Glossary
Timber Flooring Glossary
The terms you'll hear when choosing, installing and restoring a timber floor, explained in plain English.
In short
Plain-English definitions of the timber flooring terms you'll hear when choosing, installing and restoring a floor, from acclimatisation and wear layer to cupping, parquetry and hard-wax oil, written by Design Timber Flooring for Sydney homeowners.
Last updated
A
- Acclimatisation
- Letting timber flooring adjust to the moisture conditions of the home before it is laid. Whether boards need to sit on site, and for how long, depends on the product and the manufacturer's instructions. Read more
- Acoustic underlay
- A layer installed beneath a hard floor to reduce impact noise passing to the rooms below. Apartment buildings often set acoustic requirements for timber floors in their by-laws, so the underlay or system is chosen to meet the building's rules. Read more
C
- Chevron
- A parquetry pattern of boards cut at an angle at each end so they meet in a continuous V or zigzag. It looks more uniform and directional than herringbone. Read more
- Crowning
- When the centre of a floorboard sits higher than its edges, often after a cupped floor was sanded flat before it dried out. It is assessed for its cause in the same way as cupping. Read more
- Cupping
- When the edges of a floorboard sit higher than its centre, usually because the underside has absorbed more moisture than the top. The moisture source is found and fixed before any sanding or repair. Read more
E
- Engineered timber
- A floorboard with a top layer of real timber (the wear layer) bonded to a stable core of plywood or other timber. It is often used over concrete slabs and in apartments, and some products can be sanded depending on their wear layer. Read more
- Expansion gap
- A gap left around the edge of a floor, usually hidden by skirting or trims, so the timber can move with changes in humidity. The required gap is set by the product and installation method.
F
- Factory-finished (prefinished)
- Flooring that arrives already coated by the manufacturer, so it does not need sanding and coating on site after installation. Many engineered timber products are supplied this way. Read more
- Floating floor
- A floor that is not glued or nailed to the subfloor. The boards lock or glue to each other and rest on an underlay. Whether floating suits a site depends on the product, the subfloor and any building requirements. Read more
G
- Glue-down installation
- Fixing flooring directly to the subfloor with a flooring adhesive. It is common for engineered timber and parquetry over concrete, and needs a flat, dry and sound subfloor. Read more
- Grade
- How much natural character, such as gum veins, knots and colour variation, a timber product shows. Grade names and definitions vary between suppliers, so samples are the best way to compare.
H
- Hard-wax oil
- A floor finish that soaks into the timber and hardens at the surface, giving a natural, low-sheen look. It is usually maintained by spot repairs and re-oiling rather than a full sand. Read more
- Hardwood
- Timber from broadleaf trees. In Sydney flooring this usually means Australian eucalypt species such as Blackbutt, Spotted Gum and Sydney Blue Gum, as well as imported species such as European Oak. Read more
- Herringbone
- A parquetry pattern of rectangular blocks laid at right angles so each block's end meets the side of the next, forming a broken zigzag. Read more
- Hybrid flooring
- A rigid, multi-layer floor with a printed timber-look surface and a core usually made from a stone-plastic or similar composite. It is not real timber and cannot be sanded. Read more
J
- Janka hardness
- A standard test of how resistant a timber is to denting, used to compare species. A higher rating means more dent-resistant timber, but the finish, grain and how the floor is used also affect how it wears. Read more
- Joists
- The timber or steel beams that support a suspended floor. Solid floorboards in many older Sydney homes are nailed directly to the joists. Read more
L
- Lacing in
- Replacing damaged boards by removing them in a staggered pattern and fitting new boards so the joins blend with the surrounding floor rather than forming a straight line. Read more
- Laminate flooring
- A floor with a photographic timber-look layer over a fibreboard core, protected by a clear wear layer. It is not real timber and cannot be sanded. Read more
M
- Moisture reading
- A measurement of the moisture in timber or a concrete slab, taken with a meter before installation or when investigating damage. Products and adhesives set the limits they need. Read more
N
- Nosing
- The front edge of a stair tread, or the trim that finishes the edge of a floor at a step. On timber stairs it is shaped and finished to match the treads. Read more
P
- Parquetry
- Flooring made from small timber blocks laid in a geometric pattern, such as herringbone, chevron or basket weave. Read more
- Polyurethane
- A hard-wearing clear coating applied to sanded timber floors, available as water-based or solvent-based systems and in finishes from matt to gloss. Read more
R
- Recoat (maintenance coat)
- A light abrasion and fresh coat of finish over an existing coating that is worn but intact. It refreshes the surface without sanding back to bare timber, but cannot remove deep scratches or stains. Read more
- Return-to-service time
- How long a newly coated floor must cure before foot traffic, furniture and rugs can go back. It is set by the coating manufacturer and varies with site conditions. Read more
S
- Sand and polish
- Sanding a timber floor back to bare wood, filling where needed, then applying a new coating system. It removes most surface wear and is how solid timber floors are restored. Read more
- Secret nailing
- Fixing tongue-and-groove boards by nailing through the tongue at an angle, so the nail is hidden by the next board.
- Solid timber flooring
- Floorboards milled from a single piece of timber throughout their thickness. Solid boards can usually be sanded several times over their life. Read more
- Stain
- A colour applied to sanded bare timber before the clear coating, used to change the floor's tone. Each species takes stain differently, so samples are tested on the floor first. Read more
- Subfloor
- The structural surface a floor is laid over, such as a concrete slab, particleboard or plywood sheets, or timber joists. Read more
T
- Tongue and groove
- A board profile where a projecting tongue on one edge fits into a groove on the next board, locking the floor together.
W
- Wear layer
- The top layer of real timber on an engineered board. Its thickness largely decides whether, and how many times, the floor can be sanded and refinished. Read more
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