Technical Information - Wood Flooring

WE RECOMMEND, WHERE POSSIBLE, TIMBER IS STORED IN THE ROOM WHERE IT IS TO BE USED FOR UP TO 3 WEEKS. THIS IS TO ENSURE ACCLIMITISATION OF THE WOOD PRIOR TO LAYING. THIS WILL THEN REDUCE ITS MOVEMENT ONCE DOWN.

The fixing of your wood floor will depend on the surface it is intended to be laid onto.

Solid and Engineered oak flooring

Concrete – batten / plyboard /glue

12mm plyboard for secret nailing solid boards upto 160mm wide, or engineered board of any width. Choice of material of most fitters as it irons out any imperfections in the concrete.

2” x 1” batten with insulation between battens, again suitable for solid boards upto 160mm wide or engineered board of any width. If you wish to lay a wider solid board a deeper batten is needed to either screw or nail the board to. This fixing needs to be applied through the face of the board in 2 places. This is to prevent the possibility of the board cupping. Old fashioned cut nails are still available which are suitable for this task.

Glueing is only recommended onto concrete where a known dampcourse is present. Solid boards upto 140mm wide can be used, or engineered boards of any width.

Engineered flooring

Can be either glued directly to the concrete or fixed to a plyboard base.

Glueing to concrete base WITH Underfloor heating requires a complete covering of glue which is applied with a trowel. This is a flexible adhesive specifically designed for such a use. The complete covering of glue is necessary to allow an efficient transfer of heat through concrete/ glue / and timber.

Glueing onto concrete without underfloor heating can be applied with a cartridge gun, this is also known as a liquid batten ( each line of glue to be spaced no more than 20cm apart ).
Additionally an accoustic matting can be laid onto the concrete which has slots where glue can be applied. This will greatly reduce the knocking noise when walking on the floor.

Fixing onto a plyboard base can be either secret nailed, glued onto ply, or glued just on the tongue and groove of the board ( known otherwise as floating ). Fixing onto batten or joist can be secret nailed.