Malaysian timber flooring

Its beauty comes with age; its warmth and texture almost everlasting – nothing beats the presence of timber in our living space, and wooden floorings are stunning additions that provide a direct connection to nature. Being an environmentally friendly and durable material, timber floorings never go out of style.

Timber floorings, which are available in the forms of solid timber flooring and engineered timber flooring, have many benefits such as: ● Long-lasting

Well-manufactured and properly maintained timber floorings can last for generations. As they are hard-wearing, these floorings can withstand heavy foot traffic and active work areas, providing greater resistance to indentation and abrasion. ● Hygienic and easy to maintain

Timber floorings are better than carpets, which can harbour parasites, allergens like dust mites and fleas as well as dust.

These floorings do not retain stains or odours and can be cleaned just by sweeping or mopping. ● Insulating

Timber floorings insulate against excessive heat that help keeps the floor cool. ● Good acoustics and air quality

Timber floorings do not give off hollow sounds or vibrations; wood is hypoallergenic and thus contribute to a healthier living environment. ● Value-for-money

A simple act of sand and seal will bring timber flooring back to new again, unlike carpets that will need to be replaced every few years. ● Evergreen appeal

Although stone and tile floorings are considered more hygienic

and easy to maintain, they do not exude the earthy warmth that timber provides and when it comes to “floor fashion”, timber floorings win hands-down against carpets, linoleum, granite and even marble.

While other types of flooring will start to look dull and worn out over time, timber floors are able to retain their beauty and even become more valuable over time. There is a wide range of Malaysian timber floorings available in the market, prominently used in homes, offices, showrooms, indoor sports arenas and restaurants. These timber floorings are known to be very versatile, as they are easily paired with virtually any other building materials, colour palette and furniture, making them a popular choice to create stunning interior.

Among the popular timber species used for the manufacturing of Malaysian timber flooring are Balau, Dark Red Meranti, Light Red Meranti, Kempas, Merbau, Red Balau, Rubberwood, Bintangor, Keranji, Merpauh, Sepetir, Mempisang and Nyatoh. These timbers come in a wide variety of colours that easily attract buyers. Besides the variations in their natural colours, the sapwood of many species can be much lighter than the heartwood, providing for both lightand dark-coloured boards. Even within a tree, large colour variations can occur providing a visual feast when the timber pieces are assembled.

Malaysia has long been known as a major producer of highquality timber flooring, whose products are exported to highly discerning markets with stringent requirements such as Europe, the United States, Australia and Japan. In common cases, buyers tend to opt for either conventional solid strips and parquet or engineered flooring.

Malaysian timber floorings are specifically milled; attractive and sturdy. These floorings can create a sense of spaciousness in a room.

PARTIAL LIST OF HARDWOOD TIMBER FLOORING SPECIES’ CHARACTERISTICS

Balau Sapwood is lighter in colour and well-defined from the heartwood, which is yellow-brown, brown or reddish brown. The grain is interlocked and the texture is moderately fine but even.

Dark Red Meranti

Kempas

Merbau

Red Balau Sapwood is not clearly defined from the heartwood, which is medium red to deep red to deep red-brown. The grain is interlocked. The texture is moderately coarse but even.

Sapwood is white or pale yellow in colour. The heartwood is pinkish when fresh and darkens to bright orange red or deep brown. The grain is interlocked, often very interlocked. The texture is coarse but even, except in areas where included phloem occurs.

Sapwood is pale yellow in colour. Heartwood is yellowish to orange brown when fresh, darkening to brown or dark red brown on exposure. The texture is coarse and even, with interlocked grain.

Sapwood is well-defined from the heartwood of purple red or dark red-brown colour. The grain is interlocked, often deeply interlocked. Texture is rather coarse and even.

Rubberwood Sapwood is not differentiated from the heartwood, which is pale cream in colour, often with a pink tinge. Texture is moderately coarse but even with straight to shallowly interlocked grain.

PARTIAL LIST OF MALAYSIAN HARDWOOD FLOORING SPECIFICATIONS*

Types of Flooring Solid parquet

Thickness (mm) 8, 10, 12, 14

Strip flooring 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 22

Laminated (3-layer parquet) 8, 9, 12, 14

Width (mm) 30, 38, 50, 60, 70

70, 83, 90, 150

90, 150, 190, 300

Length (mm) 30, 200-500

900, 1200, 2000

905, 1818, 1205, 2200