TIMBER FLOOR INSTALLATION

Are you looking to have new timber floors installed? We can help. We've been installing timber floors around Toowoomba for over 20 years. Solid timber flooring and engineered. Glue down and nail down floors. Pre-finished and site-finished floors. We do it all.

An French Oak timber floor installation in Toowoomba

The Installation Process

After you select your flooring (which we're more than happy to help you with), these are the next steps:

Step 1: Delivery

We will arrange for your new flooring to be delivered to your home. We'll be on site, supervising the delivery driver and helping unload. For smaller projects, we'll deliver the flooring in our own van.

Delivery of timber flooring to an installation project in Toowoomba

Step 2: Acclimatisation

Your new flooring will need to acclimate (adjust to the room's environment) before we can install it. How long is needed for acclimatisation will depend on a few factors: The type of flooring and the humidity and moisture levels of the room and sub-floor.

If there is a big difference in moisture levels, you will have issues with either gapping or cupping. So, we will test the sub-floor and new flooring with a moisture meter to indicate how long we need. Usually, it will be somewhere between 2 to 4 weeks.

New flooring laid out for acclimatisation before installing

Step 3: Sub-floor Prep

Once the floor is acclimated, we prepare the sub-floor. (We can remove existing coverings like carpet, vinyl flooring, or laminate for an extra cost.) We clean the sub-floor and check for flatness. If there are highs or lows, we grind down or fill in those areas to ensure a flat surface to install over. If this process is not done correctly, you can end up with a squeaky, loose, unstable floor.

Some subfloors also need priming with specialized products to ensure proper adhesion, as in the case of glue-down installations over concrete.

Above you can see the sub-floor prep we did to flatten all the raised sub-floor joints

Step 4: Installation begins

The installation method will vary depending on the type of flooring material you selected and your subfloor.

Installation of an Ironbark floor in Toowoomba

Site-finished or Pre-finished?

The most significant difference between the two is finish is already on the floor with pre-finished flooring. The time frame from installation to 'ready to walk on' is much shorter compared to a site-finished floor. Once the installation is finished, your floors are ready to go. No sanding, no finish is applied, no waiting for anything to dry. You can move your furniture back in straight away.

And because the finish is sprayed on and UV cured in a sealed factory setting, it is tough, smooth, and flawless. There will also be zero fumes and VOCs as this process is done in the factory.

The biggest drawback to this is the bevels on the edges of most pre-finished flooring. The bevels are needed to compensate for variances in the product thickness and the sub-floor. Many people don't like this look when compared to a bevel-less, sanded flat, site-finished floor. The grooves also gather dust, so extra cleaning is needed. Also, if you ever need to sand your pre-finished floor, you will need to remove a lot of wood to level out the bevels, or tediously sand each bevel, one at a time.

Bevels on a pre-finished floor

On the other hand, site-finished floors will give you a seamless, flat, bevel-free surface. They are much easier to clean, and you also have much more freedom for customization. You can choose custom stain colors, intricate inlays and borders, plus a vast choice of finishes and sheen levels.

A site finished floor with no bevels

The drawback to site-finished floors is that they take extra time. They need to be sanded, coated, and left to dry. This usually averages about twice as long compared to a pre-finished install. Also, because the flooring isn't sanded and finished in a climate-controlled factory environment, there will be signs of handcrafted work on a site-finished floor.

Ultimately, it will come down to the look you want and the timeframe you have to work within. As we sell and install both pre-finished AND site-finished flooring, we have no bias. Both have their place. We can discuss your options when you pop by our timber flooring showroom in Toowoomba or have us come over to your home for a free estimate.

What is the difference between engineered & solid timber flooring?

Solid timber flooring is solid wood all the way through. Engineered flooring only has solid timber on the top layer, the base is plywood.

A solid timber floor has around 8mm to the tongue and groove. They can be sanded up to six times. High-end engineered floors are available with similar wear layer thickness and can be sanded an equal amount. But lots of low-end, engineered flooring has a much thinner wear layer to save on costs.

Engineered timber floors are much more stable than solid timber if you install them in an area with possible moisture issues.

As you can see, there’s quite a lot involved in a timber floor installation in Toowoomba, especially if you want professional results. We will take the time to review all these details with you during your in-home estimate.