How do I maintain my lacquered floor?

To keep your lacquered floor looking its best, regular cleaning and maintenance is highly advisable. Using the correct products is a must, to ensure the shine is retained and the lacquered coating is not damaged. We recommend a combination of dry cleaning to remove dirt and dust particles, and damp cleaning to keep the floor looking brand new and protect it against scratches. Intermittently, you may have to intensively clean your floor to provide protection against continued wear. Felt guards under furniture legs is highly recommended to prevent furniture damage / scratches to the floor.

How do I maintain my oiled floor?

Regular cleaning of your oiled floor will keep it looking its best. Maintaining your floor in the correct way is essential, as the oil it has been treated with has specific needs compared to other finishes. We recommend that you dry clean the floor daily with a vacuum or a soft brush to remove grit or dirt. And you should damp clean the floor at least weekly using a lightly applied cleaning product such as Saicos Wash and Care. Following that you should mop the floor dry. This will both reduce the chance your floor will be scratched by abrasive particles and increase the floor’s resistance to signs of wear. Felt guards under furniture legs is highly recommended to prevent furniture damage / scratches to the floor.

Can a wood floor be installed with underfloor heating?

Yes! Our engineered floors are expertly constructed to be stable enough and have a low enough moisture content for under floor heating. The most important issue to remember is that wooden floors installed over under floor heating should never exceed a surface temperature of 27 degrees celsius.

Can I achieve sound reduction with wood flooring?

You can with engineered wood flooring but not with solid wood flooring. Underlays come in varying thickness offering different qualities. If using an underlay, then the installation of your wood flooring will be a floating floor installation.

What is a floating floor installation?

A floating floor is a floor of engineered boards (excluding parquet woodblocks) that is put on top of an underlay and not physically fixed to an existing substrate.

What is a glue down installation?

A glue down installation is where the engineered or solid wood flooring is glued directly to the existing substrate.

What is a nail down installation?

A nail down installation is where the engineered or solid wood flooring is nailed directly to the timber subfloor.

Will all the planks look the same when purchasing hardwood flooring?

Each plank is unique and different to the next one. No two planks are the same, some planks will be lighter or darker than others, some will have knots and some may even have some sap or heartwood. In truth, what gives the wood flooring its amazing natural glow is the variation from one plank to the next.

Does my new flooring need to be acclimatised?

All wood floors need to be acclimatised, solid wood flooring will need 7-10 days compared to engineered wood flooring where 72 hours is sufficient. To acclimatise the wood flooring, it should be stored in the room or the area the wood is to be installed.

What causes gaps or cracks in wooden floors?

Wood is a natural product, so is sensitive to the environment where it is kept. Because of this, almost every wood floor will endure some expansion and contraction as seasons and humidity levels change. When homes are heated, humidity levels drop, causing boards to shrink and spaces to appear between the boards. In very dry months, cracks can easily develop to the thickness of a thumbnail, for example. With lighter coloured woods, the gaps and cracks may appear larger because of the contrast between the gap and the colour of the wood. Square edge boards will also show cracks more. These spaces are to be expected and will usually close as the seasons change and moisture returns to the air. To reduce the degree of change, home owners can add moisture to the air during the dry months, ideally by installing a humidifier or by buying some potted plants!

Will my wood floor change colour over time?

Wood is a natural product, and as such is sensitive to environmental changes. Direct sunlight will cause the floor’s colour to fade over time. The extent to which a floor changes colour depends on the species, the type of finish, and the amount of contact with direct sunlight. Most floors will fade in colour, so obvious differences in colour at an early stage of the floor’s life become less obvious as the colour becomes more uniform.

What are the various different grades?

Prime Grade - Typically, prime grade has few, if any knots, and these will be of minimal size (10mm). There will also be a minimal amount of sapwood defects and filler, if any at all. Where filler is used its colour is carefully selected to complement the wood rather than to match it exactly, and the colour of the filler may vary from batch to batch. There will be a relatively small amount of colour variation in the timber itself.

Natural Grade – also known as Classic Grade. This grade of floors show the natural variation of timber without allowing some of the more characterful features in more rustic grades. Planks with very few knots will be mixed with some planks containing larger knots or checks (cracks across the growth ring) which may be filled. Variation between tone from heartwood and sapwood can be expected but is controlled. Filler colour is selected to complement the natural character of the timber and may vary from batch to batch.

Character Grade – also known as Rustic Grade. Typically, character grade will include both heartwood and sapwood and allows a wider range of colour variation. Knots are larger and you should expect checks (cracks across the growth ring) and possibly some end shake (cracks between the rings). Filler will be used, the colour of which is carefully selected to complement the wood rather than to match it exactly, and it may vary from batch to batch.

Please note: each plank is unique and different to the next one, no two planks are the same. What gives the wood flooring its amazing natural glow is the variation from one plank to the next as shown on a recently installed floor in Chiswick.

Can you deliver the flooring to my house?

Yes we can but please note, deliveries are on a pallet and to kerbside only. This means the driver will not be able to carry the flooring into your house, it will be unloaded from the van on a pallet and put down as close as possible to your house on the pavement.