T & G. Tongue and Groove are the profiles that are the edges of the flooring to allow the boards to fit together tightly.
End Matched is when the ends of the timber flooring has tongue and groove. It provides a stable and square joint between boards. It also minimizes wastage as the flooring contractor will not need to trim the boards on site.
Dressed timber is when the timber has been machined to create a smooth finish
Rough sawn is the finish where the timber has not yet been dressed smooth
Weathered face. Recycled timber is generally quite old and over time the outer faces will oxidise. This oxidisation turns the timber colour ‘grey’ or ‘silver’. When this face is used as the visible face for flooring, lining, cladding or decking it is referred as a weathered face.
Greyed off. When timber is not sealed, over time the outer faces will oxidise. This oxidisation turns the timber colour ‘grey’ or ‘silver’ and looks weathered.
Chamfer edge is when the edge of timber has a machined 45 degree edge applied to it.
Shiplap is the profile of timber used as cladding which allows some contraction and expansion of the timber without compromising the appearance and to allow the timber to perform correctly in its use.
Battens can be used to create open screen or, alternatively, as vertical or horizontal cladding. Battens can come in many dimensions such as 30 x 30 mm, 40 x 40 mm, or 42 x 31 mm.
F14 is a measurement of the strength of timber in terms of its ability to handle stress in structural applications. F14 indicates that the timber’s working stress in bending is approximately 14 Mega pascals.
F27 timber is kiln dried.as with F14 the ‘F’ is a measurement of the strength of timber in terms of its ability to handle stress in structural applications. F17 indicates that the timber’s working stress in bending is approximately 17 Mega pascals.
Janka. The Janka Rating is the standard that the timber industry uses to determine the hardness of timber, the harder the timber the higher the number.
Kiln dried refers to timber that has been dried in a kiln under a very specific program that is crucial to ensure the quality and ongoing performance to the finished product. For example, flooring will l be dried for a longer time and to a lower moisture content the for decking. The timber drying process is scientific and must be done correctly otherwise the timber may shrink, cup, or warp. We only source timber that has been dried and manufactured to the highest standard to that you are assured that there no problems after installation.
Select Grade timber flooring provides minimal variation in its natural features, and presents largely as a clear grain floor. It will have limited and small amounts of natural features that include birds eye, pin hole, tight knots and a small amount of gum vein depending on the species. Select grade looks beautiful in modern buildings.
Standard Grade will include the most interesting variations in the timber that trees provide naturally. It is distinguished by highlighting selective gum veins, spirals, burls, insect trails and other natural features that give timber floors character. Standard grade will include the most interesting variations that trees provide naturally some natural features that include birds eye, evidence of insect trails, small knots and some gum vein are present in the floorboards, and are more apparent and larger in size than in select grade timber.
Feature Grade has greater amount of natural characteristics than Standard grade. Feature grade has a beautiful natural appearance with gum vein, knots, evidence of insect trails and checking. Feature grade flooring looks great in contemporary environments and in older, rustic buildings alike and is substantially less expensive than select grade.
Prestige Grade. Combines the features of Select and Standard grade that presents as
a floor with more
character than a Select Grade floor.
Rustic Grade. Full featured to provide a beautiful complexion. It may contain a full range features that are more
prominent than Feature Grade .
Acclimatize. The moisture content is the percentage of water present in the timber. Temperature and humidity in the atmosphere can change moisture content in the timber. It is always a good practice to lay the floors close to the moisture content in the air, which can range between 6 to 14%, depending on where you live. This is so that swelling (moisture uptake) and shrinkage (moisture lose) of the timber floorboards can be minimized. We manufacture our boards at moisture content of between 10 to 12%.
Colour. Wood is a natural product, subject to colour, character and grain variations. Mineral streaks, knots, splits, cracks and other imperfections will also be present. These add to the natural character of the product and are not considered defects. Real wood is an organic material, the character will vary from tree to tree and board to board.
Movement. Timber will absorb or expel moisture dependent on the moisture level in the surrounding environment. As a result of this timber flooring will expand and contract or what we call it ‘movement’ in the floor. Weather and internal climate control systems will play a huge part of this process. When humidity is high, floorboards will absorb more moisture from the air and when it’s low, water expulsion into the atmosphere will occur
Cupping. Cupping is a result of moisture content mismatch between the desired layer of timber and the plywood. When moisture levels in the plywood is lower than the oak layer above or vice versa, cupping or ‘bowing’ of the boards may occur. As mentioned above, we manufacture our boards at moisture level of 10-12%. Cupping may occur after the installation of the flooring and could be a result of dampness under the floor or climate control systems such as air conditioning or heating that can cause moisture imbalance above the floor. The sun is always quite strong in Australia and boards may cup as a result of exposure to direct sunlight. Hence we often recommend our customers that closing the blinds during hot summer days can help protect their floors. It is also a good practice to lay the timber boards toward the main source of light so that if the boards are slightly cupped, it will not be less visually so. Cupped boards should not be sanded back straight away. It is a good idea to find the cause of the problem and see if the cupping can be rectified overtime without sanding the floor back. If it cannot, sanding is suggested to flatten the floor. However if sanding is done too early and the cause of the problem is rectified later on, reverse cupping may occur.
Environmental impact. It is true that too many trees are cut down around the world due to lack of regulations in many countries, but timber is still the only natural renewable building material. Timber does not require a large amount of energy to be produced and processed like many other construction materials. Cement for example, requires 5 times more energy to be made than timber. And unlike most other materials, timber can be easily disposed of or be recycled and re-used. It is also good to be aware that young trees absorb more carbon dioxide, hence why it is vital for logged areas to be re-planted with new trees which many modern, well-regulated mills do very well. It’s important for us to support mills that are logging responsibly so that we can keep making this wonderful product. We source our timber only from sustainably managed Government and private forests. Forest Stewardship Council documentation is available when required.