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The Country of Origin where the wood is grown affects its qualities as to be expected from any living organism. Central Europe, with its continental climate of warm dry summers and dry freezing winters ensures hardy well seasoned woods. The Carpathian Mountains and their fresh air and not waterlogged soils all contribute to excellent growing conditions.
Density (weight kg/m3 at 12 % moisture content)
Bending Strength
Stiffness
Crushing strength
Shock Resistance
Drying Properties
Movement
Resistance in cutting
Blunting Effect
Durability
Impregnation resistance
Wood Density is the main criteria for determining the strength of a species. High density = high strength. European Ash has the same density as European Beech, but Ash has an energy absorbing capacity 50% higher than Beech, hence is particularly valued for sports goods such as hockey sticks and tool handles.
Quartersaw : produces less wood and more expensive. Twists and cups less and wears more evenly
Riftsaw : similar to quarter sawing, but at slightly different angle.
Other Names: English, Carpathian, Danish, Rumanian, Yugoslavian, Slovakian etc. according to origin.
Colour: Whitish to very pale brown. Reddish-brown with dark veining possible. Steaming common in south-east Europe changes the colour to pink or light red. Sapwood is not normally distinguishable from heartwood.
Grain: Usually straight. Broad rays visible on longitudinal surfaces. Texture fine and even.
Strength: One of the strongest timbers. Can shrink in drying process. Dependant on location and conditions of growth.
Other Beeches: Japanese Beech (fagus crenata, buna) similar to Central European Beech.
Other Names: English, French, Yugoslavian, Slovakian etc. according to origin.
Large quantities: France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Balkan states and North Africa.
Colour: Yellowish Brown. (Golden oak, yellow stain is created by a surface mould) Sapwood is light and distinct from heartwood.
Grain: Generally straight. Affected by growing conditions. Structure and quality are affected by growth conditions, Oak from Central Europe often of even growth, uniform colour and straighter grain than Northern Europe.
Strength: Slightly lower than European Beech.
Other species of Oak: American White Oak (slightly lower strength than European Oak but similar to European Oak in colour though more variable pale yellow-brown to mid-brown and slightly heavier than European Oak), Japanese Oak (white Oak, paler than American, free from knots and lower in strength than European Oak), Persian Oak (red) Turkish Oak (sometimes reddish tint)
Other Names: Hard Maple, Sugar Maple, White Maple
Europe, USA, Canada
Colour: Creamy white. Sapwood is light, hardly distinguishable from heartwood.
Grain: Usually straight, but often curly or wavy hence very decorative. Sometimes fine brown lines. Texture fine and even.
Strength: As European Beech. Good strength and particularly high resistance.
Other Names: Gean, Mazzard, Wild Cherry
Colour: Pale pinkish-brown. Darkens on exposure to light. Sapwood lighter in colour, moderately well defined.
Grain: Generally straight. Texture fine and even.
Other Names: English, French, Belgium, Slovakian etc. according to origin
Colour: White to light brown, with irregular dark brown lines. Sapwood not usually distinguishable from heartwood.
Grain: Straight. Decorative in plain-sawn timber.
Strength: Similar to European Beech, but outstanding toughness.
For example “expressive” “studio” “variation” “classic” “popular” “creative” “rustic” all this is to help give some impression of the colouring and patterns.
Others talk of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades.
All this is to help give some impression of the colouring and patterns.
Some woods are naturally plainer or less varied than others. Oak and Ash for example.
The National Wood Flooring Association, on web page: http://www.woodfloors.org provide useful international standards which I have interpreted below:
Here are the International Standard Definitions of Wood Grades:
1.Clear = free of defects, though it may have minor imperfections.
2.Select = almost clear, but contains more natural characteristics such as
knots and colour variations.
3.Common, Grade 1 = More markings than clear or
select. Light and dark colours, flags and worm holes.
4.Common, Grade 2 =
Rustic in appearance, allowing all wood characteristics of the species.
No CLEAR grade is offered, implying these woods are naturally more marked.
1. First = with natural colour variations, limited character marks.
2.
Second = variegated in appearance, sound characteristics of species.
3.
Third = rustic in appearance, with all wood characteristics allowed.
I would like to provide the UNICORN definitive guide to the 3 categories:
1) 20% of the wood is designated “Prime/Selective/Clear” This means the most uniform colouring. No marked colour streaks, knots or white sapwood will be in the wood. The occasional pinprick size 1mm dot may be allowed only. This grade is popular in Germany.
2) 40% of the wood is then designated “Natural” Streaks and colour variations of up to only 20% of the total area covered is present. This is therefore not very different to Clear grade....80% of the floor area is as per Clear grade in effect, but with some character marks. 5mm size knots can be present.
3) 40% of a tree is then designated “Variegated” or “Rustic” This is extremely patterned, has unlimited variations in colouring and knots. Pale sapwood can help make a floor even lighter in colour, other colours of the wood make for more colour variety.
If you want a factory, standard, same as your neighbours or half the nation look floor, do not read any further. Real Wood flooring is precisely the opposite. It is unique each and every floor due to two trees never being exactly the same.
This is not a factory defined colouring, it is precisely the attraction of a unique wood floor of your own which makes such flooring exclusive and desirable.
What can be defined to some extent is the degree of variation in colouring and markings such as sapwood (white streaks) and knots (dark round markings) These enhance the look of a wood floor when occurring naturally and haphazardly over a large area. They add to, do not detract from the floor pattern.
Production costs are not any less for any grade of wood. The same construction and finish is applied to all the wood flooring produced. The Clear grade costs more due to wastage incurred in selecting only the unmarked areas of wood.
ALL of the wood used is of course healthy and natural.
Wood with a large amount of natural colour shadings and markings is the most varied look flooring available and results in each floor being unique in the exclusive patterns of the particular trees the floor is made from.
The English are reputed to be partial to “rustic” type look and feel in their homes and environment. This is commendable in our opinion, and to be encouraged on environmental grounds as well as encouraging individuality and pattern in flooring.
Never wax a finished floor.
Never use a water based finish on an acrylic or solvent based finish floor.
The protective coating can be of one of 3 types for wood flooring generally:
1. Water based
2. Solvent based
3. Solvent Free Acrylic-Polyurethane
Polyurethanes are also referred to as urethanes. They are blends of synthetic resins. Most wood floors today are finished with a stain and a top coat. Some manufacturers go overboard and apply, I have heard, 10 coats. 3 to 5 is the more usual. Ours is 4 layers of finish on top of a wood stain.
These categories are expanded on below:
1. Oil modified urethane: the
most common and easily applied. Solvent based polyurethane that dries in about 8
hours. Ambers with age.
2. Moisture-cure urethane: Solvent based, more
durable and moisture resistant than other surface finishes. Non-yellowing and in
gloss or satin. Extremely difficult to apply if not a professional.
3.
Swedish finish or acid cure urethane. Clear and fast drying finish. Durable and
non-yellowing. Extremely nasty smelling, best left to professionals to apply.
4. Water based urethane: dries by water evaporation. Clear finish and
non-yellowing. Lower odour than oil-modified finishes. Dry in 2 to 3 hours.
Generally more expensive.
Water based finishes are the least durable, solvent based are the environmentally most damaging.
Finishes come as either
High gloss
Gloss
Satin -(ours)
Satin is the least “shiny” looking, allowing the wood to look natural. Some woods such as Maple have a naturally heavy sheen, which is beautiful and shimmers in the light the most, but naturally.
The lacquer can be expected to last many years before re-lacquering might be needed in normal domestic circumstances. To re-lacquer, simply sand lightly the existing lacquer surface off and apply with a roller coater new lacquer of at least 3 coats before applying a final UV cured sealer coat.
Our flooring comes with a German acrylic lacquer called Miragen from the company Friedrich Klumpp Gmbh of Stuttgart, Germany. It is solvent free, so does not pollute the environment, free of formalyne, insecticides and heavy metals. Water pollution Class 1.
The advantages of acrylic type lacquers are that they bond with the wood producing a surface which is far harder and longer lasting than the wood itself. Any damaged surfaces can be sanded and sprayed over with NC acid curing or PU lacquers if the exact original lacquer is not conveniently available.
Wood being a natural product is normally affected by sunlight, and changes somewhat its look and colour with age over the years. This ageing can improve the look of the wood. Our wood comes with an ultra-violet protective lacquer which keeps these changes to a minimum in terms of fading.
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