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Wide Timber Flooring
Customer Expectations
130mm x 19mm 180mm x 21mm

When specifying a wide board timber floor it is most important to understand that timber is a natural material that has been sawn, seasoned and machined into a solid flooring profile.

Wood is a hydroscopic material. This means that wood when exposed to air, will lose or gain moisture until it is in equilibrium with the humidity and temperature of the air that surrounds it. If the moisture conditions are different in your building the flooring will continually adjust until it is the same (in equilibrium).

Tait flooring test every delivery of flooring for moisture content and record the humidity and temperature levels at the time of delivery. We supply our flooring at between 10% and 13% to match the conditions found in Melbourne and outer regions, however there are a number of site factors that will be different and may affect the long term performance of the floor.

By it’s very nature wider flooring (130mm or 180mm wide) will shrink/expand more than the traditional narrow 80mm floor board. There are a number of procedures that must be followed to minimize movement of wide flooring in service.

Tait flooring strongly recommend you get your builder to check the conditions on the jobsite first to ensure is in a suitable condition to install wide board flooring. Moisture buildup within a building during construction is common. Literally thousands of litres of water are used in concrete slabs, brick work, hard plastering, tiling and painting evaporate into the homes interior. If the flooring is stored or laid in these conditions the flooring will absorb causing the boards to it expand, however they will eventually shrink back leaving gaps between boards.

Air conditioning and heating systems can also dramatically reduce the moisture content in the home. Your flooring installer should be made aware these systems are to be used. It may be necessary or advisable before laying or polishing the floors to operate these systems and to acclimatize the flooring to it’s end environment.

A simple check with an “hygrometer” will instantly check humidity and temperature levels. Once this is satisfied and the flooring has been acclimatized (This can take a number of weeks depending on the season) the flooring can be laid.

To minimize movement, relative humidity should be maintained at 40-55% year around and acclimation procedures should be followed.

Installation should take place only after the structure is at lockup and dry. All outside doors and windows must be in place. All concrete, masonry, drywall, tape, tiling, and painting should be completed and thoroughly dry prior to installation.

If using a timber sub floor ensure sub floor ventilation is working efficiently and as a final check use the “hygrometer” make sure the soil is not damp.

Tait flooring prefer all wide board flooring is glued and nailed to a ply panel substrate and not directly fixed to floor joists or glued directly to a concrete slab.

Gaps are normal and must be expected.

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