When choosing a quality wood floor, it’s important to look beyond mere aesthetics to examining the construction of the plank for stability and longevity.
The right approach is to collect a few floor samples from different wood flooring suppliers and compare them using these simple guidelines. The construction of the plank is a decisive factor in the longevity and stability of wooden floorboards.
Reduce the movement of wood
High quality wood floors have a counter-move designed to greatly reduce the movement of the wood caused by swelling and shrinkage. A counter-move refers to a perfectly symmetrical construction. The top finished layer of timber, and the back layer, also called the counter-move, must have the same wood and the same treatment, greatly reducing the movement of the wood across the width.
The middle layer made from a softwood, should be glued at a 90° angle to the slats. The softwood provides for a certain degree of flexibility, which reduces tension in the plank.
What to avoid
Check the materials used in the different layers of the engineered board. Avoid products that appear to have composite materials or offcuts glued on to make up the backing of the floorboard. These are often leftovers or timber offcuts that do not provide real balance or structural integrity.
Solid wood floors Vs three-layer Mafi floors
Solid wood floors use the same piece of wood across the entire thickness; the natural swelling and shrinkage behaviour of timber leads to warping and cupping of the floor, with the problem worsened by underfloor heating.
Floors from Mafi Timber Flooring feature a perfectly symmetrical construction that consists of three layers of natural timber, ensuring perfect balance and allowing for the natural movement of timber. To be confident about the stability of your wooden floorboard, look for symmetry in its construction.
Mafi wood floors are perfectly suitable for use over underfloor heating as well as in bathrooms and wet rooms.
