Strip Timber – The Floorboard.
The term strip timber flooring may sound odd. In fact it has become a general term for floorboards in a variety of thicknesses. Traditional floorboards were 19 mm thick because they had to be structural to install over under floor joists. With the advent of the concrete pad as the standard construction base, flooring no longer needed to be 19 mm thick. Flooring is now manufactured for installation over concrete in a range of thicknesses from 12 mm thick to 19 mm thick. All of these different types of flooring are called strip flooring. More important than the overall thickness of the timber is the thickness of what is called the ‘wear layer’ or the amount of timber that is above the tongue and groove. Good quality flooring has between 5 and 6 mm of timber in this important surface layer. Using quality finishes, following the standard sanding process, this amount of timber can produce a surface capable of surviving for well in excess of 70 years. In many cases, flooring with this amount of timber above the tongue and groove has existed in houses for longer than 100 years. Thus it is the standard expected in timber flooring.
All of the timber flooring options provided by VCS in strip timber flooring are the appropriate thickness and have the correct surface wear layer. At VCS Solid Timber Floors we have access to a wide range of timber species, all chosen for their high quality and provided by quality assured mills from right around Australia. We deal with specialists and we provide beautiful timber products.
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. All timbers expand on contract – this process minimizes it: it doesn’t stop it.
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 a 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. Install it using Sika adhesive and you be installing a permanent floor.
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.
Floorboards? Overlay Timbers?
Floorboards or Overlay?
Floorboards are always 19mm in thickness. If thinner boards are supplied these are then called ‘Overlay’ floors. This is because it is designed to lay over a primer on concrete. Thus the concrete pad is overlaid with timber.
As long as boards are no thinner than 12mm, then these are ideal for direct installation on concrete.
Very thin boards [such as timber 10mm thick] are designed to be installed over plywood. A 12mm thick plywood base is fitted to the concrete and the 10mm boards are stuck to this surface. Generally this is avoided as the overall height of the floor exceeding 25mm [including adhesive] makes joins to rooms with tiles or carpet awkward.
What makes timber different?
Timber comes with a variety of sizes and claims. At VCS we focus on 12-19mm timbers whereas some suppliers take their ranges from 10mm-19mm. Why the difference? Because dimensional stability is important when using timber. Some sizes work well with one species but not so well in another. It is a simple factual argument. Erring on the side of safety is a pretty good strategy and in our view it is essential with timber.
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. We always work within safe margins when using timber and we encourage anyone who uses timber to do the same.
VCS FLOORWORKS. everything for timber flooring 