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Flooring (main) : Flooring articles : Polished floorboards
Flooring: polished floorboards
Polished floors are suitable for most rooms of the house, although
if you use them in wet areas kitchen, bathroom, laundry € be
sure they are treated with a waterproof and non-slip finish.
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Polished floorboards provide a lovely warm, natural look to a
room, and are comfortable to walk on.
Colours can range from pale, almost white, to rich deep reds, with
many shades between. The grain showing in the floorboards adds
character to the floor.
Floorboards must be installed over a solid, perfectly level surface.
If they are going straight onto concrete an epoxy membrane must
be applied first to avoid moisture rising up to the timber and
causing the boards to cup.
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Choosing Timbers for your floor
Different timbers have specific characteristics not only colour
and grain, but durability. Choose a timber that will suit the amount
of wear the floor is going to receive. For example:
Western Australian Jarrah:
is very durable, strong,
hard and heavy. As well as flooring it is used for building and
marine construction, joinery and furniture, as well as decorative
veneers of the red heartwood
Tasmanian Oak:
beautiful colouring from pale cream to pink and
reddish-brown. straight and even grain with excellent dimensional
stability. It is generally easy to work with nails and glues well but is
not as durable as Jarrah.
As well as straight floorboards, timber is often used in decorative
parquet floors
Finishes for polished floorboards
The finish you choose for your floorboards will affect its durability,
slip resistance, colour and light reflection.
It is important to heed the advice of your floor sanding specialist in
deciding the finish to be used.
While you might like the characteristics and appearance of a
particular finish, your specialist will consider all the factors before a
choice can be made.
There are three types of finish:
- Solvent Borne polyurethane
(one pack, two pack and
moisture cured provide some of the hardest finishes available
today, with gloss levels from matt to a very high gloss.
Polyurethane finishes are resistant to abrasion, but may scratch
if care is not taken. They will generally darken over time. There
is generally a strong odour after sealing
- Water Borne polyurethane and polyurethane/acrylic
mixes
should be applied over a sealer which enhances the
colour of the timber. Acrylic is often added to water borne
finishes provide more body, but results in a softer, less wear-
resistant finish. Products with little or no acrylic provide a
flexible, hard-wearing surface. Finishes range from matt
through to high gloss and do not darken with time. There is little
odour with water borne finishes.
- Oil Based Finishes Varnishes
shellac and the traditional tung
oil, are still used, to recreate the effect of the polished and
waxed timber floors of the past. A softer finish, they require
much more maintenance, and provide a low-gloss sheen.
Need a specialist for polished floorboards? Click here for a quote
Click here for quotes from service providers
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