Showroom
We have selected quality timber flooring options, from a range of respected suppliers, to allow you to choose your floor that you love.
Visit our online showroom, or physical showroom in Wanaka.
Lifetime Care of Your Floors
When you choose a wood floor, we can help you look after it for its lifetime. Information and care guides.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are a few questions we are asked regularly. Look at the FAQ list. Or contact us to answer any questions you may have on your project.
We prefer to glue down a timber floor, but there are some special circumstances when floating is the best option. Talk to us for specific advice.
Refinishing Your Wooden Floor.
What to expect before, during and after your refurbishment…
Like any investment, a beautifully finished floor requires on-going maintenance and care to ensure it looks beautiful for many years to come, and preserve its value.
We use a variety of professional sanding machines, each machine has a specific job. If we are fully sanding back your floor, we will sand back through a series of grits, before a fine finish, or other specialised finishes and then coatings. Please discuss finishing options and coating products prior to us starting.
We use dust extractors also to minimise the dust. However very fine wood dust is generated when the floors are sanded. We will minimise this but cannot eliminate it.
Preparing for your residence for resanding.
- Before our team arrive, you are required to remove all furniture as well as any floor coverings (including staples, tacks and other items). If a kitchen carefully remove the fridge and oven, toe kicks etc. Remove any food.
- Remove all small objects from the room, and cover any other items in the room with drop cloths or large sheets of plastic. Masking tape is a useful tool to hold down the sheets without damaging the surface it is taped to.
Ensure you cover any stereos, speakers, bookcases etc.
Sealing cupboards and doors with masking tape is a very good idea. Placing a rolled towel at the base behind any door will help stop dust from entering other rooms.
- Ensure that adequate lighting and power will be available for the floorsanders and their equipment.
- Provide clear and safe access to the site for the workers.
What to expect with your flooring finish
- We will provide a detailed explanation of the work to be completed included in the quote so you can be sure you know what is going to happen.
- Our expert floor sanders will give a professional sanding and coating job.
- The floor nails will be punched, if required.
- We can fill all nail holes, but please note that this is an additional charge.
- Knot holes and gaps at the end of boards can be filled with the appropriate filler. Please discuss this prior to us starting.
- A coating that will provide many years of beauty, provided it is properly maintained.
What NOT to expect with your flooring finish
- Your environment to be completely dust free. While we use the best modern sanding machinery that is fitted with dust collecting equipment, it is next to impossible to clean away all the dust. Our equipment will try to clean away as much of the dust as possible, but there will be a few resulting consequences due to the difficulty in getting rid of all the dust:
- There will always be some dust particles that settle on the newly finished surface.
- There will be an amount of dust throughout the rest of the house.
We will clean down the walls and window sills as best we can, but further cleaning will be required, and you will need to remove all the dust coverings after.
- Removal of deep cuts from the timber floor boards. Stain removal from within the floor boards and around nail holes.
- Gaps to be filled in between the floor boards. The reason for this is because subsequent shrinkage and expansion in the timber will cause cracking in the filler.
- Areas filled with filler to have the same feel of the rest of the timber.
Once your floors are refurbished, please discuss the ongoing care of them. Depending on the finish we have applied, there is a care programme for your floors to keep them looking beautiful.
See Caring for Your Floors Page and our Online Shop for full information for caring for your floor.
If you are not sure what type of finish your floor has, ask us. If we installed your floor we may have records; or help identify other ways.
Fill out the form below:
Tell us:
- What timber you like
- Address of Property
- Areas for timber floors
- Type of subfloor
- New build or Renovation
- Name of your builder
- Upload your plans
- Other products – Wall Panelling, Decking, Ceiling
- Phone number in case we have more questions
- email for quote
We can give you a quote based on this, and work with you on other options or choices.
We love timber floors, and by carefully selecting the right type of timber floor and the finish for your lifestyle, the answer is usually yes. But take the time to discuss this with us and ensure you choose the best option for you. Do you have underfloor heating, is it a holiday home shut up for months, ground level or multiple stories, consider animals, children, how long you will live in this home, how often you clean your floor, are you prepared to follow a maintenance programme.
A number of options to consider, with timber options to match.
Our showroom in Frederick Street, Wanaka is open weekdays 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. We can arrange an appointment after hours or in the weekend, if required. We can also send samples to you on request.
As part of the Forte Flooring network, you can also visit the Auckland or Wellington showroom to view Forte samples.
Natural Variation and Changes to your Timber Floor
Timber is a natural product and has natural variations in texture, shade, colour, surface, finish, markings, veining, and contain natural fissures, occlusions, and indentations.
Timber Flooring we supply may exhibit these differences, these do not make the materials faulty, but a natural variation. We will make every effort to match batches of product supplied in order to minimise such variations but cannot control where such variations occur.
All natural products are affected by light, particularly strong sunlight and UV rays which can have a detrimental effect on timber floors and other wood products. No matter what finish your timber flooring has, it is likely to be affected if exposed to sunlight and/or UV light. Protecting your flooring from sun damage is important right from day one, especially in Central Otago.
Fading or colour change is a naturally occurring reaction of timber in response to sunlight and UV exposure. Though top coating products used reduce the exposure, it cannot eliminate it. Protection measures will minimize the risk of colour change although may not prevent it altogether.
It is important to note that there are some factors that can intensify the sunlight and UV exposure in your home. Large expanses of North facing glass windows, can reflect more light, as can swimming pools, and other water. In these situations a high level of protection from sunlight and UV exposure will be required.
We strongly recommend that you protect your floor, by using sun filters, curtains or blinds, and moving mats or rugs frequently in the first six months.
The precise effect on colour depends on a variety of factors including but not limited to; the species, any type of treatment that the wood has undergone, whether the timber has been coloured, and the type of finish used on the product. Some products will lighten, others can develop a richer colour and others will darken. As a general rule, Natural Oak (uncoloured) with a clear lacquer tends to intensify in colour over time, becoming more yellow.
Timber is also a hydroscopic material subject to expansion and contraction; in our Central Otago climate the floor can dry out, especially solid timber floors. Gaps may appear in the flooring during prolonged dry periods, or cupping.
Ensuring good airflow, reducing UV exposure and build up of extreme heat, especially in a holiday home, and keeping your floor cared for with the correct cleaner and care programme, also is important on maintaining a beautiful floor.
Please ask us for a Care Programme for your floor.
Changes to the Building Code in November 2021
Timber flooring has been used in NZ homes for many years and is an easy care, warm flooring surface. The old Rimu and Kauri floors of older Villas are still going strong and looking beautiful.
Timber flooring in “wet areas” or where water can splash is now an alternative building solution in NZ, that needs approval from your council when submitting your plans. We can discuss this with you and provide you with all the details for council for your chosen option. It is a simple procedure for 1, and more detail and preparation on site is required for 2.
- Splash Areas – Single dwelling with splash areas – kitchens / laundries / WCs
- Wet Areas such as bathroom or multi-dwelling / multi storey or commercial
For more details see our post from November 2021.
The finish you select for your timber flooring depends on the intended use of the space, the aesthetics and practical care.
Both have advantages. If you have a busy family, pets and little time we would recommend a polyurethane finish, as it puts layers of coating on top of the wood to seal and protect it. If you love the look of a hardwax oil floor, and are prepared to care for this, it is a great option, as the floor is sealed, but breathes and hardens more over time.
Polyurethane is considered the more durable, but hardwax oils have seen a big renaissance in the last decade for their natural look and green credentials.
All applications come in a choice of silkmatt (satin) or matt. We don’t recommend gloss as a final coat, unless you love the look and are prepared to clean it like a mirror.
We review each of these options below, and look at some of their pros and cons.
HARD WAX OIL
Hard wax oil is a formulated combination of oils and wax. The pores of the timber are saturated with the oil/wax blend, which then hardens to add strength and durability to the timber. Its natural ingredients make it a popular environmental and health choice. Hardwaxes Oiled floors, if maintained correctly, are an easy care and durable living surface.
Benefits of hard wax oil:
• Non-toxic and low odour during application.
• The warm sheen and depth of colour reinforces the character and grain of timber.
• Stain-resistance as long as spills are cleaned up immediately. If your floor is maintained, any liquid spills/messes should pool on the surface of your floor allowing for quick clean ups. However, any spill/mess that is there for any period of time will stain.
• Hard-wearing, with excellent water resistance.
• The flexible surface doesn’t crack or lift like polyurethane can.
• Easy to clean and maintain, but does require a maintenance programme. Regular “soap” applications nourish the wood and make the surface even stronger over time, then periodic application of a refresher.
• Easier to repair areas of damage than polyurethane. Spot touch-ups of scratches are easy to buff and blend easily with the surrounding floor.
• Suits floors with under-floor heating.
• When well-maintained, it looks good over time.
• An open and breathable finish. Water-repellent and dirt-resistant.
Downsides of hard wax oil:
Not as hard or long-lasting as a polyurethane.
The finish wears down with use and requires recoating every two to three years in busy traffic areas. Hard wax oiled floors require more frequent cleaning with special soaps.
POLYURETHANE
Polyurethane comes in two types:
The water-based versions – water mixed with a resin – are green certified and more environmentally friendly as they don’t require the solvents. Water-based polyurethane may not be quite as durable as its moisture cured, but it often wins out based on its low VOCs.
While hardwax oil finishes sink into the body of the timber to seal it, a polyurethane solution is a two to three layer protective coating over the top of the wood.
Benefits of polyurethane:
• The water-based version is fast-drying, and has no smell.
• It is considered a more durable floor finish.
• Easy to clean and maintain. No reapplication required (or possible) between recoats.
• To be cleaned with a microfibre mop and spray bottle with a special wood floor cleaner – pH neutral.
• Moisture cured polyurethane is the most bullet proof of all finishes, coating the floor with thin layers of resin.
Downsides of Polyurethane
• As the coating is a thin layer of resin, it can wear through over time.
• Touching up an area of damage is difficult and often requires a large area to be redone. Patches are not easily blended with the surrounding floor.
• The timber doesn’t breathe as it does with an oil or hard wax solution, as the polyurethane puts a plastic-like coating over the raw timber.
• Over time, polyurethane gets scuffed and scratched. The only way to fix it is via a recoat, which is required every 4 – 8 years or so, depending on the level of use.
• If the coating wears through to the raw wood, it will require a resand and coatings.
Specific to Moisture Cured polyurethane:
• The synthetic resins release some harmful vapours during application.
• It is recommended that homeowners (and their pets) move out while the floor is being applied and cured. Even then, the smell can take some weeks to abate.
• Solvent-based polyurethane releases high VOCs during application – this is no residue effect.
Make your choice based on the use of the space, (a hotel lobby will have different requirements to a residential kitchen), the desired aesthetics (natural or semi gloss), any health concerns of the applicator or residents, and the maintenance capability of the building owner (regular re-oiling versus finish and forget). These factors will all influence the weighting of the pros and cons of each product. In the end, however, all three options will provide an excellent finish to the timber and protect its natural beauty, enhancing your enjoyment of the space.
Whichever your choice, you will have a beautiful timber floor to add warmth and beauty to your home.
We can help you look after it long term, and give you guidance on specific care required.
DISCLAIMER
This is information based on technical information and experience, but we take no responsibility on your decision to use one product over the other.
GET A QUOTE
Ready for the next step? We’re thrilled to help you along your path to choosing your dream wood floor. Our skilled experts take great pride in helping achieve this. We are happy to answer any questions. Send us your project details, plans and timber preferences and we can provide you with a quote …
Found some timber you really like the look of? We are happy to provide you with samples, or you can borrow larger samples from our showroom. We can make bespoke samples for you also. If you are from out of town we are happy to send you a few of your favourites to help you select.
for the warmth and finish of natural wood floors…