4 minute read
Special Producers of multilayer floors
THE DURABLE SOLUTION
WHY CHOOSE MULTILAYER OVER SOLID WOOD?
Advertisement
Photo – Oosterlinck
Like other sectors, the parquet sector has not escaped the influence of these increasingly lower energy times in which the quest to act as durably as possible with what is available is the priority. In the area of wooden floors you see, for instance, that people more often choose multilayer parquet over of solid parquet. Moreover, energy and the price argument are not their sole reasons for doing so. It is also necessary to treat the raw material wood sparingly and responsibly, and it has to come from sustainably managed forests.
There are various reasons for choosing multilayer or engineered parquet. It is not only (often, but not always) cheaper than a solid wood plank floor of the same quality, but also it has the advantage of being less sensitive to temperature and humidity. And so, the wood swells and shrinks a lot less. The reduction in swelling and shrinking also illustrates indirectly why it is better to combine floor heating with multilayer parquet rather than solid parquet. Floor heating means that the wood will be set in motion and the fact that there will be less expressive swelling and shrinking is a nice bonus. No one wants to see cracks in the parquet, something which unfortunately can occur sooner with solid parquet. Obviously, we’re not claiming that it’s impossible to combine solid parquet with floor heating, but it is certainly better to opt for wood sorts with minimal shrink.
Composition
The composition of the plank clarifies the reasons for these benefits. With multilayer or engineered parquet, several layers of wood (usually three) are put diametrically on top of each other. Furthermore, the top layer, which comprises noble wood, with oak being by far the most popular in our part of the world, is glued crosswise onto a stabilised
A specialist
Oosterlinck
Oosterlinck produces both solid and engineered parquet. The latter is made mainly in thicknesses of 21/6 – 16/4 and 13/4 and widths of up to 280mm. The big asset is that the company produces everything itself. This is a conscious choice since it means that Oosterlinck is very flexible and can respond to specific needs of individual clients. The delivery period is generally between three and four weeks. Chinese and Eastern European manufacturers can never rival this flexibility and the delivery periods. They also ask for minimum quantities (full containers, full pallets). Oosterlinck makes everything customised Independently of the quantité . They also offer floors in diverse attractive finishes and always have good stocks of raw wood such as oak, walnut, afrormosia, wenge, iroko kambala, afzelia, teak, jatoba… The company also knows the quality demands of Western European customers better than anyone. MADE IN BELGIUM is therefore a suitable slogan.
Photo – Oosterlinck
underlay. The underlays of composite parquet are usually made from coniferous wood or wooden panels, such as multiplex. The middle layer often consists of pine wood, birch multiplex, MDF, or HDF, whilst the upper section consists of a top layer of noble wood, which is between 2.5 and 6mm thick. When you view the fitting from above, you actually hardly see any difference from a solid wood floor, if any at all.
For fitting in many places
With the fitting of multilayer parquet, too, you notice a clear advantage as compared to solid parquet. This sort of parquet is suitable for both new constructions and renovation and can very often be fitted on top of an existing floor. Since multilayer parquet is available in different thicknesses, it can also be harmonised perfectly with the total floor height and/or the height of the screed. Basically, you can also fit it anywhere, even in the kitchen or bathroom.
Multilayer parquet is also much easier to fit than solid parquet. For that matter, for many years multilayer planks have been fitted with a click system akin to that of laminate or synthetic floors, and that alone makes the fitting even easier.
Drawbacks?
And so, does multilayer parquet only offer benefits? It almost goes without saying that this product, too, can have drawbacks. For instance, you have to look very closely at the quality of the entire plank and therefore the cheapest is often not the best. As a professional, you don’t want to supply your clients with a top layer which is too thin or a product with few qualitative underlays and/or poor adhesive connections so that the planks crack sooner. You must also make it clear to clients that you can’t freshen up multilayer planks as often as solid wood, depending on the top layer thickness. If there is any damage, you have to be extra sure not to go through the top layer with a noble wood.
Oosterlinck
Manufacturer of solid and engineered fl ooring in oak, walnut and exotic species
EXOTIC Collection | Wenge
wooden floors
Oosterlinck nv Schaapsdreef 8B B-8750 Wingene Tel. 0032 51 65 75 41 info@oosterlinck-hout.be
