Successful Timber Floors Ebook edition Released

The reference guide to timber flooring held in every reference library in Australia has now been released in an updated edition. Originally printed in 2009, the earlier print edition has now been updated to include up to date techniques in flooring. Follow the link to find your online copy.

Included in 'Successful Timber Floors' is a guide to sanding key timbers and a guide to coating issues to help all coating users avoid problems and get a great result. 

Click on the link below to preview the first ten pages

Successful Timber Floors

Flooring Doesn't Need To Be Boring

There are many timber floors available. Mostly these replicate existing floors. So it is not uncommon to see the same floors everywhere. But your floor doesn't need to look the same.

New wider timbers in Oaks are now available. At VCS we supply a 180 x 20mm French Oak product that has great lengths and Features. It is a remarkable looking floor. This floor can be supplied to install as a traditional floor but can equally be supplied and stained using a traditional OSMO Stain. Adding colour is a great way to improve the look of a boring timber.

Colour Your Floor

A range of colours can be used to highlight detail and add interest to your timber floor.

A floor can start off being quite bland but with a little thought the floor can be transformed into something really special.

Unique products include creative colours, anti-slip decking oil, country colours and UV protection oil. These easy to maintain products are well worth a closer look.

Solid Osmo Colour Adds Detail

Buff In The Colour

NSW Blackbutt

Blackbutt timber is an Australian classic hardwood. Not all hardwoods are genuinely hard. Hardwoods are a species of timbers as opposed to a statement regarding hardness. However Blackbutt scores on both stakes.  It is a hardwood that is truly hard. Hardness is measured on a German scale called the Janka scale. This involves testing a timbers resistance to pressure such as that caused by things that cause dents. High heels for example. Some timbers score very low on this scale. Anything below 4.5 may be regarded as prone to dent easily.  So where does Australian Blackbutt score? Australian New South Wales Blackbutt scores 9.1 on the scale making it harder that Jarrah and making it an ideal timber for all domestic and commercial applications.

In fact for internal use Blackbutt is an ideal flooring choice. It doesn't work too well outside as it tends to turn grey very easily. Internally it is the light coloured king of timbers. It is also a single species timber which is important in timber selection. Many local timber varieties are a blend of trees. There is nothing wrong with timber blends however they often result a great variety of colours and extreme differences can result in a busy looking floor. Not that there isn't a large range of colours in Blackbutt however the differences are toned down in comparison to some of the timber blends that Blackbutt competes with. It is often used.

It is used as a whole of home timber because everything is available. With some timbers the flooring is available but none of the ancillary items are manufactured. So for example you can get the  floor boards but no trims to finish off the floor. A floor often requires much more in the way of support items. Trim for the edges in beading or quad. Then transition boards at entries. Stair nosing may also be required. If these support items aren't available then close alternatives may be needed but with several timbers this can be a pick and mix approach. It can look ok but it's not the same as drawing on this single species.

It has become a common timber used in homes and in shops. For Europeans it is worth noting that Blackbutt is more than twice as durable as timbers such as oak or mahogany. It is a superb timber.

Certain timbers stand out in flooring because the whole range of timber plus accessories are readily available at a reasonable cost. Blackbutt, Jarrah and oak are all good examples. This introduces an important factor in flooring. For many timbers you certainly can obtain nosing’s and trims but these must be especially manufactured. They are not off the shelf items. This more than doubles the cost and the waiting time is usually tripled. With NSW Blackbutt this is not the case.    This timber is in constant use and the support items are always obtainable.

The colour of the timber is suited to modern colour choices. The trend towards light, bright and practical homes has contributed to the use of Blackbutt. It's tones range from pale fawns, light browns and soft grey. Some pink tones and darker browns keep the colour interesting. If you desire to keep the colouring light the timber can be finished in a natural Bona or OSMO finish. If you want darker tones then coat the floor in a solvent borne floor finish using traditional polyurethane.

A few notes on sanding and finishing. Blackbutt is a lovely timber to sand. It finishes very well. Floor sanders take care not to over sand the timber as it can polish up very quickly. This is very important. We have seen cases where floor sanders over polished the timber and it became so shiny that the surface wouldn't take coatings. In fact they stuck but peeled off after a short six week period. If the sander checks the instructions on the coatings used they will find that the manufacturer actually specifies the finishing sanding stage. Usually somewhere between 100 grit and 220 grit depending on the type of finish whether oil or waterborne. Blackbutt coats with all types of floor coating designed for internal timber surfaces.

The Importance Of Wear Layers

What makes timber different?
Timber comes with a variety of sizes and claims. At VCS we focus on 14-19mm timbers whereas some suppliers take their ranges from 10mm-19mm. Why the difference?

At VCS we are aware of inspectors going to look at a lot of floors. Almost never is a floor timber supplied by VCS involved in a dispute. The reason is that VCS focus on stability. Stable timbers perform well.Some sizes just perform better in service.

All timber floors seem to do well until stressed. Things that can stress timbers include a change in climate, the introduction of moisture, extremes in heat and cold. Introduce these factors and a floor that has performed OK now has to perform well. It has to handle the expansion and contraction without too excessive a degree of movement.Timber moves and depending on species the timber may expand or contract markedly. However the floor should be sound. This is where the different approaches to timber flooring show their real worth.

Basics.
This is where some basic facts about timber become important. It has been shown that timber can be dried too quickly. Timber needs to air dry then kiln dry. This is a gentler process. The timber is stable. In fact it becomes as stable as each given species can achieve. Each timber species has greater or lesser degrees of stability due to internal structure and areas of growth. Some are more prone to movement so the more that you can make it relatively stable the better. Treat it correctly to begin with and you will achieve a much better floor.

A second basic fact is that timber shouldn't be cut too thin. It is hard to store or install timber that is too thin. It needs to be cut to a reasonable thickness. Many floor failures that we see are based around timber that is 10mm thick. We are not aware of any timber that performs well at this thickness unless the floor is installed on plywood and appropriate precautions are taken to allow for movement. Trying to avoid really thin timber is one of our key principles. The same timber cut 12mm thick will sit very well but at 10mm there are issues that can come into play. Issues that need to be avoided at all costs. Timber can move in 6 different ways: cupping, reverse cupping, shrinkage, expansion, twisting and splitting.  Why introduce an ideal situation for these problems to arise in the first place? Use thicker timber that has been air dried and kiln dried and you will achieve a better result.

A third factor to review is the wear layer. The wear layer is a key factor in the quality of the floor. It accounts for the thickness of the timber above the tongue and grove less 1-1.5mm. This is the amount of timber that can safely be sanded without compromising the floor to the point of floor failure. With some timbers this wear layer on initial installation is just 4mm. As this surface has to be sanded it usually loses up to 2mm given the unevenness of the sub-floor. This leaves just 2mm above the tongue and groove which means that it cannot be re-sanded. If you don't look after the floor it can never be re-sanded which means that the floor will be ruined. If however you insist on a 6mm wear layer this will leave 4mm of timber above the tongue and groove. Subsequent sanding work removes just 1mm on average which means that there is plenty of potential to save the floor should it require a full re-sand. At VCS we use a 6mm wear layer above the tongue and groove. It means that you are getting much better value for money with your flooring.



Consider these two scenarios.
Customer A. purchases 10mm thick timber. It has a wear layer of 4mm. It is $6.00m2 cheaper than the 12mm alternative. It is installed directly to concrete, sanded and lived on. There is 100m2 and the cost of the floor is $14,300.00. After six years the floor coating is worn through in places.The customer didn't see the problem of wear and so calls a sander to fix the floor. The sanded advises that a full re-sand is required. [4800.00] The sander starts but the surface is so thin that the top of the groove start to strip out of the floor. The sander stops and advises the client that the floor cannot be sanded. The customer now has the option to either install a floor over the top or to rip the floor out and start again. The client decides to rip the floor up now bitterly disappointed with the flooring. The floor is ripped out $5500.00. Now the client has a clean concrete floor and has spent a total of $24,600.00 or a cost of $4100.00 per year. Plus they now don't have a floor so need something new. Depending on what they get to replace it the overall spend could well bring their overall spend to over $40,000.00 and that floor may last 10-20 years.


Customer B. purchases 12 mm thick timber. It has a wear layer of 6mm. It is $6.00 more expensive than the 10mm flooring so the client has the same 100m2 floor installed for $14,900.00. It is installed directly to concrete, sanded and lived on. After a six year period the floor coating is worn through in places. The customer didn't see the problem of wear and so calls a sander to fix the floor. The sander advises that a full re-sand is required. [4800.00] The floor is re-sanded and this time the client looks after the floor so that in future it simply requires a re-coat to keep the floor going. The floor is maintained correctly and 30 years later the new owners get the floor re-sanded. No problems. The floor lasts for another 30 years with regular re-coats. Overall cost for installing and maintaining the floor for approx 70 years at 2013 rates is $38,700 or $540.00 per year.

Client A tried to save $600.00 and ended up spending around 40,000.00 to cover 25 Years.

Client B. paid the extra $600.00 and with an overall cost of $38,800 covered 70 Years.

Obviously there are a lot of variables that can affect these figures but please don't be caught out. A 6mm wear layer is essential to saving money long term.

Is DIY for you?

While we provide a full install service as well as a supply only service some clients would like to install the floor themselves. Or perhaps they would like to install as well as sand and finish the floor themselves. At VCS we are able to assist you to do this.

How we support DIY.

1 We supply all of the products required to install a timber floor as well as the coatings to finish the floor.
2 We run 3 hour workshops that provide you with invaluable tips to help you achieve a great floor.
3 We run a sanding workshop using professional quality sanding machines. These machines are then   available for hire.

To assist you to consider this option we have published a brief  video and we have put the link below for you to consider.

Best Value Jarrah In Perth

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.

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.


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 or location.