Tongue & Groove introduces a revolutionary 2.9-metre engineered timber board that can be used to clad expansive surfaces with minimal join lines for maximum impact.

The new boards exceed the industry standard of 1.9 metres* without incurring the cost of extra-long 3.6- or 5-metre boards. The longer boards also offer a more consistent finish with less colour variation.

With a highly practical length, the 2.9-metre boards give designers the freedom to create seamless, modern interiors. In Australia, for example, the average ceiling height is 2.7 metres, meaning the 2.9 metre length completely removes unsightly join lines, and significantly reduces wastage and cost. Another benefit to the longer lengths is when you create custom stairs, which are typically between 1.1 and 1.35 metres in width. Using the standard 1.9-metre boards results in a huge amount of off-cut waste, while the 2.9-metre lengths allow for two treads to be cut from each board.

This mid-length board was first dreamed up by Tongue & Groove CEO, Richard Karsay, and the brand’s General Manager of Operations, Kevin Nel, in 2019. “The set industry sizes weren’t allowing architects and designers to create timber cladding with minimal joins, unless using extremely long boards – such as our 3.6-metre and 5-metre boards – that are less cost effective,” says Nel. “It became apparent that people have been making do with the shorter lengths when a better solution was available. So, we began to develop a product to fill this gap in the market.”

The journey to realise their vision was a challenging one, however, as they needed to find FSC-certified European oak forests with mature trees that hadn’t been cut to standard sizes. “It was important to develop a reliable and consistent supply chain for the materials we needed to facilitate the longer lengths,” explains Nel.

Freado Textured Classic Piccolo Flooring

Tongue & Groove | Freado Textured Classic Piccolo Flooring | Cascade Garden House QLD Residential Chris Clout Design

The 2.9-metre boards are available in Tongue & Groove’s most popular formats – Grande and Piccolo – and are manufactured using the brand’s unique three-layered solid European oak structure to offer unrivalled strength and stability. Grande is a subtly oversized board that gives interiors a contemporary edge, while Piccolo is an elegantly slim timber board ideal for creating a sense of space in smaller interiors. The new length is available in all three grades and our full range of 16 colours, making Grande and Piccolo more versatile than ever before.

Freado Textured Classic Grande Flooring

Tongue & Groove Freado Textured Classic Grande Flooring | Elizabeth Bay Villa NSW Residential | Richard Stanisich

In keeping with Tongue & Groove’s ethos, sustainability played a major factor in developing the new board lengths. Not only does Tongue & Groove’s innovative construction process use up to 70% repurposed materials, but the more extensive range of widths and lengths also allows designers, architects, and builders to find the most ecological and efficient product for every project and minimise off-cut waste of a precious raw material.

The boards are custom-made with a 12- to 16-week lead time for each individual order to ensure consistency. “We already have the 2.9-metre lengths in production for a number of ambitious projects,” says Nel. “This product has been a long time coming and will fill a big hole in the market, so we are very excited and the A&D community is going to really benefit.”

Get in touch with our team to discover how this exclusive new product can elevate your next project.

*Please note, our 2.9-metre boards are exclusive of starter boards, while the industry standard of 1.9-metre boards is 25% starter boards.

Image: Tongue & Groove Bistre Eterno Piccolo | Airport West Childcare Centre VIC | Insite Architects | Photo: Martin Bennet

Architecture & Design Team

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