Grades of Flooring Australia General Comments

Grades and timber flooring.

Within Australia there are usually 3 grades of timber flooring. These are Select, Standard & Better & Feature grades. In the last few years [at 2013] other grades have slipped in. Standard, Feature & Better & Low Feature. Essentially mills must decide how best to capitalise on the timber that they produce to value add the logs that they receive.

All of these grades apply to the aesthetic area of the timber [how the face looks.] All of the grades are sound, suitable for use in flooring and all are quality offerings. One is not inferior to the other, they are simply different to look at.

In order to produce select and standard and better grades there is some waste produced as gum marks at the ends of boards may be docked off and the timber discarded. The labour components and the wasted timber adds cost to the production and therefore these timbers attract a premium.

At times a mill may have a lot of feature grade but also some shorter clear boards. This may be supplied as a feature and better grade of flooring.

Grades and Timber Flooring European & US Markets

Overseas the grades often follow different lines. Instead of gum marks the timbers may have knots and other pin holes, birds eye etc. Knots are not an issue as long as they are sound. Again the grading follows aesthetics going from rustic-feature-standard-standard plus & prime. The most popular grade is usually standard grade as this allows for better overall lengths of timber. [With some timbers it is rarely possible to get long lengths and clean timber faces so the 'so-called higher grades' are often shorter lengths.] Each mill offers their reasons for allowing knots in various sizes. Several of the better mills pre-fill the knots to ensure quality.

How to Sand A Timber Floor.

We are delighted to advise that the new ebook guide to DIY floor sanding is now available through all outlets of DIY books including the Apple store, Barnes and Noble etc. It can be downloaded to apple and kindle readers as well as to the Google ebook reader.

This 60 page guide is available at $1.99 and if you are hiring machines or thinking of sanding your own floors you will find this book an invaluable read.

The illustrated guide covers a lot of the tips and tricks that you need to know to get the best out of your hire machines.

Overview of Using OSMO Natural Oils on Flooring in Australia

A number of floor sanders have asked questions about the Osmo oil range. On display at VCS we have a number of the various colours demonstrated however these are not the normal day-to-day product that would be used for sanding and finishing a timber floor. While Osmo provides the versatility of colored finishes, for day-to-day finishing there are simply two different products.

In this section we answer specific questions raised by floor finishing teams.

With Osmo coatings what is the sealer?

Osmo coatings are a combination of oil and wax that does not require a primer coat. Osmo coatings self-prime.

So how many coats are applied?

Just two coats of finish are applied. That is two coats of the same product.

So are these coats applied over a sealer?

No. You just apply two coats of the finish.

Do you sand back the first coat before applying the second?

No. You just apply the second coat over the first coat without sanding.


And then do you buff the finish with a white pad?

No there is no buffing required. You roll on the coating and let it dry. That's it. Nothing else.


What about the sanding? How finely does the floor needed to be sanded?

Sanding a timber floor to approximately 100 grit is fine with Australian hardwoods. You do not need to burnish the grain as you would with a finely diluted finish.


How are oils applied? Do you need special tools?

Oils are applied using a micro fibre roller cover. The application rate is approximately 30 m² per litre. You apply them thinly. But remember that you are not applying a highly diluted finish. This is pure oil and wax at its best. (With standard floor coatings you apply at 10 m² per litre and approximately 2/3 of what you apply evaporates. So normally you would apply 3 L over 30 m² but only 1 L of actual finish is left behind. Therefore the coverage is the same.)


Is there a satin finish?

Yes the standard finish used on floors is a satin finish. It is called Osmo 3032. It has been consistently used for nearly a decade in Western Australia with very good results.

Can I just apply two coats of satin?

Yes that is exactly how the product is applied. You would apply two coats of the same product with no concerns about unevenness in the satin finish. The product is a satin through and through. You get ideal adhesion and ideal performance.


Is there a matt finish?

Yes there is a matt finish for Osmo coatings. It is called Osmo 3062.


Can the matt finish be directly applied over a matt finish?

Yes that is exactly how you would apply Osmo Matt. You would apply two coats of the same finish with no concerns about whether or not you would have an even matte finish. (In solvent based coatings you generally apply a gloss and then finish with a matte. This does not apply with Osmo.)


What about durability? Surely oil-based finishes do not last very long.

Osmo is a completely different type of finish. Its combination of oil and wax both penetrate the timber and provides a protective layer. We are seeing a number of floors in excess of nine years old that are performing perfectly. This is surprising to us as we think of the traditional oil products that provide very short term protection. Osmo works in a completely different principle feeding the timber from inside and also protecting the surface. As a result it has excellent durability and enhanced chemical resistance over other coating products. In some areas it is actually superior to other floor coating choices.


Could Osmo oil be used commercially?

Osmo oils have been used successfully on a number of commercial locations including fast-food outlets, holiday accommodation, shops in major shopping centers around Perth and more. It is a very successful floor coating choice and given that it works very well in these commercial areas there is no difficulty in using it in domestic locations as well.


Is Osmo repairable?

Yes. This is one of the major selling benefits of Osmo oil. Fine scratches can be fixed using a little oil applied with a rag. As long as the surface is clean then it can be applied without any need to re-sand the surface. Even a re-coat can be accomplished by simply cleaning the floor as opposed to requiring the use of sanding machines. It can be sanded using a rotary sander but this is not necessary.

Are there brochures that we can use to give to our customers?

Yes, we have some excellent brochures that you can use to show your customer.

How does the cost workout in comparison to the major waterborne coatings that we currently apply?

Generally, there is a saving in time because you apply just two coats. Usually in cost terms it is approximately 25% cheaper to use Osmo as opposed to standard waterborne technology.


Do the floors darken as much as they did with the old-fashioned oils that we have used?

Not so much. The combination of oil and wax seems to set the colour a little lighter. There is not so much in the oils that can penetrate the timber a long way and make them darken too much.


Finishing at 100 grit seems quite low. Would it improve things if we sanded finer?

Not at all. It is not a good idea to burnish the floor as you would do for the diluted floor coatings that you are used to using. Finishing at 100 grit is working extremely well. Whereas many coatings need to be diluted in a carrying medium and hence we call them waterborne or solvent-borne, Osmo coatings are purely a blend of oils and waxes with a tiny fraction of carrying medium. It is a completely different approach and demands that we sand to a much lower level.


Do these coating store well when opened?

Yes they keep very well though they can thicken up a little. We carry an Appropriate thinning solution for the product so that if they have thickened up in storage after opening, you can dilute them and use them.


What is the temperature range for coating?

The coatings have similar application temperatures to standard floor coatings. Generally anything above 12° and anything below 32° works well.

Are there maintenance kits?

Yes there is a complete range of maintenance products available for the Osmo oil coatings. This covers every aspect of maintenance.

Are there coatings for decking?

We have a comprehensive range of decking coatings in Osmo that provide excellent UV protection. In addition we have an anti-slip product and a UV protection oil that actually filters UV light.

WA Blackbutt The Rolls Royce of Timbers

Why consider WA Blackbutt?

There are lots of types of Blackbutt timber used in Australia. These include NSW types known as Coastal Blackbutt, Inland Blackbutt & Highland Blackbutt. These timbers grow in lime rich soils in conditions that are hard on the trees. These conditions result in the hard, springy timbers that are collectively known as NSW Blackbutt. The timber is not the most stable timber, which is why it must be handled with care. As you go wider, you must go thicker. Some companies won’t even install a 19mm NSW Blackbutt over concrete due to its lack of stability. We overcame the difficulties but always handle Blackbutt from NSW with extra care.

For a long time the Rolls Royce of timbers was regarded as WA Blackbutt. Given the choice between the two, most people chose the WA variety. Why? The WA version is as hard as Jarrah, the grain and colors are richer, the timber is much better to sand and finish and it’s face is less prone to cracking. [One of the major reasons people didn’t like the NSW variety was its tendency to crack.]

When the WA Blackbutt became less available, people turned to the NSW variety. The market had to adjust to using the NSW variety by default.

Recently more of the WA version has become available. Because it is less springy, it can be made in a much better range of sizes including going to 125mm & 130mm wide at just 14mm thickness. Such a thickness is perfect for adjoining floor coverings in a house where tiles or carpet are rarely higher than 14mm.

Blackbutt timbers are chosen for their lightness of color. With the tendency towards big open room's becoming a general trend & the use of much larger windows in house design, people have tended towards wanting a more open look in the house. In Western Australia the timber of choice for flooring for many years was Jarrah which of course is a dark red and brown timber. It has a richness of grain that makes it a popular timber prized throughout the world. In Western Australia we are very fortunate to have access to such a good supply of this rich hardwood. But due to the fact that it is somewhat darker in appearance, people have wanted to go to something with lighter tones while retaining the warmth and beauty of a hardwood. This is where Blackbutt has become a firm favorite. With the Western Australian timber there is a richness in the tone that is not found in the eastern state variation and this has proven to be very popular. Whereas the New South Wales variety tends towards pale colors and pinks, the Western Australian variety tends towards pale colors and light browns and gold.

At VCS we are delighted to offer the full range of grades and sizes in WA Blackbutt. It is also available in all Grades. The timber is from fully managed forest resources.

We are offering 12mm & 14mm Sizes.

80 x 12           Feature

80 x 12           Standard & Better

105 x 12         Feature

105 x 12         Standard & Better

130 x 14         Feature

130 x 14         Standard & Better