Tips
Texture/Color Variations
Timber is a natural material and variations in colour, texture and other natural features occur between pieces and batches of the same species.
Shown in the picture on the left is the example of texture variation that occurs in the Hickory species.
Although variation adds beauty to the floors when installed/combined, care should be taken in making a selection based on a single sample. In all cases, timber flooring supplied can have a variation from shipment to shipment and from the samples.
Ask your retailer for advice and to view a larger sample.
Ageing of Timber Floors
Ageing or oxidization of timber floors is a natural phenomenon. Most timbers change color over time due to UV light. You probably have seen beautiful timber outdoor furniture change its color after a while. The same happens to timber floors.
The timber will become darker and more uniform in color. The time it will take will depend on the exposure, the species and the intensity of the UV light. The oxidization process will eventually stop.
E.g. rugs on your timber floor will greatly slow this ‘aging’ process. When moving the rug, you will notice a color variation between the area around the rug and the area where the rug was positioned. We advice you to leave the area exposed until the area has blended in.
Move rugs and furniture around as often as possible in the first months of your newly installed floor to avoid patches appearing on your floor.
Expansion Joints
As described in the installation instructions, timber expands and contracts due to variations in climatic conditions. This is a normal, natural phenomenon and cannot be prevented or avoided. That is why we recommend leaving an expansion gap around the perimeter.
However for larger areas, the floor will need to be broken up in smaller areas in order to avoid "uncontrollable" expansion and contraction. Between the smaller areas, an expansion gap is necessary.
As a general rule of thumb, an expansion gap is needed every 9-10 lineal meter of floor in every direction. However we recommend discussing expansion gaps with your installer or retail outlet.
Expansion gaps are also needed at doorways when the timber floor is installed in multiple adjoining rooms and hallways.
The expansion gap is usually covered with an H profile or a proper expansion profile that allows free movement of the timber.
Correct Gluing
It is very important that the right amount of glue be applied at the right position of the boards. Too much glue will prevent the boards from closing properly (you will need to tap too hard and might damage the edges of the groove side of the board); not enough glue will avoid the boards from properly and permanently joining and avoid the floor to become "one" piece.
Also make sure you run a continuous bead of glue over the entire length of the board (including the short side of the board) otherwise you might end up with a "squeaking" floor.
We recommend that you cut off the top of the nozzle of the glue bottle, hold the board "upside down" (i.e. top side facing the floor) while standing straight and run a continuous bead of glue on the top side of the groove (i.e. the side of the groove facing closest to the floor).
Tips
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