130 x 19mm Jarrah in Feature Grade. Good lengths in this feature grade material.
$40.60m2 Includes GST
Jarrah has more brown tones than Karri which favours reds.
Jarrah wood is very similar to that of Karri, Eucalyptus diversicolor. Both trees are found in the southwest of Australia, and the two woods are frequently confused. They can be distinguished by cutting an un-weathered splinter and burning it: Karri burns completely to a white ash, whereas Jarrah forms charcoal.
Get in quickly if you want to share in this mill offering. Feature grade is high in gum veins and is highly sought after timber.
Sunday 24 February 2013
Monday 18 February 2013
How to maintain your timber floor. Laminates
How to maintain your timber floor. Laminates
Be very careful not to flood a laminate floor with water. Despite a lot of claims about moisture stability most are affected by water. Joins can swell so use moisture sparingly.
WeeklyKeep dust and grit to a minimum using a soft broom or brush. Sand has remarkable cutting ability underfoot so the less sand the better.
As needed
Lightly mist the area with a fully diluted solution of VCS Timber Floor Cleaner. Use a soft mop to dry the area streak free.
Entries
Make sure that mats are placed at entries to remove sand from people's feet as they enter the home or location.
How to maintain your timber floor. Real Timber.
How to maintain your timber floor. Real Timber.
Real Timber is a superb floor. It can have either a commercial grade finish, [Toby, Bona, Polycure or Osmo] or else a light home finish. If your floor coating is heavy duty it will still require maintenance though not as heavily as the commercial finishes listed earlier. With lighter weight finishes you should have a very strict maintenance routine. In general though a routine should be as follows.
Never flood a timber floor with water. Coatings are very good but timber may still be affected by water.
Weekly
Keep dust and grit to a minimum using a soft broom or brush. Sand has remarkable cutting ability underfoot so the less sand the better.
As needed
Lightly mist the area with a fully diluted solution of VCS Timber Floor Cleaner. Use a soft mop to dry the area streak free.
Entries
Make sure that mats are placed at entries to remove sand from people's feet as they enter the home - location.
Basics common to all floors.
1 Grit, dust & sand should be kept to an absolute minimum. It will be necessary to sweep the floor regularly to maintain a grit free environment. Grit or sand that is crushed under a leather soled shoe for example will abrade the surface of the floor. Keep it to a minimum.
2 It is a good idea to use a vacuum cleaner however you should note that some of the bristles on the heads of commercial and domestic vacuum cleaners can be quite stiff and can even scratch a polyurethane surface. You must ensure that the bristles used on the brush head are appropriate for use with a timber floor. Very often this information is not available in the place where vacuum cleaners are purchased and you may need to seek additional information from the distributor or manufacturer.
3 Additional maintenance steps include the use of a damp mop. You should never flood a timber floor with water assuming that the sealer used on the surface is waterproof. In the majority of cases polyurethane sealers are not waterproof. Therefore a well wrung out mop is essential, keeping the water used to an absolute minimum.
With oiled floors the surface is waterproof but the same rules apply. Excessive water can result in a blotchy surface. Water should always be kept to a minimum.
4 When it comes to the question of what to use in the water to maintain the timber floor the simple guideline is that this should be a "non-residual cleanser" or a product that will not leave a residue behind on the floor. For example, some cleaning products contain soap and it is quite easy to leave a slightly sticky surface behind on the floor. If this occurs then grit will be trapped on the surface making it difficult to maintain the area using a sweeping brush or vacuum cleaner. Some cleaning contractors have reported that when using some materials the floor seems to get dirty more quickly and the common cause is the use of something residual in the water. Purpose made non-residual timber floor cleaning fluids are very effective and are usually an economical choice. Some are supplied in concentrated form which means that there are also suitable for use in removing scuff marks which are generally harder to remove than the usual small markings.
Real Timber is a superb floor. It can have either a commercial grade finish, [Toby, Bona, Polycure or Osmo] or else a light home finish. If your floor coating is heavy duty it will still require maintenance though not as heavily as the commercial finishes listed earlier. With lighter weight finishes you should have a very strict maintenance routine. In general though a routine should be as follows.
Never flood a timber floor with water. Coatings are very good but timber may still be affected by water.
WeeklyKeep dust and grit to a minimum using a soft broom or brush. Sand has remarkable cutting ability underfoot so the less sand the better.
As needed
Lightly mist the area with a fully diluted solution of VCS Timber Floor Cleaner. Use a soft mop to dry the area streak free.
Entries
Make sure that mats are placed at entries to remove sand from people's feet as they enter the home - location.
Basics common to all floors.1 Grit, dust & sand should be kept to an absolute minimum. It will be necessary to sweep the floor regularly to maintain a grit free environment. Grit or sand that is crushed under a leather soled shoe for example will abrade the surface of the floor. Keep it to a minimum.
2 It is a good idea to use a vacuum cleaner however you should note that some of the bristles on the heads of commercial and domestic vacuum cleaners can be quite stiff and can even scratch a polyurethane surface. You must ensure that the bristles used on the brush head are appropriate for use with a timber floor. Very often this information is not available in the place where vacuum cleaners are purchased and you may need to seek additional information from the distributor or manufacturer.
3 Additional maintenance steps include the use of a damp mop. You should never flood a timber floor with water assuming that the sealer used on the surface is waterproof. In the majority of cases polyurethane sealers are not waterproof. Therefore a well wrung out mop is essential, keeping the water used to an absolute minimum.
With oiled floors the surface is waterproof but the same rules apply. Excessive water can result in a blotchy surface. Water should always be kept to a minimum.
4 When it comes to the question of what to use in the water to maintain the timber floor the simple guideline is that this should be a "non-residual cleanser" or a product that will not leave a residue behind on the floor. For example, some cleaning products contain soap and it is quite easy to leave a slightly sticky surface behind on the floor. If this occurs then grit will be trapped on the surface making it difficult to maintain the area using a sweeping brush or vacuum cleaner. Some cleaning contractors have reported that when using some materials the floor seems to get dirty more quickly and the common cause is the use of something residual in the water. Purpose made non-residual timber floor cleaning fluids are very effective and are usually an economical choice. Some are supplied in concentrated form which means that there are also suitable for use in removing scuff marks which are generally harder to remove than the usual small markings.
Sunday 17 February 2013
Buying a Bamboo Floor Perth
Bamboo Flooring - Vital Information
Bamboo can be a great floor. However a brief online search will quickly discover a lot of negatives and positives. Why do some floors fail? How do you make sense of all the urban myths around Bamboo? This article attempts to answer key questions.
At VCS we have never had a floor fail using Bamboo. Then again we are very choosy in supply and we use a proven installation method. This is different to the norm.
First Tip
You cannot be price driven with Bamboo.
You cannot be price driven with Bamboo.
You cannot be price driven with Bamboo.
Got It?
With Bamboo you genuinely get what you pay for. They look the same but time and experience will tell you that there are serious concerns with some sizes, thicknesses, finishes and grades. It is really worth paying the extra for a proven product.
Second Tip
The number one reason for floors lifting, twisting etc is insufficient adhesive under the floor. Concrete must be prepared well. Moisture primer must be applied at the correct rate. There must be an adhesive bed under the floor: Sika T55 TROWEL APPLIED as a bed of adhesive that completely covers the primer. Unless there are other problems, this installation is amazingly strong.
Third Tip
Bamboo should be treated like timber with correct expansion allowances. Extreme claims are made about Bamboo's strength and stability. However it does expand and contract. So install it as you would timber. Some suppliers have had a lot of problems with floors installed minus the correct amounts of adhesive and with incorrect expansion gaps. Some even claim that you should float install all bamboo without adhesive at all. This demonstrates what happens when floor issues are not correctly investigated. Treat it like timber and you can direct fix good quality bamboo without issues.
You need to know what the surface is. Some surfaces are very difficult to work with. Re-Coating can be very difficult with some surfaces. In fact with some surfaces it may require a full re-sand.
Ask for Bamboo finished in Bona coatings. This is Australia's universal coating system for re-coats using a products called Mega with Link additive. Make sure of this point: it will save you a lot of money down the track.
Tuesday 12 February 2013
What are the grades? Select, Standard and Better or Feature?
Timber is graded to a face grade. Otherwise the quality is consistent in machining. The face is examined to determine if there are signs of gum vein. The more gum marks the more the timber is featured. Some people find gum marks attractive. Others don't.
Face vein: This is the amount of gum vein allowed in the face of the timber.
Australian timber is gum rich and therefore it naturally has a lot of features. The percentage of gum vein in the face of the timber determines the grade.
SELECT GRADE
Select - up to 5% gum vein to face
Standard & Better - up to 15/20% gum vein to face
Feature - up to 30/40% gum vein to face.
All grading is visual and therefore has a degree of variation because it is based in the perception of the persons involved in the process. It has a limited degree of accuracy.
NOTE: Mills adopt their own procedures for grading and so grades will vary from mill to mill. There is tolerance between batches though this is small.
Pricing is decided according to the amount of feature in the face of the timber. The less feature the greater the price.
FEATURE GRADE
Face vein: This is the amount of gum vein allowed in the face of the timber.
Australian timber is gum rich and therefore it naturally has a lot of features. The percentage of gum vein in the face of the timber determines the grade.
SELECT GRADE
Select - up to 5% gum vein to face
Standard & Better - up to 15/20% gum vein to face
Feature - up to 30/40% gum vein to face.
All grading is visual and therefore has a degree of variation because it is based in the perception of the persons involved in the process. It has a limited degree of accuracy.
NOTE: Mills adopt their own procedures for grading and so grades will vary from mill to mill. There is tolerance between batches though this is small.
FEATURE GRADE
Which is better? Plank on Ply or Direct Fix?
These are two different approaches to putting down a timber floor. You will find just as many people claiming that either one is better than the other. The reality is that they are simply different ways of putting a floor over concrete.
In the early 1990's we didn't have the adhesive systems available that we have today. So when we wanted to put timber boards over concrete we had to use very short lengths [no longer than 300 mm] or else the floor would twist.So to allow us to install over concrete we first put down plywood. We could then install longer boards over the plywood. It solved a problem. It also introduced another problem which was height. 12 mm plywood plus 12 mm timber plus glue etc means that these floors are over 25 mm high. This is OK until you transition to other surfaces. Height differences are important.
In the late 90's we got polyurethane adhesives and moisture barrier technology. This changed everything. Initially we had adhesives that were too flexible but in time Sika developed just the right degree of flexibility for timber. Now we could install floors with confidence and these could be installed directly to concrete. This solved the problem of height transitions between areas. With floors installed at similar heights the whole area flows perfectly.
So why do some people still use plank over plywood? There are two areas that make it worth considering. Firstly concrete floors are not level. Sometimes they require so much remedial leveling that it isn't worth spending the time. It is cheaper to line the concrete with ply sheeting which will tend to improve levels greatly due to sheet sizes. Secondly, less visible fixings; you can use adhesive and very small c-brads with tiny heads. Less obvious fixings looks very good.
The cons in the use of plywood do also exist. There is considerably greater cost. Essentially you install two floors: one made of plywood and one made of boards. So expect a 30% premium. The other is an urban legend or myth. Some people claim that plank on ply feels better underfoot. We did a trial years ago that asked people to walk on three floors and see if they could tell which was which underfoot. The results clearly showed that no-one could pick the plank on ply over direct fix consistently.
So by all means use plank on ply if it is needed but it is hard to argue that one is better than the other. It simply is a different way of installing a floor.
Direct fix requires a considerable bed of flexible adhesive over a primer epoxy surface. The floors are well engineered and the adhesives are about twice the strength actually needed to hold a floor in place. As a result almost all floors we see are installed using a direct-fix method over flexible adhesive. Sika T55 over Sika MB Primer is generally the choice.
So which is better? They are two different approaches to putting down a floor and they both perform really well. Some people will ague that one is better than the other in the same way that some will ague that one brand of car is better than the other. It becomes an emotive discussion. At VCS we don't mind which system you select. We will make recommendations according to your site and make sure that we install our system to the warranty code used in our triple warranty program. The adhesives will be flexible and the floor will perform as a natural timber floor should.
In the early 1990's we didn't have the adhesive systems available that we have today. So when we wanted to put timber boards over concrete we had to use very short lengths [no longer than 300 mm] or else the floor would twist.So to allow us to install over concrete we first put down plywood. We could then install longer boards over the plywood. It solved a problem. It also introduced another problem which was height. 12 mm plywood plus 12 mm timber plus glue etc means that these floors are over 25 mm high. This is OK until you transition to other surfaces. Height differences are important.
In the late 90's we got polyurethane adhesives and moisture barrier technology. This changed everything. Initially we had adhesives that were too flexible but in time Sika developed just the right degree of flexibility for timber. Now we could install floors with confidence and these could be installed directly to concrete. This solved the problem of height transitions between areas. With floors installed at similar heights the whole area flows perfectly.
So why do some people still use plank over plywood? There are two areas that make it worth considering. Firstly concrete floors are not level. Sometimes they require so much remedial leveling that it isn't worth spending the time. It is cheaper to line the concrete with ply sheeting which will tend to improve levels greatly due to sheet sizes. Secondly, less visible fixings; you can use adhesive and very small c-brads with tiny heads. Less obvious fixings looks very good.
The cons in the use of plywood do also exist. There is considerably greater cost. Essentially you install two floors: one made of plywood and one made of boards. So expect a 30% premium. The other is an urban legend or myth. Some people claim that plank on ply feels better underfoot. We did a trial years ago that asked people to walk on three floors and see if they could tell which was which underfoot. The results clearly showed that no-one could pick the plank on ply over direct fix consistently.
So by all means use plank on ply if it is needed but it is hard to argue that one is better than the other. It simply is a different way of installing a floor.
Direct fix requires a considerable bed of flexible adhesive over a primer epoxy surface. The floors are well engineered and the adhesives are about twice the strength actually needed to hold a floor in place. As a result almost all floors we see are installed using a direct-fix method over flexible adhesive. Sika T55 over Sika MB Primer is generally the choice.
So which is better? They are two different approaches to putting down a floor and they both perform really well. Some people will ague that one is better than the other in the same way that some will ague that one brand of car is better than the other. It becomes an emotive discussion. At VCS we don't mind which system you select. We will make recommendations according to your site and make sure that we install our system to the warranty code used in our triple warranty program. The adhesives will be flexible and the floor will perform as a natural timber floor should.
Timber Floors Perth for both Professional & DIY
There are a lot of timber flooring shops in Perth. There are very few with a long history in timber flooring and among these even less who can claim 50 years experience in timber. VCS is one such company. Though the business was established originally as Sandgroper Industries in 1989, its two main flooring professionals have a much longer history in timber. Between Niel & Heath there is not much that they haven't seen or done. Then too, Ryan has been with the industry for several years and he is really committed to finding the flooring that people need. We have an enviable reputation for the systems that we use and the quality of the products that we supply.PROFESSIONAL
Often called upon to get involved in timber projects by architects, builders, designers and home owners, our door is always open to new projects. At VCS we have decades of experience and are qualified to supervise any stage of the job from part to full installation and finishing. Our ranges focus on the Australian products because these are ideally suited to local conditions and we have the installation systems to support these timbers. In addition we supply the marvelous French Oak products which allow for great versatility and offer impressive stability in the unique west Australian climate.
If you want a good quality timber floor and you want it in solid timber or solid bamboo then please read the posts on this blog.
DIY
Many people also want a DIY timber floor package. This is a service that VCS are always happy to provide. From our vast range of products for every stage of the job through to the DIY classes that we run each month, VCS are in a unique position to assist anyone considering the DIY approach.
Our key services for DIY include:
- DIY Workshops
- Machine Hire
- Full Package Quotes
- Site Assessment
- Every products for every stage of the job
- Professional Support and Guidance
- 22 years assisting DIY
7 O'Malley Street, Osborne Park 08 9347 0222
Saturday 9 February 2013
What to expect from your timber floor?
What to expect with a timber floor?
The properties of a real timber floor.
Timber floors are all unique. No floor is exactly the same as another because each grain pattern will be different. Floors in the same species do share basic colouring and overall appearance but are also very different in some key areas. The methods used to sand and finish the floor can affect these differences markedly: in some cases emphasising the unique appeal of the individual floor. Experienced floor sanders can emphasise the lighter or darker characters of the floors by using correct finish choices and by not over sanding the surface.
Timber is dynamic. It is a living product, still reacting to the climate. It has its own beauty and charm. There is nothing synthetic about timber. It is natural and retains natural characteristics.
Unlike vinyl planking, timber responds to the environment. In the first 12 months of the floors life the floor will likely move to some degree as it expands and contracts. This is normal. Depending on the time of year that the floor was installed and the choices in heating and cooling selected, there may be some tensioning in the surface or some shrinkage. This is common and settles down in time. A common myth about timber flooring states that when timber is acclimatised it doesn't move afterwards. This simply isn't true. It falls in the tooth fairy category. It is often minimal but it is directly linked to environmental conditions.
Acclimatisation minimises the movement initially by letting the timber adjust to the localised climate of the house prior to installation. Adjustments in humidity and temperature thereafter will still affect the timber. Some of the movement may hardly be noticed but if the climatic changes are sufficient there will be visible changes to the appearance of the flooring. Evaporative air conditioners for example may be run without sufficient ventilation causing a continuous spike in humidity. A timber floor will potentially take on moisture. Expansion is the result. Usually these air conditioners are not run all year round and we have seen many floors move a little in summer only to flatten as the moisture content of the air inside the home returns to normal when the heat is over. It is because this effect isn't understood that sometimes people will panic, thinking that there is something wrong with the floor. Natural timber flooring is different to laminates or vinyl planking. It moves a little and this is normal and natural.
A long hot summer often brings some timber movement. Refrigerative air conditioners reduce the humidity level: they dry the air. This causes the timber floor to lose some moisture. Depending on the cut of the timber and species this can cause a variety of small changes in the floor.
Can movement be minimised? Can it be eliminated? It can be minimised but not eliminated. Appropriate slab preparation, addressing acclimatisation prior to installation and using the correct volumes & tools in the adhesive system can all reduce movement. Acclimatisation is not guess work. It requires site measurement. It is worth getting it right.
Once you know that the appearance of timber is affected by the climatic conditions you begin to understand that you have a charming natural floor. Certainly it expands and contracts a little but this is normal. Relax and enjoy your floor. It will be around for many decades beyond its synthetic rivals. As you walk over the floor you will notice interesting grain patterns. In fact the more you live on a timber floor the more interesting qualities you are likely to see. They truly are beautiful floors with many enduring qualities.
The properties of a real timber floor.
Timber floors are all unique. No floor is exactly the same as another because each grain pattern will be different. Floors in the same species do share basic colouring and overall appearance but are also very different in some key areas. The methods used to sand and finish the floor can affect these differences markedly: in some cases emphasising the unique appeal of the individual floor. Experienced floor sanders can emphasise the lighter or darker characters of the floors by using correct finish choices and by not over sanding the surface.
Timber is dynamic. It is a living product, still reacting to the climate. It has its own beauty and charm. There is nothing synthetic about timber. It is natural and retains natural characteristics.
Unlike vinyl planking, timber responds to the environment. In the first 12 months of the floors life the floor will likely move to some degree as it expands and contracts. This is normal. Depending on the time of year that the floor was installed and the choices in heating and cooling selected, there may be some tensioning in the surface or some shrinkage. This is common and settles down in time. A common myth about timber flooring states that when timber is acclimatised it doesn't move afterwards. This simply isn't true. It falls in the tooth fairy category. It is often minimal but it is directly linked to environmental conditions.
Acclimatisation minimises the movement initially by letting the timber adjust to the localised climate of the house prior to installation. Adjustments in humidity and temperature thereafter will still affect the timber. Some of the movement may hardly be noticed but if the climatic changes are sufficient there will be visible changes to the appearance of the flooring. Evaporative air conditioners for example may be run without sufficient ventilation causing a continuous spike in humidity. A timber floor will potentially take on moisture. Expansion is the result. Usually these air conditioners are not run all year round and we have seen many floors move a little in summer only to flatten as the moisture content of the air inside the home returns to normal when the heat is over. It is because this effect isn't understood that sometimes people will panic, thinking that there is something wrong with the floor. Natural timber flooring is different to laminates or vinyl planking. It moves a little and this is normal and natural.
A long hot summer often brings some timber movement. Refrigerative air conditioners reduce the humidity level: they dry the air. This causes the timber floor to lose some moisture. Depending on the cut of the timber and species this can cause a variety of small changes in the floor.
Can movement be minimised? Can it be eliminated? It can be minimised but not eliminated. Appropriate slab preparation, addressing acclimatisation prior to installation and using the correct volumes & tools in the adhesive system can all reduce movement. Acclimatisation is not guess work. It requires site measurement. It is worth getting it right.
Once you know that the appearance of timber is affected by the climatic conditions you begin to understand that you have a charming natural floor. Certainly it expands and contracts a little but this is normal. Relax and enjoy your floor. It will be around for many decades beyond its synthetic rivals. As you walk over the floor you will notice interesting grain patterns. In fact the more you live on a timber floor the more interesting qualities you are likely to see. They truly are beautiful floors with many enduring qualities.
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