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What To Expect With Your Timber Flooring Installation

Timber floor being installed on a concrete subfloor

Ideally repairing, recoating and installation of your timber floor should be done before the installation of new carpets.

Particularly in the case of a floor being finished on site, since fibres can become airborne and could mar your finish. We cannot be held responsible for any damage to carpets.

If you are painting walls and skirting boards, we recommend applying the first two coats prior to your floor being repaired or recoated, followed by the final coat afterwards.

In the case of onsite finishing, sanding may be required for an optimal finish. If skirtings and/or walls are accidentally marked it may require touching up or a top coat of paint afterwards.

Preparing for Install

  • Keep the installation area free of other tradespeople, equipment and dust.
  • Close off surrounding areas to limit any dust spreading (if any)
  • Moving furniture can be in addition to an installers quote
  • As noted above, skirtings should be removed

Initial Protection for your new Floor

If tradespeople are still on site we advise that after the curing period stated by your installer, the floor is carefully swept clean of all dust and debris and covered with cardboard—flat side down—until all building work is completed. Do not affix this to the floor with tape, as it may damage the coating when removed. Tape each section to the other to hold these in place.

Skirting, Toespaces Trims and Gap Sealant

In existing homes, skirtings will need to be removed, doorways, architraves will be undercut to allow the overlaying of your timber floor to your subfloor. Wood is a natural product that expands and contracts in reaction to the amount of moisture in its environment. A certain amount of movement is to be expected. Installers will leave an expansion gap around the edge of your floor to accommodate this. This gap is covered by skirting, toekicks, trims or gap sealant.

Trims are generally used for transitions between one flooring type and another, for example between wood and carpet or tiles. Gap sealant can be used where skirting is not installed, for example at sliding doors.

Trims, Gap sealant and Skirtings may or may not be covered in your installers quote. It is worth checking if your builder or your wood floor installer will be supplying and completing installation of these.

Variation in Tone, Grading and Lengths of Timber Planks

As part of the selection process when choosing your timber floor, one of our timber consultants would have made you aware of the level of variation in the natural timber product.

We provide many reference images and details to assist the buying decision, so you get an outcome that exceeds your expectations.

Your installer on site may or may not be able to assist with selecting the right timber planks for the right area once it is on site, so we do ask that you clarify any details about your selection with us immediately once you’ve purchased your timber floor.

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