be seen on the following links by clicking on WOCA and Blanchon here. These are the best finishes and you can easily repair and maintain an oiled board.

Penny Joints
These can be termed washer joints due to the fact that there are very small gaps left between each floor board or every few boards for additional expansion. The term penny or washer was used because they used a thin washer or penny as a guide to make sure that each gapo was equal. Due to modern manufacturing techniques and also the tolerances and moisture content of our wood flooring there is no need to use these now.

Sub floor
This is what you will install your wood flooring on to and is the floor below your final flooring finish.

T Moulding
This is shaped like a “T” section and is used when you have a wooden floor that needs a gap between doorway (no need with our engineered boards) or wher you go from a wood floor to carpet.

Screw and Plug
This method is where you have very wide boards and to ensure that they will not warp or twist we drill a hole just larger than the screw head just below the surface and then screw the board direct to joists or batten. Once fixed the top of the hole is then plugged with the same wood and sanded down so that you would not notice the hole once the wood floor has been finished.

Wood Flooring Underlay
These are manufactured specifically for wood flooring do not use a carpet underlay as they are not the same and could cause problems later.

Skirting Board
These are the boards that go on the wall above the wood flooring to cover up the bottom of the wall and the expansion gap you need to leave around the edge of the room. We manufacture these in lengths of 2100mm and also have matching skirting boards for all our flooring.

UV Cured
This is a method used at our factory to cure the oils and lacquers that we apply. This method cures the finish quickly but also ensures a much harder longer lasting finish than if you applied lacquers on site. We only use this for our lacquered and UV oiled pre-finished flooring.

Wax
These are old fashioned floor finishes and although they give a lustre to the floor they are also not as hard wearing as modern oil finishes and we do not recommend using them.

Air Drying
This is the traditional method of drying timber which occurs over a few years and is otherwise called Seasoning. This however will not normally reduce the moisture content below 15% depending on how it has been seasoned and the humidity levels at the time.

Kiln Drying
We need a moisture content of 8% to 10% for wood flooring in the UK not to move excessively once fitted, this is achieved by kiln drying which is like a big oven in which the temperature, humidity and movement of the hot air is controlled. This means that the wood flooring we produce is kiln dried to BS8201 if a floor is fitted in a very hot climate where humidity is low then it could reduce the moisture to 5% which means that you will get gaps appearing on the wood flooring. This can also happen if you have hot spots with underfloor heating.

AdhesionThis is where we bond one material such as a solid layer of oak on the top of a multilayer plywood board. The level of adhesion will be affected by the conditions of the surfaces of the timber to be coated with an adhesive, the closeness of the contact and temperature and humidity at the time. We control the environment where our engineered boards are made

Bevel Edge and Micro Bevel Edge
This is a feature in the manufacture of wood flooring whereby the sharp edge of the board is taken off and the bevel clearly defines the floor board edge (which can be more than 2mm) which can add to the ambience of the room it is installed in. The bevel edge is normally angled at 45 degrees. The micro bevel edge will be 0.5mm to 1mm so it is hardly visible but does leave a definition between each floor board once it is laid.

BleachingThis process is used to lighten timber and is normally a VOC free chemical. All natural wood will bleach with direct sunlight especially walnut and Maple.

Dark Brown OakThis is Oak that has a dark chocolate colour and has turned brown due to a fungal infection that causes a chemical change in the tree, this happens a lot in English Oak.

Parquet Wood BlocksThese are small pieces of timber in sizes that range 70mm x 250mm or 90mm x 350mm in varying thicknesses, our blocks are 8mm thick as we fix them direct to a plywood sub floor. The old traditional parquet blocks were 20mm to 22mm thick and fixed to a concrete floor using bitumen. The problem here is that they often lift and it is difficult to replace.

Floor Boards (planks and strips)This is the finished wood flooring which can be from 60mm to 200mm wide in solid boards and up to 340mm wide in engineered boards. Solid floor boards must never be floated as the will expand and contract too much.

Janka Test of Brinell Hardness Test
This is a hardness scale of different species of timber and the higher the number on the janka test the harder the wood flooring. Strand Woven Bamboo is one of the hardest flooring options available and is also the greenest option helping our environment.

Case Hardening
This is where wood has been kiln dried incorrectly. It can never happen with naturally seasoned timber. If timber is dried to quickly the surface shrinks very heavily which then compresses the interior of the tree which is still contains a lot of moisture. You can find that cheap wood flooring has been subjected to fast drying which means that when fitted the flooring is likely to split, warp and move excessively.

CelluloseCellulose is a long-chain polymeric polysaccharide carbohydrate, of beta-glucose . It forms the primary structural component of green plants. It forms the cell walls and framework for trees to grow and thrive.

CheckThis is a separation of the wood fibres lengthways which extends across the rings of annual growth. This usually results from stress within which occurs when wood seasoned.

Click System This is a method of joining floor boards together without using any adhesive. There are several patents and systems and it is where you need to put the boards together at and angle and then “click” them into place so that they stay together. This should not be used with solid boards and is normally associated with the cheap poplar softwood engineered boards.

Close PilingStacking of wet timber without sticks for air circulation (not kiln drying) which results in staining of the timber and serious losses due to fungal decay.

Coefficient of ExpansionAny natural product especially timber will expand and contract with changes in humidity and moisture. The rate of change will depend on the porosity of the wood and how well it has been dried. The rate of change will depend on the species of timber can can be measured by producing a table with test results. We have all these results in our technical specification document. The change in width can happen when moisture goes from 10% to 20%. For example Beech has a high coefficient whereas oak has a low one. Oak is a very stable wood floor especially and engineered wood floor and this link will explain more.

COSHH Health and safety is a very important issue these days and you can see more on our web site. We do not use VOC in our production and all our wood flooring is produced in accordance with the control of Substances Hazardous to Health.

Conditioning and Balancing
We use a special type of kiln to balance all the wood flooring we produce so that the moisture in the different layers is all the same to create an equilibrium in the flooring.

Cracks
This can be a small or wide gap in the timber normally caused by the wood shrinking or where we have a shake which is a defect in the board. Shakes as they are known can increase in size if the timber has not been kiln dried properly or if it is from an old tree that has not been processed properly. You can see obvious shakes in old green oak gate posts for example.

CrowningThis is where the floor boards distort towards the inner rings of the tree so that the surface becomes convex usually caused by humid or damp conditions on solid wood flooring.

CuppingSimilar to the above but where the boards distort and the surface become concave. This always happens if there is damp or moisture below the floor so that the bottom surface becomes saturated with moisture and expands and the top surface is still dry with a lower moisture content. Once cupping takes place it is unlikely that the board will flatten out again but there could be some movement in the future if the bottom dries out or the top surface takes in moisture.

Shrinkage Differential ProblemsWood flooring that come from different tree of the same species can shrink and expand at different rates due to the individuality of trees. The most stable floor boards are those that have been quarter sawn but this is wasteful in production so we now use engineered wood flooring.

Dimensional StabilityThis is what we call the movement of wood flooring. All wood will expand and contract and solid wood will move a lot more than engineered wood flooring. Movement is caused by the cell structure of the tree still being able to absorb moisture and expand and then in really dry or hot conditions (when central heating is on) to get rid of the moisture which means the flooring will then shrink. Installation of wood flooring will depend on whether it is engineered or solid and also what species it is.

Ends MatchedThis means that the tongue and groove on the boards match each other and are also on the ends of the boards. This means that the end of a board can straddle a joist with the tongue and groove on the end matching each other and a full board either side giving additional strength.

Engineered Wood FlooringThis is the most stable wood flooring and is made up of good quality multilayer cross grain plywood back with a 4mm, 5mm or 6mm top layer. The thicker the top layer the more expensive the wood floor as more wood is used. These engineered boards should not be confused with the cheaper laminate either where there is a thin top layer like 1mm or 2mm and a softwood middle or the really awful cheap plastic imitation flooring.

Fair and Average Moisture Content F.A.M.C
Moisture content can be measured very accurately these days but it will always vary across a batch of wooden flooring due to the fact that each tree is individual just like we are and therefore the cellulose structure will vary which therefore follows on that moisture will vary. This is why we state that the moisture content will be 8% to 10% and is well within industry standard tolerances.

Wooden Fibre Saturation Point
This is the point (theoretically) when the cell cavities of a trees cell structure are totally empty of water but the cell wall still remains saturated. The moisture level of such wood is 20% to 30%

Wood Flooring “Figure”The natural beauty of wood is brought out in wood flooring. There are many types of “Figure” as they are called such as the “birds eye” in Maple or medullary rays in Oak, you should always look at a manufacturers grading specification to see what you are likely to get when you purchase your wooden floor. Many displays only show the really good bits.

FSC Forestry Stewardship CouncilThis is a non profit organisation responsible for controlling ethically and managed sources of timber. Full details can be seen on their site and as we are members with a chain of custody certificate you can see our own policy by clicking on the FSC link on the top of the page in the scrolling pictures.

Grading of Wood Flooring
There are various grades on timber, some manufacturers describe them as “Prime”, “Rustic” “Select” etc. There is no EN standard or BS standard for grading wood flooring so you need to understand what you are being sold. Prime may mean no knots or sapwood but it could mean very small knots depending on how the manufacturer defines their grading. So please check what the grading includes or excludes. For example Prime Oak may not contain any sapwood or knots or pin knots (pin knots are the size of a pencil point), but Prime Walnut may have some sapwood and knots as a characteristic of Walnut is its grain and knot variations. Click here to see our grading standards across our range of products.

Green TimberThis is a term used for unseasoned wood and is never used indoors only outside for structures where movement is not an issue.

HydroscopicWood flooring is a hydroscopic material. This means that wood can attract water in and around its environment so that its moisture content increase when the air is humid and it will also lose this water when the air around it is hot and dry. Water will expand the wood and then when it dries out it will shrink, but either way it is never exactly the same which is why poor quality wood flooring can warp and twist.

Honeycomb of TimberThis happens with case hardened timber where the outer zones of the wood set and harden without shrinking leaving the inner core to die. This type of timber is structurally weak and will not withstand the load bearing requirements for buildings.

Wood KnotsThese occur as figures and sometime holes in the grain where once a branch grew out of the tree as it was maturing. In most cases these knots are very attractive and even where there is no actual knot the grain will swirl and vary due to the effect the branch had as it was being fed by the trees sapwood. Some tree have a lot of knots like walnut whereas others like birch have very few. We carefully grade our knots so that you know what you are getting (see grading above).

Laminate FlooringThis is a cheap plastic alternative and not only looks and feels cheap but is also a hydrocarbon product which means it is detrimental to our environment. It lacks warmth and resilience and we feel it is better to have a painted concrete floor than fit cheap laminate

Moisture ContentThis is the amount of moisture in the wood flooring which for our manufactured boards is 8% this means that any subfloor that you fit our boards to must have a moisture content of less than 8% otherwise the hydroscopic tendencies of wood will draw the moisture up and the wood will swell which could have serious consequences for your flooring.

Moisture Meters
These are used to test the moisture content of your floor and subfloor. These measure wood moisture equivalent as the moisture content of wood will be fairly consistent in the same board due to its fibrous nature however sand/cement screed, plaster on walls etc will vary considerably according to their particular composition. Consequently they are measured with the same meter that is used to check your floor.

Parquet Flooring
There is a lot of confusion about this term, in reality it means small pieces of solid wood 8mm to 22mm thick in sizes 70mm x 250mm up to 90mm x 350mm which is used to make traditional herringbone or chevrons patterns. We have our EAZY FIT Parquet flooring blocks with sizes that will allow you to make up any pattern and long pieces you can use as a border.

PEFCThis is a Pan European Forest Council whose task is like that of the FSC to ensure that all our flooring comes from sustainable sources and managed forests

PippyThese are where a lot of small pin knots form in a cluster it is similar to burrs on walnut and can be extremely attractive.

Plain SawnThis is the common way to cut logs these days rather than quarter sawn. It means we get a lot more wood flooring from a tree and the log is sawn into slices across the tree.

PlywoodThis consists of thin layers of wood about 1.5mm to 2mm thick bonded together under high pressure. Most of our engineered wood flooring uses birch slices with the grain of each layer going the opposite direction of the other so that the board is totally stable.

Quarter SawnThis is the old fashioned method of creating wood flooring. These boards are very stable as the tree is first cut into quarters (like a circle cut into 4 segments) and then each plank is cut from the quarter. Therefore these wood floor boards will not cup or warp like those that are plain sawn. Old galleons were made using this method and also Cathedrals and palaces and you can see the medullary rays (streaks) which are clearly visible running in swirls along the wood floor which looks fantastic.

Random Lengths
This is flooring where lengths can vary from 300mm to 1800mm on cheap flooring with an average length of 700mm. All our random length flooring starts with a 400mm long board and has an average length of more than 900mm

Random WidthsThis means that someone has used different width boards when installing a floor to give a more random effect. In the old days boards were cut as they came from the trees and laid accordingly which is why in very old buildings you see lots of different width boards.

Ripple
This occurs where sanding has not been done correctly.

Rippled
This mainly occurs in Maple and is really attractive and makes Maple a floor board to be prized.

Sap
This is the outer part of the tree that is very liquid and the cell structure is very open as it feeds the tree’s growth. It can bee seen as very light wood, on Walnut it looks white and in oak it is much lighter than the rest of the wood floor and is also softer as the cells have not matured.

Carbonising, Steaming and Thermo Treating
This is a variety of processes where the floor board is heated to high temperatures which turns it darker and also at the same time making it stronger and less susceptible to moisture.

Stick MarksFor air or kiln drying sticks are placed between the boards to allow air to circulate and sometimes these sticks can cause a mark in the wood normally when some form of chemical reaction takes place.

Sustainable Source
This means that the wood flooring comes from a sustainable source where the forests are managed properly and more tree planted than are cut down.

Tongue and GrooveThe groove is machined into the side of the wood floor board and the tongue is machined to exactly match the groove and protrudes from the edge of the board. The top of the tongue is normally 5mm to 6mm from the top surface or the floor board on a solid and engineered board, this means that you can sand a good quality engineered board as many times as a solid board. On good quality flooring the tolerance is important as if you want to float the floor you need as tight a fit as possible. In cheap flooring you will get very poor tolerances and therefore the boards will need to be filled with glue and the tongue and groove match will not give sufficient strength in the installation.

ShakeThis is a defect in wood due to the cell structure shrinking excessively leaving a crack. These can open even more if the board shrink further after installation.

ShrinkageThis happens when wood flooring dries out naturally or when it is being kiln dried, the moisture in the cell structure “fills” the cell like a balloon with air in it, when the wood is heated and dried the moisture disappears into the atmosphere. The moisture content of a tree recently cut down could be as much as 35% to 40% and when dried the timber will shrink more tangentially than radially. Shrinkage longitudinally very minimal due to the cell structure of the tree.

Spalted Wood or Brown OakSpalting or browning of timber is caused by fungi growing on the tree during its lifetime. If there are black lines this would have been the fungi dissolving the wood in order to feed itself from the nutrients in the tree. It affects the colour, hardness and strength of the wood flooring if it has not been selected out.

Wear LayerThis is the solid top layer of Oak, Maple, Walnut or other species of wood that is glued to a base plywood board. Wear layers on our wood flooring are between 4mm to 6mm thickness and our unfinished sanded to 120 grit which means, if fitted properly you do not need to sand before applying oil.

Trees take CO2 from the atmosphere, capture it and produce oxygen in return. Wood provides shelter, comfort and beauty in our homes, offices, schools and public places. It protects out boundaries, opens new horizons in print and safely carries our good around the globe.

For every tonne of CO2 a tree absorbs from the atmosphere nearly ¾ of a tonne of oxygen is produced*

Our forests are natural, highly efficient carbon sinks. Trees absorb and convert CO2 through photosynthesis into the nutrient sugars they rely upon and as a result of the process, oxygen is released.

Managed forests are the most efficient carbon sinks and producers of oxygen. The ongoing process of harvesting and replanting ensures there is always a healthy share of the forest made up of younger trees in vigorous growth. These absorb more CO2 than mature trees which left as they are in an unmanaged forest, eventually die and rot releasing carbon back into the atmosphere.

The CO2 absorbed by the tree during its life is trapped, or stored within the wood and remains so throughout the useful life of a wood product. The longer the life of that product the longer the CO2 is sequestered from the atmosphere. Repair, recycling and conversion to other types of wood based product can greatly extend the length of time carbon is stored.

Over 83% of the timber supplied in the UK is certified to be sustainable*

Of the remainder of timber not certified, the vast majority is well managed with due consideration to environmental and social issues. Certification and sustainable forest stewardship is growing incrementally around the globe: between 2005 and 2009 certification of all timber supplied in the UK grew by nearly 30%. The UK and Europe is most advanced in this process and over 98% of softwood used in Britain comes from here: its sustainability is evidenced by the growth of forest which is the equivalent to the area of Cyprus every year.

The industry which processes the harvested trees and ultimately manufactures wood products is extremely efficient. The UK and Europe’s sawn timber producers operate at, or very close to (average 97%), zero wastage of the wood extracted from the forest. Any material which cannot be used as solid wood is converted into wood chips for use in paper, particleboard, landscaping products or biomass fuel, which is often used by sawmills as an energy source.

Using wood instead of other building materials saves an average of 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per cubic metre.
A tonne of red brick for instance requires four times the amount of energy to produce than sawn timber, whilst concrete is five times less carbon efficient, steel 24 times and aluminium 126 times. By increasing the wood content of a building there is a proportional decrease in its carbon footprint. This is due to the extremely low energy consumption in the production of sawn timber and wood products in comparison with other building materials.

Factory production to the exact dimensions of timber frame structures contributes further to wood’s carbon advantage by dramatically cutting waste on site during the building process. In fact, it is possible to achieve CO2 reductions in the order of 88% on the build of a typical three bedroom detached house if softwood cladding is used in conjunction with a timber frame.

It costs around 5% less to build an energy efficient timber frame house or building*

Timber frame building has grown incrementally in the UK to an overall market share of around 25%. Lower build costs are a significant contributing factor to the increasing popularity of timber construction. Wood’s thermal insulation properties are 10 times better than brick and 5 times better than concrete. This adds up to a key cost advantage of timber construction in the achievement of reduced HLP (Heat Loss Parametre) when compared to masonry: the overall build cost savings range from 2.2% to 5.2% to achieve HLP compliances in the range of 1.3, 1.1 and 0.8.

Timber frame construction methods lead to a more efficient build process. Water tight within 5 days, a timber frame house is not subject to the traditional delay to other trades whilst the brickwork is finished. In comparison to wet construction methods there is little time lost due to drying out. Construction time on site is more predictable and 30% shorter with timber frame.

In its lifetime a uPVC window produces 1200% more CO2 than one made from wood*

Taking all material, production, transport and maintenance procedures into account wood is by far the least carbon intensive window material available. In production, uPVC’s oil base and the energy intensive smelting of aluminium contribute enormously to the carbon footprints of these materials. Wood’s exceptionally good natural insulating and cold-bridging properties are at least the equal of uPVC making it ideal in double and triple glazed applications.
Accelerated ageing tests simulating a range of environmental exposures have shown properly maintained, factory pre-coated units to have a life time in service similar to that of aluminium. uPVC units proved to be over 30% less durable. Uniquely, a wood window may also be economically repaired throughout its life. In these circumstances it is not uncommon for wood windows to last 100 years or so.

An ‘EUR’ wooden pallet stores around 29kg of CO2 taken from the atmosphere during the growth of the tree*

Pallets made from wood and wood derived packaging materials are the most carbon efficient option. Accounting for approximately 20% of European timber consumption these products are in most instances carbon neutral. Oil based PET, PVC and other plastics along with metals such as aluminium are significant net carbon contributors and remain so even once recycling is taken into account.

Heat treated wooden pallets have been shown by German researchers to be less susceptible to bacterial growth than those made of plastic. Wooden pallets conforming to ISPM 15 meet the most rigorous global hygiene standards and costs 50% less than the plastic alternative.
Once damaged a plastic pallet’s useful life is over. Wooden pallets are repairable, greatly extending their life and further reducing overall cost. When beyond service, wood pallets and packaging provide a substitute to fossil fuels if burnt as biomass to produce energy.

Change the materials you use not the climate. Thansk for reading this extract from the Timber Trade Federation of which we are members

Wood flooring

This is a disaster waiting to happen because the heat is trapped beneath the rug which will then create a “Hot Spot” under the rug. The consequences of this means that the temperature of the wood will increase and if any moisture or humidity is present the floor board will swell and expand and even “cup and twist. In an engineered board you will get the layers delaminating as shown in the picture below.

If you must have rugs make sure they are ones that will allow air circulation and not act as an insulator which is the case with most rugs and carpets.

Rugs and Carpets are normally made from wool or hydrocarbon compounds (oil) and as such are insulators. They should never be used with underfloor heating. Please call our technical team for more information on this on 01453 844675

WOCA Master Oil Application The application procedures are simple, and the master oil is applied to a pre sanded floor (80/120 grit abrasion). All our unfinished boards have this finish. If the floor is dirty, or with markings made by the flooring fitters then you should first treat the floor with WOCA wood cleaner, because if the marked dirty floor is oiled ,the dirt will be locked in the floor, during curing. Shake the can (to mix the white pigments if using the white oil) and apply to the floor with WOCA White master oil ( or the 50/50 white/natural mix if you do not want it so white) with a buffing machine and with an oil soaked cotton cloth wrapped around the buffing pad. Leave for 10 minutes to ensure the oil soaks into the wood and penetrates the surface, and apply a few spots of master oil on the floor , and buff in with two x 150mm WOCA Patina discs applied via the Velcro backing to the Tan buffing pad, and buff in the oil. The WOCA Patina discs are a very fine abrasive surface of 2,000 + grit abrasion and when used, increases the temperature of the oil and mechanically forces the oil into the wood to ensure the 100% saturation, and at the same time de nibs the standing wood fibres from the surface, and polishes the floor to a near glass smooth finish. The finished result is superb and the very best possible for a high traffic area such as a retail shop, or public space. The Floor as well as having the highest quality with properties for wear and high traffic looks superb with a natural open pore appearance. The above Patina discs procedure was used at Eurostar and we are confident that the floor will last in excess of 50 years even with all the high traffic. Go and see it for yourself at St Pancreas Railway Station.

This article was produced by Wood Care Denmark the leaders in finishes for for floors and very inviromentally freindly
What is actually the purpose of oiling wood surfaces?
It means that the wood is impregnated with oil as deep inside the grain as possible without
leaving a visual coat of oil on the surface – altough the surface should look oiled and not dry or grey. So the saturation of the wood is of very high importance in this connection.
The WOCA oil finishing systems ensure a deep impregnation of the wood. We operate with two
categories of oils: traditional oxidising oils and uv-curing oils.

Traditional, Oxidising Oils
Application of the oil may be made with roller coaterson oiling line or with spraying guns. When the oil has been absorbed by the wood, the surface is polished with brushes or scotch brite. Depending on the type of oil applied and drying possibilities, the oil is surface dry in 3-6 minutes or 60-90 minutes. This traditional oil finishing system ensures a flexible and hard-wearing surface, which is easy to maintain and repair.

Master Oil – 10 colours
Master Oil is based on a combination of vegetable oil components especially developed for production of hard-wearing surfaces. The oil has a solid matter content of approx. 60 per cent. It easily penetrates the grain of the wood ensuring a deep impregnation of the wood grain.

Master Oil may be applied with semi-hard roller coaters in connection with industrial finishing of
floors on oiling or lacquering line. It may also be sprayed on line. Manual application is also possible. It requires polishing on line with brushes or scotch brite roller.
It requires approx. between 90 to 120 minutes for drying in a chamber dryer. If applied manually, drying may be made on shelves over night. The surface is pre-hardened in approx. 4 hours.

Product information sheet is available.
High Solid Master Oil – 10 colours
The properties of this product are the same as above under Master Oil. However, one important
feature of this oil is the reduced quantity of solvent. High Solid Master Oil has less than 9 per
cent of solvent. Also the drying is improved and is somewhat quicker than the normal Master Oil.
Product information sheet is available.

Industrial Oil – 10 colours
Industrial Oil is based on a combination of vegetable oil components especially developed for production of hard-wearing wood floors. The oil has a solid matter content of approx. 50 per cent. It easily penetrates the grain of the wood ensuring a deep
impregnation of the wood grain. Industrial Oil is for industrial finishing only. It is applied with semi-hard roller coaters. Normally 2-3 coats of industrial oil are applied. It requires
brushing preferably before drying tunnel and buffing with scotch brite rollers before packing. May also be sprayed on line. It requires approx. 3-6 minutes of drying time in tunnel at a maximum

We have extensively researched the market and this article is to help you when considering the installation of underfloor heating (UFH). Wooden flooring is the best material to install on top of any system due to it warm feel and thermal properties.

With a wooden floor in the perfect world the UFH system should always be left on even at a low temperature. Wood is a living material even after it is cut down, kiln dried and processed. The cellular structure will always react to its local environment and if you are kind to your floor it will be kind to you. Â Remember paper is made from wood and when it gets wet it is soggy and yet you can dry it our again but it never has the same characteristics.

If you turn off the UFH system then the boards will become cold and if left for some time in winter or summer when the air is humid the wooden floor will pick up moisture. When the heating is then turned back the environment the wood is in will change dramatically and it can cause stress within the board, just like when we go into a hot tub in freezing weather. Â Â

Most of the problems associated with wooden floors and UFH come from the following conditions:

• Â Â Â Â Â Dramatic changes in the surface temperature

     Hot spots

• Â Â Â Â Â Lack of heat distribution
• Â Â Â Â Â High humidity in the room
• Â Â Â Â Â Operating the heating above a surface temperature of 27 degrees
• Â Â Â Â Â Cleaning the floor with water

If any of the above applies you can get the following wooden flooring reactions

• Â Â Â Â Â Â warped boards
•        engineered flooring that will delaminate, this is the top layer coming off gaps appearing
•        if not fitted correctly you will also find the whole floor lifting
• Â Â Â Â Â Lack of effective heat transference through the flooring

How to ensure you do not get problems

• Â Â Â Â Â Always use a professional UFH installer
• Â Â Â Â Â Ensure you have the right system to achieve what you want see some tips here
• Â Â Â Â Â Never buy cheap engineered flooring
• Â Â Â Â Â Never install solid wood flooring
• Â Â Â Â Â Always use the best adhesives to glue the wooden flooring to the screed such as the Bona R850 which has been designed for wooden floor with UFH
•      If you want an electric system then you must follow the manufacturer’s installation requirements and make sure you do not get hot spots, some cheap systems will cause this

     Hot Spots occur where there is no effective reflector plates that spread the heat or where the screed is too thin

     Always leave the UFH system on and do not increase or decrease temperature excessively

     You must clean the wooden floor with the appropriate maintenance kits and in accordance with the manufacturers instructions

Please see more details about UFH by clicking this link http://www.uhma.org.uk/

With a wooden floor in the perfect world the underfloor heating system should always be left on even at a low temperature. Wood is a living material even after it is cut down, kiln dried and processed. The cellular structure will always react to its local environment and if you are kind to your floor it will be kind to you.

Remember paper is made from wood and when it gets wet it is soggy and yet you can dry it our again but it never has the same characteristics.

If you turn off the underfloor heating then the boards will become cold and if left for some time in winter or summer when the air is humid the wooden floor will pick up moisture. When the heating is then turned back the environment the wood is in will change dramatically and it can cause stress within the board, just like when we go into a hot tub in freezing weather.

Most of the problems associated with wooden floors and underfloor heating come from the following conditions:

• Dramatic changes in the surface temperature
• Hot spots
• Lack of heat distribution
• High humidity in the room
• Operating the heating above a surface temperature of 27 degrees
• Cleaning the floor with water

If any of the above applies you can get the following wooden flooring reactions warped boards

• engineered flooring that will delaminate, this is the top layer coming off
  gaps appearing
• if not fitted correctly you will also find the whole floor lifting
• Lack of effective heat transference through the flooring
• How to ensure you do not get problems
• Always use a professional under heating installer
• Ensure you have the right system to achieve what you want see some tips here
• Never buy cheap engineered flooring
• Never install solid wood flooring

How to ensure you do not get problems

• Always use a professional under heating installer
• Always use a Professional Floor fitter who has experience with underfloor heating
• Ensure you have the right system to achieve what you want see some tips here
• Never buy cheap engineered flooring
• Never install solid wood flooring

 Always use the best adhesives to glue the wooden flooring to the screed such as the Bona R850 which has been designed for wooden floor with underfloor heating

If you want an electric system then you must follow the manufacturer’s installation requirements and make sure you do not get hot spots, some cheap systems will cause this

Hot Spots occur where there is no effective reflector plates that spread the heat

You must clean the wooden floor with the appropriate maintenance kits and in accordance with the manufacturers instructions

Why?
The principal of under floor heating depends on heat penetrating through or from the sub floor. The heat continues through the floor finish, and is then dispersed into the room above.

For maximum efficiency it is important that the sub floor and the floor finish not only have excellent thermal conductivity, but also retain the heat for as long as possible.

When you compare the qualities of wood with other popular finishes such as Carpet, Ceramics, Plastic Vinyl Tiles, Plastic Vinyl Sheets and Polished Concrete, good quality 20mm Engineered Wood Floorboards will out perform these competitive products in many important areas

• Wood has excellent thermal qualities allowing good passage of heat.
• Wood retains heat much better than most comparable materials.
• 20mm Engineered wood boards are the optimum thickness for retention and passage of heat.
• Wood is extremely durable (centuries of experience proves that)
• Wood is a natural product and one of the most environmentally friendly materials available
(only ceramics can compare)
• Wood has many aesthetically pleasing design options
• Wood is very cost effective when you take into account other materials that would perform to the same standard.

COMMISSION THE HEATING
To gain the best performance from your heating system and the finished floor it is important to have all components working together.

There are two main types of under floor heating

Hot water radiant heating systems
Electrical radiant heating systems

Both types must be installed in conjunction with the manufacturer’s guidelines and commissioned and run for up to 21 days to ensure that the system is fully operational.

After commissioning, the installer should provide documentary evidence of commissioning, particularly the temperatures achieved at the finished sub floor, and these should be available to the trades that follow.

CRITICAL: The surface temperature must never exceed 27 degrees C

Timescale: Run heating for 21 days
ACCLIMATISATION OF THE BOARDS
Before starting the installation the 20mm Engineered floor boards need to be brought into the room where they will be installed and exposed to the climatic conditions. The acclimatisation will compose of:-

• The 20mm Engineered wood boards will be in sealed and unopened cartons.
• The boards will be stored for at least 48 hours
• The boards will be laid flat at least 300mm (24”) from the nearest wall
• The room temperature must be at least 18 degrees C
• The floor surface temperature must be a minimum of 15 degrees C
• The relative humidity must be between 40% and 65%

CRITICAL: The surface temperature must never exceed 27 degrees C

Timescale: Minimum of 48 hours

PREPARING THE SUB FLOOR
All sub floors must be prepared in accordance with normal sub floor preparation procedures and accepted tolerances within the flooring industry.

Before fitting the wood floor finish particular attention must be paid to

Moisture content – must be less than 10%
Evenness – maximum tolerance of 3mm per linear metre
Load capacity – The sub floor has to be a closed and self – supporting surface
Cleanness – the sub floor needs to be in a clean and vacuumed condition

Timescale: Switch off the heating for 48 hours

MOISTURE BARRIER
If the 20mm Engineered boards are to be installed over a concrete sub floor, you have to consider that possible rest moisture in the sub floor will seep to the surface of the sub floor. Based on the above-mentioned reason it is always necessary to install a moisture barrier over the concrete sub floor. A trowel on one part membrane such as BONA R580 can produce an easy to install and effective membrane that works in conjunction with the BONA R850 adhesive that we would recommend for fitting the floor boards.

Alternatively, if the floor is to be floated, a 0.2mm polyethylene film can be used as a moisture barrier between the sand and cement screed and Timbermate Heatflow underlay.

If the boards are to be fitted over an electric system and an underlay is required we would recommend Timbermate Heatflow Underlay which is designed for optimum performance with under floor heating.

Timescale: Leave to dry for 8 hours

FITTING THE 20mm ENGINEERED FLOOR BOARD
Wet System
If the boards are to be fitted over a sand and cement screed with a BONA R580 damp proof membrane, the most effective method is to adhesive fit with BONA R850 adhesive.

Electric System
If the boards are to be fitted over an electric under floor heating system, then if the manufacturer recommends a levelling compound over the elements, as some do, then the floor can be fitted as with the wet system.

If the boards are to be fitted over a Timbermate Heatflow underlay then the tongue and grooved joints of the boards should be glued together using a proprietory P.V.A. adhesive.

Timescale: Leave to dry for 48 hours after fitting

STARTING THE HEATING SYSTEM
It is important not to shock the floor by introducing the heat too quickly.

After starting the heating system

• Run the heating with a surface temperature at a constant 18 degrees C for 72 hours

• Increase the surface temperature by 1 degree C every 24 hours for the 9 days

CRITICAL: The surface temperature must never exceed 27 degrees C

Timescale: 12 days.

DURING USE
Generally the temperatures should not vary drastically, but always try to avoid taking the floor from one extreme of heat to another within a very short timescale.

CRITICAL: The surface temperature must never exceed 27 degrees C

N.B.
• If no certification is available from the installer.
BEFORE THE FLOOR IS FITTED the under floor heating system should be calibrated back to the boiler to ensure the surface temperatures of the sub floor are correct.

• WITHOUT CERTIFICATION – THE SUPPLIER OF THE ENGINEERED BOARDS WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY FAILURES OF THE ENGINEERED BOARDS

• The oil penetrates the wood cell structure and has direct contact with the wood
• There is a high degree of resistance to scuffs, scratches and general wear and tear
• There will be no static electricity unlike lacquered floors
• Natural oils regulate the relative humidity of wooden floors• There will be an open structure surface that allows the dflooring to breath
• Very hard wearing
• Natural oils and wood lye’s prevent yellowing of Oak
• Easily repaired
• Biological maintenance products
• Friendly to the environment