FAQ

There are many types of flooring available today. From different tree species to different styles of flooring, finishes, wood grades and colours, you’re spoilt for choice. It all depends on your personal preferences, but your stage of life and the room in which you want to install your timber flooring should be your main focus.

Grade refers to the level of features visible in the wood. There are three levels common to most companies: select or classic, which is the sleekest type of wood; standard or natural, which is natural looking and has the standard amount of visual characteristics in the wood; and rustic, or Australiana, which has the highest level of knots, whirls and veins.

Colours typically available include blonde wood, such as Alpine Ash, Tasmanian Oak, and Blackbutt; browns like Brushbox; and reds like Jarrah.

Is the room below ground level, on ground level, or above ground level? Standard solid hardwood floors cannot be installed below ground – you’ll have to go with a thin profile solid engineered hardwood or waterproof flooring ect.

The higher the foot traffic, the harder the wood you’ll need. Hard wood is less likely to show wear when it’s properly cared for.  Laminates can often have the highest ware rating but the look is sometimes compromised as it is hard to recreate a natural product.

If yes, you’ll need to choose a durable type of wood or polish that doesn’t show wear as easily. You’ll also have to protect the wood against pet claws or children’s toys using varnishes or other methods.

Dirt, sand and other contaminants can make their way more easily into the room if you have a door to the outside close by, these can damage the wood in high traffic areas. The best prevention is to use rugs and doormats to lessen the chances of this happening.

If the room has a number of windows, there are many different measures you can put in place. you may need to consider using types of wood that are less sensitive to light. Too much exposure to sunlight can cause discolouration in certain types of wood. Alternatively, if your heart is set on a solid floor then you could look into getting a UV coat applied to the floor or maybe even regularly rotating your furniture and rugs to ensure that all parts of the floor are regularly exposed to sunlight. Blinds and window protection can also be a great deterant,

This is the easy part – one of our friendly staff will come to you, we will use a laser to measure the dimensions to get the total in square metres. We will ensure that you get 10% more than you need to cover any potential damages and to allow for waste during the cutting in process.

Timber floor issues can become complicated, so it’s recommended that you leave it to the professionals if you have any questions or concerns. Not only will you save yourself a lot of money in the long run – you’ll save yourself a lot of stress, worry and effort!

Timber flooring can be installed anywhere in a house except for bathrooms, laundry rooms or other rooms where water is an issue. Water can cause expansion and contraction of timber floors.

Yes. Many homeowners with timber floors have pets. But be aware that timber floors are not really built to withstand the wear and tear pets may cause. Pets with claws can scratch the floor. If they urinate on the floor, the chemicals in the urine can permanently discolor the floor. To remove the damage caused by pets, the floor must be sanded and refinished.

Timber floors do not collect dust and allergens and are far healthier for your indoor environment than carpeting.

The best installation method depends on the type of subfloor and the type of products you have. Installation options include glue down and secret nail down and floating. Floating involves attaching the floor planks to an underlay, rather than removing it and attaching it to the actual subfloor.

Yes all floating floors continually expand and contract epically with the harsh Australian seasons. If no allowances are made for this movement, we would recommend an expansion trim anything over 100m2 or the results can be catastrophic. Directly stuck floors are much more stable and so need much less areas for expansion.

Solid timber floors can be restored to their original beauty many times by sanding and refinishing. Engineered timbers have only a thin veneer which can be sanded one or two times. Laminate timber floor cannot be sanded and refinished.

Not necessary unless you wish not to have beading around skirting board, because We can provide a neat beading to run around the edge of the flooring.

We carry different quality underlay to suit. For instance, normal grade can be used for houses but acoustic – which comes in specific ratings is also available – for apartment units.

This will depend on the condition of the subfloor, as Australian building standard is a deviation of no more than 3mm below two high points in a slab within 3 meter length.

Minimise the accumulation of dust, grit and sand by vacuuming or sweeping the floor regularly. Doing this will prevent the floor from receiving scratches, and it will help maintain its finish. Another good habit to get into is to clean spills and spots up immediately using a damp cloth or mop. Avoid using solvent based or abrasive cleaners on timber and bamboo flooring, and also try not to walk on the surface with spike or stiletto heels.

We always suggest using rugs and mats in entrance ways as this helps to trap the dirt and stops it spreading around your home. Minimise the sunlight directly hitting the surface by installing curtains or blinds over your windows. Support any furniture or heavy appliances that will be sitting on the floor for long periods of time with wide-bearing, non-staining glides or castors, and if you have pets keep their nails trimmed.

It depends on how they are used. Always bear in mind that maintaining a reasonably stable indoor temperature and humidity range is very important to the timber and bamboo flooring. Don’t use air conditioning and heating excessively as both would reduce the indoor humidity significantly, dry out the timber / bamboo floor and cause excessive movement of the subject flooring. It is a good habit to open doors and windows regularly to allow for fresh air coming into the room with timber / bamboo flooring maintaining a reasonable humidity level.

Yes it does. It depends on the type of structure and design your staircase is, whether the steps are standard, extra wide or long, open ended, kite steps, curved or tread steps. Also the type of timber you require and whether you want straight edged or bull nosing on your steps, theses all need to be taken into account.

No. Although it may all look the same, quality from different manufacturers and suppliers will differ greatly. The quality of the finished product is highly dependent on the quality of the raw materials used in the manufacture of the flooring and also the manufacturing process itself.

All floors have the potential to scratch, for instance a bamboo floor is very hard and resistant, in comparison to a timber floor. Bamboo flooring is 70% harder than a traditional wooden floor, but note that all surfaces scratch if scratched by a harder material.

An indent depends on many factors. Even steel can be dented. It all depends on the pressure exerted at that moment.

Yes. Most bamboo can be sanded and recoated up to 3-4 times depending on the wear and tear over time.

AC hardness ratings are a standardized measure adopted by The Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring (ELPF) . The AC measure rates abrasion resistance, impact resistance, resistance to staining and cigarette burns, and thickness swelling along edges. If a laminate flooring cannot meet the requirements for each of these ratings, approval for a given AC rating will be denied. All laminate flooring distributed by BuildDirect has a minimum punishment class of 23 for residential use (heavy) and 31 for commercial use (moderate), or an AC3 rating. AC ratings 4 and 5 are equally suitable for residential use as AC3 but somewhat more suitable for high traffic commercial applications. AC ratings below 3 are recommended for low traffic residential use only. Here is a more detailed guide:

• AC1 is suitable for lighter, more infrequent traffic, e.g. a bedroom.
• AC2 is suitable for general residential use in living rooms and dining rooms.
• AC3 can be applied to more varied locations, such as small offices and other light commercial location.
• AC4 can be installed in higher traffic commercial areas such as boutiques, busier offices, and restaurant.
• AC5 is more durable still and can withstand the traffic of heavier commercial areas such as department stores and public buildings.

High density fiberboard, HDF, is basically a high-density, moisture-resistant fiber panel. It is made of wood residues (sawdust, shavings and wood chips) from wood processing factories. This ligneous material is ground into a pulp to which a melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin is added. This pulp is then dried and pressed into panels.

You must never wax or polish a laminate floor.