Engineered timber floorboards consist different layers of wood. The top veneer is the desired wood, with Oslek it’s usually oak. Below the desired timber is the multi-layered plywood, usually made up of eucalyptus or birch. The multi-layered plywood is cross-sectioned, this is so that it will stabilise the desired timber on top. As moisture the atmosphere changes, it’s normal for natural timber on top to expand or contract. The multi-layed plywood reduces the movement the desired timber on top. Hence why engineered floorboards are more stable than solid flooring.

We always encourage our layers to never float our oak boards where possible. We find there’s a higher chance for the floating floors to creak or move. Gluing, secret nailing with the use of plywood is still the best way to install wide oak boards.

Wire brushing removes the top layer of the coating from an existing floorboard and only takes away the soft part of the wood. Unlike the conventional way of sanding back your floor, wire brushing keeps the characteristics or features of the oak intact. Once coating goes back on the floorboards it’ll look the same as you first bought it.
Another disadvantage of sanding your floor back is you can only do it 7-8 times before the “good” (veneer) wood disappears and you’ll have to buy new floorboards. Where- as now, you can wire-brush your floorboards without worrying about losing its features or having the top layer disappearing after a many brushes.

It is true that too many trees are cut down around the world due to lack of regulations in many countries, but timber is still the only natural renewable building material. Timber does not require a large amount of energy to be produced and processed like many other construction materials. Cement for example, requires 5 times more energy to be made than timber. And unlike most other materials, timber can be easily disposed of or be recycled and re-used. It is also good to be aware that young trees absorb more carbon dioxide, hence why it is vital for logged areas to be re-planted with new trees which many modern, well-regulated mills do very well. We support many of those mills in Germany, France, and Switzerland, where we obtain our raw timber from. It’s important for us to support mills that are logging responsibly so that we can keep making this wonderful product.

Timber is a precious material and unfortunately there is only finite amount. As world population continues to grow and demand for timber can only increase due to more houses getting built, it is only natural for timber prices to continue to rise over time. Unlike laminated flooring, the wide oak boards you buy from us would usually take 50 to 150 years to grow before they are logged, processed and made into timber flooring. It’s important to be aware that you’re not just buying floorboards. You’re purchasing something that is old and unique, a part of history. And because every tree grows differently and varies in character, your floor will be individual and only be one of its kind. Because of this uniqueness, there is a mismatch between demand and supply. Like many other precious material on the planet, it is expensive because it appreciates value over time. This is a great investment for your house and there is no better time to buy it than right now. Please read ‘How Timber Flooring Will Increase the Value Of Your House’ for more information.

Definitely. As mentioned above, with wire-brushing, an engineered floor has the potential to last a life time. As global timber demand keeps rising, any timber material used for your house will inevitably increase in price as well. Unlike less costly floor covers, timber flooring is an investment for the future.

Timber is a natural product and because of this it will react to the surrounding environment. As moisture level changes randomly in the atmosphere, timber will swell and shrink, resulting in movement of the floor. Floorboards can ‘cup’ or ‘crown’ depending on its movement and also the amount moisture it absorbs. As a result of this, floors can crack and creak. This happen often with solid flooring, where movement of the timber occurs frequently. With engineered flooring, the desired timber (i.e. oak), is laminated to layers of cross-sectioned plywood. As the desired timber attempts to move, the cross-sections of plywood helps prevent it from doing so. Engineered floors have performed fantastically well all across Europe and many of our distributors over there have adapted to this new manufacturing process.

• Much more stable than solid flooring
• Multi-plywood layers can support wider boards width unlike solid timber.
• Can be just as thick as solid timber but not necessary due to wire-brushing.
• Available in pre-finished and hard to achieve colours.
• Because many engineered floorboards come pre-finished, it has far lower VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emissions once installed compared with staining and coating on-site.
• Pre-finished, engineered floorboards can be installed much faster than solid flooring.
• Much more environmentally friendly and sustainable than than solid floors.
• an be secret nailed or just glued down. Unlike solid boards, with widths greater than 90mm, the board needs to be top nailed during installation.
• suitable for houses with in-slab and other sub-floor heating systems.

The moisture content is the percentage of water present in the timber. Temperature and humidity in the atmosphere can change moisture content in the timber. It is always a good practice to lay the floors close to the moisture content in the air, which can range between 6 to 14%, depending on where you live. This is so that swelling (moisture uptake) and shrinkage (moisture lose) of the timber floorboards can be minimised. We aim to manufacture our boards at moisture content of between 10 to 12%.

Natural timber will change colours when exposed to different light source. This is another reason why timber flooring is beautiful and unique. Your floor will change its colour and tone when presented with the morning sun and then change to rustic rich characteristics during the evening under indoor lighting.

Wood is a natural product, subject to colour, character and grain variations. Mineral streaks, knots, splits, cracks and other imperfections will also be present. These add to the natural character of the product and are not considered defects. Real wood is an organic material, the character will vary from tree to tree and board to board.
The process used to fume, smoke and/or stain Silver Grove Collection gives the product its deep rich colours. Because each board will accept the surface treatment differently, we cannot guarantee that the wood floor you order will exactly match this sample board. It is extremely important that boards are selected from multiple cartons and shuffled during the installation process. Moldings should be matched to boards that will enhance the look of the installation before the installation process begins.

Creaking noise may occur in some timber flooring, especially during extreme weather where humidity levels can vary drastically. After the weather has settled, it’s normal for the moisture content in the timber and in atmosphere to reach equilibrium (where they balance out) and creaking noise should subside.
Another cause of creaky floors is during the installation process. We discourage our layers to float our boards during the laying process when possible. We find that floating floorboards have a higher tendency to creak. Gluing, secret nailing with plywood is still our preferred method of laying wide oak boards.If creaking noise persist, further attention may be needed. Please contact us for suggestions on how to repair your floor.

Cupping is a result of moisture content mismatch between the desired layer of timber and the plywood. When moisture levels in the plywood is lower than the oak layer above or vice versa, cupping or ‘bowing’ of the boards may occur. As mentioned above, we aim to manufacture our boards at moisture level of 10-12%. However cupping may occur after installation. This could be a result of dampness under the floor or climate control systems such as air conditioning or heating that can cause moisture imbalance above the floor.
The sun is always quite strong in Australia and boards may cup as a result of exposure to direct sunlight. Hence we often recommend our customers that closing the blinds during hot summer days can help protect their floors. It is also a good practice to lay the timber boards toward the main source of light so that if the boards are slightly cupped, it will not be less visually so. Cupped boards should not be sanded back straight away. It is a good idea to find the cause of the problem and see if the cupping can be rectified overtime without sanding the floor back. If it cannot, sanding is suggested to flatten the floor. However if sanding is done too early and the cause of the problem is rectified later on, reverse cupping may occur.

If is always recommended that all walls or fixed obstacles which run parallel to the boards will require 10mm expansion gap to allow for any movement in the timber.

Timber will absorb or expel moisture dependent on the moisture level in the surrounding environment. As a result of this timber flooring will expand and contract or what we call it ‘movement’ in the floor. Weather and internal climate control systems will play a huge part of this process. When humidity is high, floorboards will absorb more moisture from the air and when it’s low, water expulsion into the atmosphere will occur. This is why the cross sectioned plywood will help control that movement of the timber flooring.

Before any floor is laid, any existing concrete slab or floorboards need to be level so that when the boards are laid, the floor will be even.

Floor grading is done at the factory where it was manufactured and it’s done according to the general appearance of the boards. Features such as number and size of knots, amount of sump and colour variation in the timber are all assessed in the grading the floors. There are generally 4 grades of wood however as designers are constantly changing interior design, more grades now exist such as DE. The main grades are as follows.
AB grade, or prime grade, is the highest grade of wood. Usually cut from the centre of the tree, it has very small to no knots, minimal sump and no colour variation. Very little feature is exist in this grade of wood however it is very uniform and consistent through-out.

ABC grade, or select grade, is the next grade. It has small knots, small amount of sump and small colour variation. Not as uniform or consistent as AB grade however it is still regarded as a good quality timber.

ABCD grade, or natural grade, is next. Knots are present up to 30mm in size, sump is pronounced and colour variation more noticeable. Natural holes are filled so that the board is still smooth. Popular with designers who are after features and colour variation, especially if it is used for walls or ceiling.

CD grade, or rustic grade, is full of features. Knots are bigger, up to 35mm, has sump and colour variation is evident. Again, natural holes are filled and smooth. Great for feature walls and ceiling.

DE grade, is what we’re most excited about. Cracks and knots are deeper and more pronounced, colour variation offers deep rich colours. As interior design changes constantly, more clients are asking for boards with heavy features. We’ve had cafe, pubs, restuarants and even homes installing our DE grade boards.

Rather than thinking AB grade is much better, it is really more to do with how you want your interior space to look and feel. If you want a modern looking home and want your flooring to look subtle then perhaps AB grade is more suitable. However if you want your house to feel more antique and rustic, then lesser grade timber will be more suited to your needs. However these are just examples and from our experience, anything is possible. There are some fantastic architectures and designers out there and have shown us the wonders they can do with our various products. If in doubt, please come visit us or one of our distributors to see our products, you’d be amazed at what you’ll see and learn.

The saw marks are very subtle, it runs perpendicular to the grain of the timber. It represents the antique band-saw floorboards from the 18th Century Europe.