Admonter Oak Lapis – Takapuna New Build

This stunning Nordic inspired MCooper Architect designed home on Auckland’s North Shore features Admonter oak lapis engineered flooring throughout the kitchen, living, entry stairs and upper hall area.

Interior designers Yellowfox chose a sophisticated, moody theme for the interior, with dark kitchen cabinetry and black light fittings from ECC. High-end staging from Exhibit One completes the design-focused interior.

The developer and designer chose Admonter oak lapis as they wanted a premium quality floor to help realise the inspiring atmosphere they were aiming for.

This is the perfect example of how this beautiful smoked oak flooring complements a modern interior, however oak lapis works equally well in historic villas and bungalows, loft spaces, apartments, retail and offices.

Engineered Timber Flooring: Vienna Woods /// Oak Lapis

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Baltic Wood Oak Porcelain – Hauraki

This beautiful new home on Auckland’s North Shore is designed with Nordic flair by MCooper Architects and Yellowfox interiors, using premium materials throughout including larch cladding and Oak Porcelain flooring from Baltic Wood.

Oak Porcelain is fortified and finished with a lightly tinted OSMO oil, which retains the natural tone of oak but reduces the strong golden tones that are a feature of some ‘natural’ oak floors.

 Engineered Timber Flooring: Vienna Woods /// Oak Porcelain has been upgraded by Oak Cashmere

Baltic Wood Oak Porcelain – North Shore

This new home on Auckland’s North Shore features oak porcelain from Baltic Wood throughout the living areas.

A subtle tint in the oil finish highlights the intrinsic beauty of European oak, providing a natural foundation for the interior.

Oak porcelain features a subtle micro-bevel on the board edge to define each floorboard and highlight the board width. The rustic grade of oak features dark knot filler in open knots, while the brushed texture adds a 3-dimensional surface and extra character to the interior.

Engineered Timber Flooring: Vienna Woods /// Oak Porcelain has been upgraded by Oak Cashmere

Floating Timber Floor Installation vs Glue-Down Installation

Choosing between a floating timber floor installation and a glue-down method is a key decision for any flooring project. Each approach has unique benefits and suitability depending on your needs. Here’s a comparison to help you decide which option is right for you.

What is a Floating Timber Floor Installation?

A floating timber floor rests on an underlay rather than being fixed directly to the subfloor. The planks click together, creating a stable, secure surface that “floats” above the base.

Benefits of Floating Floors:

  • Ease of Installation: Ideal for DIY projects, thanks to the click-lock mechanism.
  • Cost-Effective: No adhesives or nails are required, reducing materials and labour costs.
  • Subfloor Flexibility: Can be installed over various surfaces, including concrete or tiles.
  • Movability: Easily removed or replaced, making it perfect for renters or those planning future renovations.

Limitations of Floating Floors:

  • Less Soundproof: Without adhesive, sound can transmit through the layers.
  • Not Ideal for Wet Areas: Floating floors may not be suitable for high-moisture spaces like bathrooms.

What is Glue-Down Installation?

Glue-down timber floors are fixed directly to the subfloor with a high-quality adhesive. This creates a seamless bond, enhancing the floor’s stability and longevity.

Benefits of Glue-Down Floors:

  • Superior Stability: The adhesive bond minimises movement and provides a solid feel underfoot.
  • Enhanced Acoustics: The glued surface reduces noise transmission and echoing.
  • Durable and Long-Lasting: Ideal for high-traffic areas and commercial spaces.
  • Better for Wet Areas: With the right sealant, glue-down floors can handle moisture better than floating options.

Limitations of Glue-Down Floors:

  • Complex Installation: Requires professional expertise, especially on uneven subfloors.
  • Higher Costs: Adhesives and skilled labour add to the expense.
  • Permanent Fix: Removing glue-down floors can be difficult and time-consuming.

Which Installation Method is Right for You?

Choose Floating Floors If:

  • You want a quick, cost-effective installation.
  • Your subfloor is even and dry.
  • You need flexibility for future changes or renovations.

Choose Glue-Down Floors If:

  • You require maximum stability and soundproofing.
  • The area experiences heavy foot traffic.
  • You are installing flooring in wet or commercial spaces.

Both floating timber floor installation and glue-down methods have their place in modern flooring. Your choice depends on your project’s requirements, your budget, and the conditions of your subfloor.

When in doubt, consult a flooring expert to ensure the best outcome for your space. No matter the method, high-quality timber floors add beauty, warmth, and value to your home.

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Engineered vs Solid Wood Flooring

This guide describes the benefits of engineered wood flooring compared to solid wood flooring, and we also address some of the myths about both types of wood floors.

Due to its inherent advantages, most of the natural wood flooring installed in Europe and New Zealand is of ‘engineered’ construction. Engineered wood flooring is 100% real wood and is made in two ways: either 3-ply (top layer of hardwood, with 2 backing layers of spruce or birch etc), or multi-ply (top layer hardwood with multiple backing layers made from plywood). Often it is supplied prefinished, with the colour and finish already applied to the hardwood surface.

LIFE-SPAN

ENGINEERED WOOD

Most engineered wood floors will last you over 35 years to a lifetime, depending on wear and tear. The 2.5mm to 4mm or even a 6mm hardwood top layer can be sanded several times over the life of the floor. If your floor has a natural finish then you’ll be maintaining the finish regularly by adding more oil to the floor – scratches can be repaired this way, meaning you may never need to sand the floor at all and your floor will last a lifetime.

SOLID WOOD

Solid wood planks can only be sanded down to just above the level of the plank tongue. This means that only about 5-6mm of wood is available for sanding. Furthermore, when installing the solid wood floors they must be aggressively sanded in order to ensure the surface is completely flat. You can easily lose several millimetres of precious wood during this process. Solid wood planks should last from 50 years to a lifetime.
We believe the lifespan of solid wood when compared to engineered wood is consistently over-stated, most engineered wood flooring will last you just as long.

COST

ENGINEERED WOOD

Most engineered wood flooring is supplied prefinished, with the colour and finish (lacquer, UV oil or natural oil) applied in the factory. The cost to apply the finish in a factory is inexpensive, resulting in a very competitive, finished floor that is ready to live on after installation.

SOLID WOOD

By comparison most solid wood flooring is supplied as raw wood planks, and must be finished on site; this involves messy & time-consuming sanding and application of several layers of finish at great expense.

SOPHISTICATED WOOD TREATMENTS

ENGINEERED WOOD

Premium engineered wood flooring comes with a huge range of surface treatments and finish options. Interesting new textures are released regularly. Popular options include smoked oak, thermo-treated wood, band sawn, planed, scraped, cross texture, fossil sawn, distressed, aged, brushed,the list goes on. These textures and finishes are applied in advanced factories in Europe where craftsmanship, passion for wood and the latest technology combine to produce beautiful and distinctive wood flooring.

SOLID WOOD

By comparison solid wood is usually sanded flat on-site, then a polyurethane or oil is applied to the flooring. Solid wood is almost always square edged, lacking the variety of floorboard edge types available with prefinished wood flooring.

FINISH QUALITY

ENGINEERED WOOD

As the finish is applied in modern state of the art factories using the latest European automated coating lines this assures durability and the finish coatings are applied in a very precise and consistent manner. It’s difficult to fault this method of finish application. There is no risk of sanding marks, coating lines on the floor, uneven coating texture, flaking finishes or other common problems associated with site-finished floors.

SOLID WOOD

As the finish is applied in the dwelling you have to rely 100% on the skill of the floor-sander and trust they will use high quality finishes. The range of finishes available to floor sanders in NZ is tiny compared to the vast range of high-tech industrial finishes available in Europe.
Humid weather can play havoc with curing times and if there is time-pressure and additional coatings are applied before stains have cured, the finish may not be as durable as it should be.

Often coatings are applied on-site unevenly, or sanding marks are visible – it is literally impossible to apply a floor finish in the home to the same level of quality as that which is applied on a modern production line.

QUICK & EASY INSTALLATION

ENGINEERED WOOD

Engineered wood flooring is the clear winner when it comes to convenience. As it is so stable, in most cases you can deliver and start installation almost immediately without having to worry about acclimatisation. The flooring can be walked on immediately after installation and you can move furniture onto the floor within 24 hours of completion (or immediately, if installed as a floating floor).

SOLID WOOD

Solid wood planks must be delivered a few weeks beforehand so the wood can acclimatise to interior humidity levels – otherwise you’ll run the risk that the floorboards will move too much after installation causing big gaps between planks, or cupping and warping.

Once the solid wood floorboards are installed & ready for finishing the delays continue. It can easily take a further 5 days to apply the finishes.

The process to acclimatise, install, sand and finish solid wood can take 3 times longer than the simple installation of a pre-finished engineered wood floor.

GAPS, CUPPING & WARPING

ENGINEERED WOOD

Gaps cupping and warping are less likely to occur with engineered wood floors as the multi-layered wood expands and contracts at less than half the rate of a solid wood floor. However some gaps are to be expected as wood is an organic material; boards may not be perfectly straight – it’s wood after all, and the boards are also subject to shrinkage and expansion from atmospheric and interior conditions. With T&G engineered wood flooring some gaps may be visible during installation, which can be filled with filler if desired. Humidity fluctuations may cause planks to shrink further over time. If a patented click-system is used you’ll not see gaps between the planks at time of installation, however over time the boards will still expand and contract and therefore some gaps may still appear.

SOLID WOOD

If you’ve ever looked at a solid wood floor installed in a villa in New Zealand, you’ll be aware that unsightly looking gaps can appear as the planks adjust to climactic conditions. The gaps can certainly be larger than what might be expericned with engineered wood floors.

Even worse, solid wood is at high risk of expanding too much after installation causing the planks to cup or warp, and the floor to fail. There is an especially high risk present when installing over concrete due to the amount of moisture present in the slab. Other risk factors include under floor heating and temperature and humidity fluctuations.

PLANK WIDTH

ENGINEERED WOOD

Wide planks from 180mm up to 300mm bring a sophisticated, generous atmosphere to your interior and are incredibly popular. Because of the multi-layered plank construction, these wide planks can safely be installed in difficult environments such as with under-floor heating or in humid climates, without any risk of gapping, warping or floor failure.

SOLID WOOD

Wide planks made from solid wood are a recipe for disaster. For this reason solid wood such as oak is often supplied in medium widths such as 150mm or less. Solid wood simply moves too much from humidity fluctuations, therefore plank width needs to be kept to a minimum to ensure the floor will not expand or contract too much.

CONCLUSION

Many people are attracted by the idea of having a solid wood floor, it is after all the traditional choice. The difficulties that may arise are myriad. Non-engineered solid wide-plank wood floors will inevitably continue to expand and contract after installation. Decreases in humidity in the exposed wear surface can cause cupping (concave curving) as the top of the plank dries out. Potentially, large gaps may appear between the boards as each board dries and shrinks. Increases in moisture content may generate excessive compressive forces around the floor’s perimeter, perhaps even causing the floor to lift in the most stressed areas. Solid wood will always distort.

Engineered wood is simply solid wood improved. Prefinished engineered wood is the clear winner in terms of aesthetics and offering a more sophisticated appearance. It offers more protection from gaps (although they’re still possible) and floor failure, superior texture and finish options, superior finish quality and considerable cost and time-savings. Engineered wood uses about 1/3 of the precious hardwood so it is also the safe environmental choice.