INDEX
4.
My home and wood flooring
6.
Which wood flooring to chose?
8.
Sources and certifications
10 .
Composition of the boards
11 .
Dimensions
12 .
Range
14 .
Surface finishes
16 .
Colour
18 .
Topcoats
20 .
Collections
41.
Special trims
42.
Cleaning products
www.mondopavimenti.it
MADE IN ITALY
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MY HOME AND WOOD FLOORING
Walking barefoot on wood is an emotion that no other flooring can come close to, because it’s an authentic contact between us and nature. There’s a lot more we could add here, but these are the sincere reasons which come from our hearts and minds.
If you’re reading this, it’s because you’d like to find out more about the products we offer. Naturally, you will be spending a lot of time in your new home. Flooring is an important choice, in terms of aesthetics, wellbeing and even pleasure. Flooring should be considered the primary element in a home’s interior furnishings; over time we might decide to change the colour of the walls, replace furniture, and the house will get a new look; but the flooring will most likely stay with you for a very long time.
WHY CHOOSE PARQUET FLOORING? Nowadays, there are plenty of solutions on the market which offer excellent imitations of wood flooring. There are ceramic tiles which bear an incredible likeness to real parquet, yet with the practicality and hardness of a surface which is certainly more solid than a wooden floor. There are other, flexible flooring options which can be laid on subfloors, products made using petroleum derivatives which are robust, have no joints, are water-resistant and look like parquet. The most honest and widespread answer is probably: I choose parquet because it’s real, because wood has a history that will live on in my home; because I like it; because it’s natural and in my mind, it creates an endless feeling of pleasure and “warm” hospitality; a sense of wellbeing that will continue over time and not succumb to passing trends.
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WHICH WOOD FLOORING TO CHOOSE? Trees and shrubs are classified into families and then subdivided into different wood species. Each species has its own characteristics and might grow in different zones of the world; that is why they might differ in appearance even though they belong to the same species. From the Fagaceae family we have selected the sessile oak tree (Quercus petraea), native to central and north-eastern Europe, including Italy. This type of tree reaches its maximum size in 120 to 200 years, and it can live to up to 800 years on average, although there is evidence in Europe of trees that are 1200 years old. The oak has always been known and used for a variety of purposes, from furniture, to wine barrels, to boat-building and even poles immersed in water (such as the 500-year-old ones in Venice) and of course for flooring as in our case. Its heartwood withstands the harshest weather conditions and wear, so it’s hardly surprising that the ancient Greeks and Romans considered it a sacred tree, symbolic of strength, resilience and long life. When choosing a wood floor, before the aesthetic aspects one must first consider its properties, as it will be trodden on and subject to movements, because as noted, it is a “live” material which tends to shift according to environmental stimuli. The main features to consider are: hardness, stability and reaction to light. Hardness,
while it might seem nothing but an advantage, in actual fact should always be considered in relation to the use of the floor and to stability too, because a very hard wood might have low stability and therefore a tendency to move. Underfloor heating systems are becoming increasingly common in homes and offices too, so the stability of a parquet floor is fundamental. Oak produces a floor that has a “balanced” ratio between stability and hardness, so we can consider it one of the absolute best choices of floor to use in your home. Reaction to light and air causes a phenomenon called oxidation, which leads to variations in colour; this is quite evident in the first few months and greatly diminished in the following years; again, in the specific case of oak, it offers a floor with moderate oxidation. Wood flooring can mainly be divided into solid wood and engineered or pre-assembled flooring. Solid wood, as its name implies, means that the entire thickness of the board is hardwood, while in engineered flooring the upper layer is in hardwood, over a layer of plywood made using pine/birch, sometimes with a bottom layer of oak. Solid wood flooring is becoming less and less common, because the installation process is more complex; indeed, the unfinished material is laid and then the parquet-fitter, having laid the planks, then proceeds to buff and lacquer them. These important
steps are not only very time-consuming, but they create the final appearance of the floor, so if they are not skilfully performed they can damage the overall look of the floor. Furthermore, the end client will only see the results after the work has been carried out, and few variations in finish, colour and type of varnish are available, all of which are entrusted to the parquetfitter. What’s more, a solid wood floor cannot be made using large planks of wood, because it would lose its stability. With engineered or pre-assembled flooring, on the other hand, the finishing process is performed entirely in the factory, monitoring quality throughout the various stages, and guaranteeing a finished product (hence the term pre-assembled); so, on site, the parquet-fitter only has to lay the flooring without any additional processes, reducing installation time and guaranteeing the final result. While it is true that parquet is a natural material, and as such each board is different to the next, the client can choose from a range of samples which are very similar to the final result their pavement will have, and can pick the colour, finish and size of each board. Engineered parquet is therefore more stable than solid wood flooring, especially when creating floors with large boards. For all of these reasons, we have chosen to sell engineered parquet. 7
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SOURCES
We have selected the sources of our raw material – sessile oak – with great care, and of the many possible options we have chosen southern Poland. There, trees grow in untouched woodland, far from industrial atmospheric pollution and radioactive contamination; they grow surrounded by sunshine and clean air, in forests stretching out for hundreds of kilometres. Poland’s urban areas are clustered together, leaving plenty of green areas with wonderful woods. Our quality-controlled supply-chain starts from when the trunk is cut, to when the timber is sectioned, dried in controlled conditions, right up to the finished board.
CERTIFICATIONS Our certifications CE Marking All building elements are designed and manufactured to guarantee the safety of person, things and animals. E1-HCHO Our products are fully compliant with the limits of class E1, which is one of the most stringent European standards (UNI EN 14342). CFL-S1 Our products are compliant with European standard EN 13501-1 and are classified in Cfl-s1 class SOLVENT-FREE During the lacquering and oiling phases as well as during the use of adhesives, there are no solvent emissions, which are harmful to both humans and the environment. FSC FSC certified products guarantee the consumer that the product has been made using material sourced from well-managed forests, from an environmental, social and economic perspective. 9
COMPOSITION OF THE BOARDS
11 mm thickness
The top layer is bonded to the plywood using solvent-free glue.
15 mm thickness
10
20 mm thickness
DIMENSIONS
Our products are unique in this sector as, contrary to what is available on the market, we offer boards with lengths in mm of 1200 - 1600 - 1800 in a fixed size only (without sub-measures and therefore shorter lengths); so your floor will only include boards of the same length. This type of fixed size boards is not generally available on the market, or only available for custom orders paying a supplement. We on the other hand offer this as a distinctive mark of quality for your home. Boards with the same thickness can be laid together, combining the various lengths; the 180x1800 size can be custom-made with a thickness of 11 millimetres upon request.
2000/3000
3000/6000
(measurements given in millimetres)
1800
DIMENSIONS TABLE
1600 1200 120
160
180
m2/bundle
Bundles per pallet
m2/pallet
11x120x1200
2,058
48
98,784
11x160x1600
2,56
40
98,784
15x180x1800
1,944
40
77,76
20x230 / 260x2000 / 3000
variable
variable
variable
20x230 / 270x3000 / 6000
variable
variable
variable
Dimensions
230/260
230/270
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RANGE
Parquet flooring, specifically oak flooring, is divided into appearance classes, which differ according to the visual aspect of the type of board chosen. European standards include the “Free Class�, used by Mondo Pavimenti, whereby each manufacturer states the appearance of the parquet they are selling. The solution devised by Mondo Pavimenti in order to enrich the aesthetic features of its collections, is divided into two categories, FREEDOM and NATUR, as described below:
FEATURES
SELECTION NATUR
FREEDOM
Sound sapwood Knots (sound, intergrown, unsound, filled)
May be present, maximum measurement 1 cm
Present, no limit, even with visible black filling
Yellow stain
May be present, no limit
May be present, no limit
Checks (splits)
May be present, no limit
May be present, no limit
Bark pockets
None
May be present
Lightning shake
May be present
May be present, no limit
Curly grain
Present, no limit
May be present, no limit
Slope of grain
Present, no limit
May be present, no limit
Sound heartwood
None
May be present
Colour variations (including blackheart, red heart, etc.)
Present
May be present, no limit
Stick marks
May be present
May be present
Medullary rays (blazes)
Present, no limit
Present, no limit
Biodeterioration
Rare
May be present
Presence of holes *
Very rarely present
May be present, no limit
Non-visible parts All features permitted without limit to size or quantity if these do not impair the strength or the wearing quality of the wood flooring. * Possible presence of holes, not containing insects
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Freedom
The Freedom selection includes blackfilled knots, some of which are very visible; this choice gives your flooring a very natural appearance. It should be pointed out that the knot represents the part of the tree where the branch once was, so enhancing this feature means appreciating the true essence of the wood, which in nature contains branches and therefore knots. A floor with no knots has a very evenlooking appearance, where as a floor featuring knots brings out the differences in the boards. The result is a truly striking effect, which is unique and quite hard to come by in other flooring on the market.
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SURFACE FINISHES The boards are available with a custom surface finish. We offer four finishes: smooth, brushed, distressed, planed.
Smooth
Brushed
The smooth finish leaves the normal structure of the oak, producing an elegant, even result, leaving the wood with a “soft” texture.
The brushed finish is achieved mechanically using a metal brush for light, even abrasion over the entire surface structure of the board; this “opens up” the veins in the wood, leaving the surface slightly rippled. This process increases colour absorption, highlighting the veins in the wood and enhancing the different colours in them; the texture is rough to the touch.
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Distressed
Planed
The distressed surface is also created mechanically with a metal brush that makes deep scores on the surface of the board, leaving visible grooves that can be noticed even after the floor has been installed; the surface is left very uneven looking, giving the finished floor a structured effect. The veins of the wood are really brought to the fore, and during the staining phase, the variation in hues brings out the differences in the timber’s structure and veins. The surface has a structured, wavy texture to it.
Planing, carried out entirely by hand by skilled master carpenters, leaves deep grooves on the surface of the board, creating a very uneven surface effect that gives the floor a unique appearance. Each board has a different finish to the next, for a unique, one-off result; the difference between the boards is quite incredible, and overall, they make up what can be considered a one-of-a-kind floor. In terms of texture, planing creates noticeable differences in the surfaces, leaving grooves each different to the next, for a very wavy effect. 15
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COLOUR
Oak has its own natural yellow/dark brown colour, but it can be stained any hue. Normally industrial manufacturers use machines to stain parquet with solvent-based dyes, which allow the wood to be coloured and varnished quickly by passing them through these machines just once; this method enables them to produce large quantities of parquet boards, up to around 600 square metres per hour. We, however, have opted for quality. We use a blend of natural, pigmented oils that are made in Italy by leading manufacturers, designed especially for staining wood. This procedure is carried out entirely by hand, and offers a number of aesthetic advantages. No machine, even the most powerful in the world, is capable of imitating the human brain; the latest experiment conducted to recreate
the human brain using a machine required 82,000 processors, with the world’s fourth most powerful super computer, the K computer in Japan. Here are some figures: the IT experts recreated 1.73 billion virtual nerve cells, and 10.4 trillion synapses, each of which contained 24 bytes of memory. The simulation took 40 minutes of real “biological” time to produce one virtual second. It’s safe to say that the most perfect “machine” in the world is the human being; that’s why we process all of our flooring by hand. The human eye can interpret the material, and making skilful use of the right blend of oils, only an expert hand can balance the colour with the texture and feel, creating a one-off piece out of each board. The natural oil penetrates the grain of the wood, at different depths and in different quantities according to the figures in the wood grain. This guarantees
that each board is different to the next; and once the whole floor has been laid, it enhances its aesthetic effect, rendering each piece unique and inimitable. This process allows a few hundred square metres of parquet to be stained in one working day, compared to the thousands of square metres possible in an industrial system; but the results of these two processes cannot be compared. Once stained, the boards are left to “rest” on racks for around three days, without forcing the drying process. This allows the oil to slowly seep into the fibres and air-dry naturally, without forcing it to speed up the process. Once drying is completed, the boards are ready for the final phase: the topcoat.
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TOPCOATS
Having defined the surface finish and stained the wood, we arrive at the final phase of manufacturing: coating. The topcoat is the uppermost protective layer on the board, the layer that must withstand wear and tear, so the choice of topcoat is very important, both for the durability of the floor and the aesthetic effect; and not least, for the maintenance that the wooden flooring will require in the future. Our company offers three types of topcoat: Natural Oil, Oil-Based Polyurethane Varnish, Water-Based Varnish. NATURAL OIL: Colourless oil is applied to the stained wood surface, so that it fills all of the wood’s pores. After this, a fixative liquid is applied to improve its durability and water-resistance. After the flooring has been laid, we recommend an additional application of the fixative liquid. This type of coating enhances and highlights the colour contrasts of the floor; the final result is a natural surface, with an incredibly “soft” texture; the visual impact is extraordinary. One has the impression of having the true heart and soul of the wood underfoot. This topcoat has the added advantage that, should the wood surface become damaged, spot-repairs can be made by filling in the damaged part, restaining the filler on site, and finally protecting the repaired part with oil and fixative. From time to time the oiled flooring will require a nourishing treatment, 18
which consists of repeating the oiling process when the floor’s appearance loses its intensity and shine. The time between one treatment and the next depends on wear and tear, and therefore how the floor is used; it might vary from a few months to many months. We always recommend having the treatment carried out by an expert parquet-fitter. The natural oil treatment is not waterproof; therefore, if a large amount of water comes into contact with the surface, if it is not cleaned up immediately it can penetrate into the wood fibre and react with the other substances that the wood contains, causing dark marks to appear on the surface; these marks can be removed mechanically by an expert parquet-fitter. For everyday maintenance, we recommend removing dust before washing with a microfiber cloth which has been sprayed with a very small amount of water. If necessary, a neutral detergent can be added; we recommend using the cleaning products offered by our company. For more stubborn dirt, occasional cleaning can be carried out using Soft-Day from Mondo Pavimenti or a similar product, following the instructions on the product. Exceptionally, for very stubborn stains, Like New from Mondo Pavimenti or a similar product can be used; we always recommend following the instructions carefully when using this product. Very frequent cleaning using lots of water will damage the oiled surface, and is therefore not recommended,
nor is the use of unsuitable commercial cleaning products; therefore, we recommend you use our own products, or other suitable professional cleaning products. OIL-BASED POLYURETHANE VARNISH: Monocomponent oil-based polyurethane varnish features a resistance to tread and wear and tear that is comparable to that of an excellent bi-component solvent-based polyurethane varnish. It gives the parquet a warm, soft appearance which resembles that of a natural oil coating, but offers extremely easy maintenance. Application of this yellowish varnish will change the original colour of the board; it is more long-lasting than natural oil, and requires less maintenance; it is not recommended for use on light colours as it will indeed change the hue. For ordinary maintenance, we recommend removing dust before cleaning with a slightly damp microfiber cloth. A neutral detergent can be added if necessary; we recommend using the cleaning products offered by our company. For more stubborn dirt, occasional cleaning can be carried out using Soft-Day from Mondo Pavimenti or a similar product, following the instructions on the product. Exceptionally, for very stubborn stains, Like New from Mondo Pavimenti or a similar product can be used; we always recommend following the instructions carefully when using this product.
WATER-BASED VARNISH: Definitely the topcoat that’s most popular with our end clients. We use a bi-component water-based varnish made Italy by a leading manufacturer in the wood flooring coatings sector. The use of special resins gives the flooring a very, natural, non-reflective matt effect. Water-based varnish is free of substances that are harmful to people or the environment, not to mention odourless; it does not release toxic substances that could harm workers or end-users. Old-generation solvent-based varnishes may in some cases be able to guarantee the mechanical performance and protection of the wood; however, their chemical make-up means that they create a flat, uniform, glassy look, depriving us of the pleasure of touching the floor; not only do they diminish the aesthetic value of the parquet, but above all, they impregnate the wood and release large quantities of volatile organic substances which worsen the air quality inside rooms. They can, therefore, turn wood from a natural, eco-compatible material into a source of pollution which poses a danger to the health of workers and consumers alike. Indeed, in recent years the European Union has imposed limits on the use of solvents in varnish, with a view to protecting health and the environment and improving indoor air quality. Added to these problems, they are increasingly associated with growing numbers of allergic
sensitization. These problems can affect people and cause a range of irritant allergic pathologies, even on parts of the body that do not come into direct contact with the varnish; they can cause damage to the respiratory system which may be serious and long-lasting, as has been demonstrated by clinical studies conducted in several specialist hospitals. The use of a high-quality water-based varnish limits the occurrence of diseases related to poor construction practices. Using a water-based varnish with a topquality formula guarantees greater safety for the user, and healthier environments, ensuring better indoor air quality, to the advantage of consumer health. Due to its particular formulation, waterbased varnish provides high resistance to tread and wear and tear. The varnished surface is easy to care for; it is waterresistant and resistant to generic stains, meaning it does not require specific treatments over time, apart from ordinary cleaning. One of key visual parameters in the appearance of a varnish is its glossiness, namely the amount of incident light reflected in a varnished surface. The measurement parameter for the intensity of gloss of a varnish product indicates the percentage of incident light reflected in the varnished surface. This percentage value varies from 0 (maximum opacity = no specular reflection of incident light) to 100 (maximum gloss = specular reflection of all incident
light). The measurement for assessing the opacity or brilliance of a varnish is the Gloss Unit. Our standard provides for a varnish of around gloss 5; upon request, we can use specific water-based varnishes with higher gloss, depending on the desired effect, up to a maximum of gloss 80. For ordinary maintenance, we recommend removing dust before cleaning with a slightly damp microfiber cloth. A neutral detergent can be added if necessary; we recommend using the cleaning products offered by our company. For more stubborn dirt, occasional cleaning can be carried out using Mondo Pavimentirecommended products for varnished flooring. Exceptionally, for very stubborn stains, specific products recommended by Mondo Pavimenti or similar products can be used; we always recommend following the instructions carefully when using such products. We advise against the use of commercial micro wax detergents, which do appear to create a shiny surface but subsequently, when trodden on, cause a breakdown in the micro wax particles, requiring several washes for the floor to look clean again.
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COLLECTIONS
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LIMA 21
BERNA 160 22
OSLO 23
HELSINKI 24
DOHA 25
MADRID 26
MANILA 27
CAMBERRA 28
TOKYO 29
ATENE 30
JACARTA 31
PECHINO 32
ROMA 33
MALÈ 34
HANOI 35
MOSCA 36
SANTIAGO 37
OLYMPIA 38
BERNA 120 39
NAJROBI 40
SPECIAL TRIMS
Stairs Stairs made custom-made with riser and tread hardwood oak. Tread standard thickness 3 cm, riser 2 cm.
Torelli/Edges Available two types, rounded and squared.
SPECIAL TRIMS (stairs) 1. Stairs made with ceramic riser and rounded hardwood tread.
2. Stairs made with riser in parquet and rounded or squared tread.
finitura squadrata
finitura arrotondata
3. Stairs made with rounded or squared edges.
torello squadrato
torello arrotondato
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Skirting Skirting is available in hardwood, natural or brushed, and in many heights and thicknesses as necessary.
CLEANING PRODUCTS Parquet FILACLEANER
Battiscopa massello becco civetta
Neutral detergent for wood and ceramic flooring. 1 L.
h
MONDO LIKE NEW Intensive cleaner for oiled wood flooring. 1 L.
sp
SKIRTING Available heights and thicknesses h 75
10 thick
h 75
13 thick
h 95
10 thick
SPECIAL TRIMS Adhesive
Bicomponent adhesive for parquet, Ftalati-free.
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MONDO SOFT DAY Detergent and nutrient for oiled flooring cleaning. 1 L. WAX CARE Water-repellent wax dispersion for intensive maintenance for lacquered, oiled and waxed wood flooring highly clomping. 500 ml. WAX CARE BIANCO Water-repellent wax dispersion for intensive maintenance for white lacquered, oiled and waxed wood flooring highly clomping. 500 ml. POLISH WT Maintenance product for lacquered wood flooring. Nourishes, regenerates and smells pleasantly the environment. 1 L. CLEANER STAR Intensive cleaning of lacquered wood flooring. 1 L.
Mondo Pavimenti S.r.l. Sede Legale: via G. Miglioli, 24 - 26015, Soresina (CR) Sede Operativa e Showroom: via Anelli, 52/54 - 26020, Casalmorano (CR) Tel. +39.0374.374223 - Fax +39.0374.374150 info@mondopavimenti.it - www.mondopavimenti.it