It is important that certain basic terms are understood before purchasing a solid wooden floor . Many of these points also refer to engineered and veneered floors.


PRE-FINISHED  - many solid floors can be purchased pre-finished, meaning that they already have a final lacquer or oil coat applied. Care should be taken when being installed but once installation is finished, the floor is complete.

UNFINISHED - these floors are untreated and after installation will require sanding and sealing. This means dust and odour as well as not being able to walk on the new floor areas for the time required for the surface coating to dry and then cure - this also applies to your pets !

SANDING - whilst we use some of the best sanding equipment available in the world which is described as dustless, it is not dust-free and we defy anybody to produce a completely dustfree sanding system

HARDNESS - wooden floors develop character with use. Different species of wood have varying densities and resultant hardnesses, this even applies to the same species in the same tree even as densities can vary across the tree. This means that different wood types develop scratches and dents easier than others and the only way to remedy this is to resand and seal the floor. Soft timbers such as pine damage much more easily than denser timbers such as Rhodesian Teak

GRAIN - grain patterns vary in each plank in a tree. They vary in the same tree depending on which way the board is sawn. The beauty of a natural product such as wood is this variance - if repetition is wanted, buy a laminate floor.

AGEING - all timbers are photosensitive as a result of oxidation form UV rays from natural or artificial light sources. This means that most timber species darken with age or become more mellow. WHite timbers generally yellow whilst a few dark timbers actually lighten (walnut for  example). This is a gradual process, often only noticed when a rug or piece of furniture is moved.

FINISH - floors come in matt, satin and varying gloss levels. A high gloss floor shows up all the imperfections in the floor as well as any scratches or other damage. A matt finish is more forgiving and generally looks more natural. Different lacquers or oils can give different finish effects also.

INSTALLATION - are you up to it ?? Solid floors are generally installed by nailing, stapling or gluing to either the concrete slab, plywood underlay or to battens or joists. If you do not have the time to complete this project properly, rather stay at work to earn some extra cash and pay a professional.