How Hard-Wearing are NZ Timber Floors, Compared with European Oak?

Did you know that a person wearing stilettos can exert more force on a single stiletto point than an elephant? That is the amount of force that our flooring is susceptible to.

A large number of New Zealand homes have native timber floors. They are thought to be reasonably hard-wearing (although many species do often show dents from wear). In many cases this flooring needs to be extended or refurbished and the cost to do so can be a prohibitive.

An alternative option is to introduce an overlay timber flooring to the home. As such, we are often asked about the hardness of European Oak compared to New Zealand native timber floors. The Janka Hardness Test is a great way to offer a comparison between timber species.

The Janka Hardness Test is used to measure the resistance of a sample of wood, to denting and wear.  The results can compare the relative hardness of different species. It is determined by pressing a small steel ball into the wood.  The test measures the force required to embed the ball half way (creating an indentation that measures one square centermeter. 

European oak has a relatively high rating on the Janka scale, making it a durable choice for flooring.  It is not the hardest on the scale, but oak has become a popular choice due to accessibility, a desirable aesthetic, ability to forest sustainably and it is relatively easy to work with for a hard wood.

Some New Zealand native timbers, such as totara and rimu, also rank relatively high on the Janka scale, but are limited in availability for flooring. Other native timbers, such as kauri and matai, rank lower on the scale and may be less resistant to wear and tear.

The hardness test is expressed as kilograms-force (kgs), newtons (N) or pounds-force (lbf).  The following shows a comparison of New Zealand Natives and other popular species expressed in lbf:

• Brazilian cherry: 2,820 lbf

• Totara: 2,040 lbf
• Jarrah: 2,020 lbf

• Maple: 1,450 lbf

• European Oak: 1,350 lbf
• Teak: 1,155 lbf
• Rimu: 1,010 lbf
• Kauri: 890 lbf
• Matai: 940 lbf

Each species has a number unique properties.  The wear resistance and hardness of timber is important, but it is just one factor to consider when choosing flooring.  

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How Hard-Wearing are NZ Native Timber Floors?

Many New Zealand homes have native timber floors. They are known to be reasonably hard-wearing (although many species do often show dents from wear). In many cases this flooring needs to be extended or refurbished and often the cost to do so can be prohibitive.

Alternative options are to introduce an overlay timber flooring to the home.  As such, we are often asked about the hardness of European Oak compared to New Zealand native timber floors.

The Janka scale is used to measure the hardness of wood and compare the relative hardness of different species. It is determined by pressing a small steel ball into the wood with a set amount of force and measuring the depth of the indentation. This measure is expressed as an lbf value (pounds of force).

European oak has a high rating on the Janka scale, making it a durable choice for flooring. In comparison to other types of timber, such as pine and fir, European oak ranks relatively high on the scale. Some New Zealand native timbers, such as totara and rimu, also rank relatively high on the Janka scale. Other native timbers, such as kauri and matai, rank lower on the scale and may be less resistant to wear and tear.

The following shows a comparison of New Zealand Natives and other popular species:

•   Maple: 1,450 lbf

•   Brazilian cherry: 2,820 lbf

•   Jarrah: 2,020 lbf

•   Teak: 1,155 lbf

•   Totara: 2,040 lbf

•   Rimu: 1,010 lbf

•   Kauri: 890 lbf

•   Matai: 940 lbf

•   European Oak: 1,350 lbf

Compared to most New Zealand natives, European timber rates much higher on the Janka hardness scale.

The Janka scale is just one factor to consider when choosing timber flooring, as other factors such as appearance, price, and availability may also be important. However, the Janka scale can help you choose a durable and suitable type of flooring.

The Differences Between Oiled & Lacquered Timber Floors

Engineered oak timber flooring is a popular choice for homeowners and businesses due to its durability and versatility. When choosing engineered oak flooring, one important decision is whether to opt for an oiled finish or a lacquered finish. Here are the pros and cons of each option:

Oiled Oak Flooring Pros:

  1. Natural look: Oiled oak flooring has the most natural and organic appearance.
  2. Easy maintenance: Oiled oak flooring is relatively easy to maintain, as it only requires occasional re-oiling to keep it looking its best. This can be done using a special oil and a soft cloth, and the process is generally quick and straightforward.
  3. Better timber experience: Oiled oak flooring has a softer and more comfortable feel underfoot than a lacquered floor because you are in direct contact with the timber. An oiled floor will never crack, blister or flake off, because there is no coating to sit on top.
  4. Pore expression: The open-pored wood regulates humidity levels for a heathy indoor climate. As the room increases and decreases in humidity, the flooring will take on more or less moisture.
  5. Environmental benefits: Oiled oak flooring is considered to be more environmentally friendly than lacquered flooring, as it does not contain any harmful chemicals or solvents.
  6. Spot repairs: Many oiled finishes can be spot-repaired, eliminating the need for future sanding and refinishing.

Oiled Oak Flooring Cons:

  1. Susceptible to water damage: Although it can be largely managed, oiled oak flooring is more prone to water damage than lacquered flooring. It may not be the best choice for areas of the home or business that are prone to moisture, or are not likely to maintain the floor.
  2. Requires frequent maintenance: While oiled oak flooring is relatively easy to maintain, it does require more frequent attention than lacquered flooring in order to keep it looking its best. Without maintenance, an oiled floor will be more susceptible to staining. A typical maintenance program for a residential home would mean oiling the floor every 24 months.
  3. Can’t use standard cleaners: Standard cleaning products will lift oils. An oiled floor requires specific cleaning products to ensure effective care.

Lacquered Oak Flooring Pros:

  1. Durability: Lacquered oak flooring is more durable and resistant to wear and tear than oiled flooring, making it a good choice for high-traffic areas.
  2. Easy maintenance: Lacquered oak flooring is relatively easy to maintain, as it only requires occasional dusting and sweeping to keep it looking its best.
  3. Resistant to water damage: Lacquered oak flooring is more resistant to water damage than oiled flooring, making it a good choice for areas of the home or business that are prone to moisture.
  4. Can be natural looking: The latest matt lacquer floor coatings can look extremely natural.

Lacquered Oak Flooring Cons:

  1. Artificial appearance: Lacquered oak flooring can have a more artificial or synthetic appearance than oiled flooring, which may not be appealing to those who prefer a more natural look.
  2. Hard feel: Lacquered oak flooring can have a harder and more unforgiving feel underfoot than oiled. When touching a lacquered floor, you are in contact with the lacquer, rather than the timber.
  3. Repairs are more difficult: Spot repairs and minor scratches are not as easy to repair as with oiled floors.
  4. Refurbishment is costly: Most lacquered floors eventually require refurbishing which can be a disruptive and costly exercise. Refurbishing a lacquered floor requires removing all furniture, sanding and refinishing. (A lacquered finish should last 10 to 15 years).
  5. Environmental impact: Contains chemicals: Lacquered oak flooring is made with chemicals and solvents, which can be harmful to the environment

Ultimately, the choice between oiled and lacquered oak flooring comes down to personal preference and the specific needs of your space. Consider the look and feel you want for your floor, as well as the level of maintenance you are willing to commit to and the environmental impacts of your choice.

Floating Timber Floor Installation vs Glue-Down Installation

Choosing between a floating timber floor installation and a glue-down method is a key decision for any flooring project. Each approach has unique benefits and suitability depending on your needs. Here’s a comparison to help you decide which option is right for you.

What is a Floating Timber Floor Installation?

A floating timber floor rests on an underlay rather than being fixed directly to the subfloor. The planks click together, creating a stable, secure surface that “floats” above the base.

Benefits of Floating Floors:

  • Ease of Installation: Ideal for DIY projects, thanks to the click-lock mechanism.
  • Cost-Effective: No adhesives or nails are required, reducing materials and labour costs.
  • Subfloor Flexibility: Can be installed over various surfaces, including concrete or tiles.
  • Movability: Easily removed or replaced, making it perfect for renters or those planning future renovations.

Limitations of Floating Floors:

  • Less Soundproof: Without adhesive, sound can transmit through the layers.
  • Not Ideal for Wet Areas: Floating floors may not be suitable for high-moisture spaces like bathrooms.

What is Glue-Down Installation?

Glue-down timber floors are fixed directly to the subfloor with a high-quality adhesive. This creates a seamless bond, enhancing the floor’s stability and longevity.

Benefits of Glue-Down Floors:

  • Superior Stability: The adhesive bond minimises movement and provides a solid feel underfoot.
  • Enhanced Acoustics: The glued surface reduces noise transmission and echoing.
  • Durable and Long-Lasting: Ideal for high-traffic areas and commercial spaces.
  • Better for Wet Areas: With the right sealant, glue-down floors can handle moisture better than floating options.

Limitations of Glue-Down Floors:

  • Complex Installation: Requires professional expertise, especially on uneven subfloors.
  • Higher Costs: Adhesives and skilled labour add to the expense.
  • Permanent Fix: Removing glue-down floors can be difficult and time-consuming.

Which Installation Method is Right for You?

Choose Floating Floors If:

  • You want a quick, cost-effective installation.
  • Your subfloor is even and dry.
  • You need flexibility for future changes or renovations.

Choose Glue-Down Floors If:

  • You require maximum stability and soundproofing.
  • The area experiences heavy foot traffic.
  • You are installing flooring in wet or commercial spaces.

Both floating timber floor installation and glue-down methods have their place in modern flooring. Your choice depends on your project’s requirements, your budget, and the conditions of your subfloor.

When in doubt, consult a flooring expert to ensure the best outcome for your space. No matter the method, high-quality timber floors add beauty, warmth, and value to your home.

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Engineered vs Solid Wood Flooring

This guide describes the benefits of engineered wood flooring compared to solid wood flooring, and we also address some of the myths about both types of wood floors.

Why choose engineered over solid? Engineered oak from Europe gives you big‑board beauty without the movement issues of solid timber. It’s real wood—but built to handle concrete subfloors, underfloor heating, and NZ humidity. And because it’s factory‑finished, once it arrives you can install it straight away and even move furniture back in the next da

LIFE-SPAN

ENGINEERED WOOD

Most engineered wood floors will last you over 35 years to a lifetime, depending on wear and tear. The 2.5mm to 4mm or even a 6mm hardwood top layer can be sanded several times over the life of the floor. If your floor has a natural finish then you’ll be maintaining the finish regularly by adding more oil to the floor – scratches can be repaired this way, meaning you may never need to sand the floor at all and your floor will last a lifetime.

SOLID WOOD

Solid wood planks can only be sanded down to just above the level of the plank tongue. This means that only about 5-6mm of wood is available for sanding. Furthermore, when installing the solid wood floors they must be aggressively sanded in order to ensure the surface is completely flat. You can easily lose several millimetres of precious wood during this process. Solid wood planks should last from 50 years to a lifetime.
We believe the lifespan of solid wood when compared to engineered wood is consistently over-stated, most engineered wood flooring will last you just as long.

COST

ENGINEERED WOOD

Most engineered wood flooring is supplied prefinished, with the colour and finish (lacquer, UV oil or natural oil) applied in the factory. The cost to apply the finish in a factory is inexpensive, resulting in a very competitive, finished floor that is ready to live on after installation.

SOLID WOOD

By comparison most solid wood flooring is supplied as raw wood planks, and must be finished on site; this involves messy & time-consuming sanding and application of several layers of finish at great expense.

SOPHISTICATED WOOD TREATMENTS

ENGINEERED WOOD

Premium engineered wood flooring comes with a huge range of surface treatments and finish options. Interesting new textures are released regularly. Popular options include smoked oak, thermo-treated wood, band sawn, planed, scraped, cross texture, fossil sawn, distressed, aged, brushed,the list goes on. These textures and finishes are applied in advanced factories in Europe where craftsmanship, passion for wood and the latest technology combine to produce beautiful and distinctive wood flooring.

SOLID WOOD

By comparison solid wood is usually sanded flat on-site, then a polyurethane or oil is applied to the flooring. Solid wood is almost always square edged, lacking the variety of floorboard edge types available with prefinished wood flooring.

FINISH QUALITY

ENGINEERED WOOD

As the finish is applied in modern state of the art factories using the latest European automated coating lines this assures durability and the finish coatings are applied in a very precise and consistent manner. It’s difficult to fault this method of finish application. There is no risk of sanding marks, coating lines on the floor, uneven coating texture, flaking finishes or other common problems associated with site-finished floors.

SOLID WOOD

As the finish is applied in the dwelling you have to rely 100% on the skill of the floor-sander and trust they will use high quality finishes. The range of finishes available to floor sanders in NZ is tiny compared to the vast range of high-tech industrial finishes available in Europe.
Humid weather can play havoc with curing times and if there is time-pressure and additional coatings are applied before stains have cured, the finish may not be as durable as it should be.

Often coatings are applied on-site unevenly, or sanding marks are visible – it is literally impossible to apply a floor finish in the home to the same level of quality as that which is applied on a modern production line.

QUICK & EASY INSTALLATION

ENGINEERED WOOD

Engineered wood flooring is the clear winner when it comes to convenience. As it is so stable, in most cases you can deliver and start installation almost immediately without having to worry about acclimatisation. The flooring can be walked on immediately after installation and you can move furniture onto the floor within 24 hours of completion (or immediately, if installed as a floating floor).

SOLID WOOD

Solid wood planks must be delivered a few weeks beforehand so the wood can acclimatise to interior humidity levels – otherwise you’ll run the risk that the floorboards will move too much after installation causing big gaps between planks, or cupping and warping.

Once the solid wood floorboards are installed & ready for finishing the delays continue. It can easily take a further 5 days to apply the finishes.

The process to acclimatise, install, sand and finish solid wood can take 3 times longer than the simple installation of a pre-finished engineered wood floor.

GAPS, CUPPING & WARPING

ENGINEERED WOOD

Gaps cupping and warping are less likely to occur with engineered wood floors as the multi-layered wood expands and contracts at less than half the rate of a solid wood floor. However some gaps are to be expected as wood is an organic material; boards may not be perfectly straight – it’s wood after all, and the boards are also subject to shrinkage and expansion from atmospheric and interior conditions. With T&G engineered wood flooring some gaps may be visible during installation, which can be filled with filler if desired. Humidity fluctuations may cause planks to shrink further over time. If a patented click-system is used you’ll not see gaps between the planks at time of installation, however over time the boards will still expand and contract and therefore some gaps may still appear.

SOLID WOOD

If you’ve ever looked at a solid wood floor installed in a villa in New Zealand, you’ll be aware that unsightly looking gaps can appear as the planks adjust to climactic conditions. The gaps can certainly be larger than what might be expericned with engineered wood floors.

Even worse, solid wood is at high risk of expanding too much after installation causing the planks to cup or warp, and the floor to fail. There is an especially high risk present when installing over concrete due to the amount of moisture present in the slab. Other risk factors include under floor heating and temperature and humidity fluctuations.

PLANK WIDTH

ENGINEERED WOOD

Wide planks from 180mm up to 300mm bring a sophisticated, generous atmosphere to your interior and are incredibly popular. Because of the multi-layered plank construction, these wide planks can safely be installed in difficult environments such as with under-floor heating or in humid climates, without any risk of gapping, warping or floor failure.

SOLID WOOD

Wide planks made from solid wood are a recipe for disaster. For this reason solid wood such as oak is often supplied in medium widths such as 150mm or less. Solid wood simply moves too much from humidity fluctuations, therefore plank width needs to be kept to a minimum to ensure the floor will not expand or contract too much.

CONCLUSION

Many people are attracted by the idea of having a solid wood floor, it is after all the traditional choice. The difficulties that may arise are myriad. Non-engineered solid wide-plank wood floors will inevitably continue to expand and contract after installation. Decreases in humidity in the exposed wear surface can cause cupping (concave curving) as the top of the plank dries out. Potentially, large gaps may appear between the boards as each board dries and shrinks. Increases in moisture content may generate excessive compressive forces around the floor’s perimeter, perhaps even causing the floor to lift in the most stressed areas. Solid wood will always distort.

Engineered wood is simply solid wood improved. Prefinished engineered wood is the clear winner in terms of aesthetics and offering a more sophisticated appearance. It offers more protection from gaps (although they’re still possible) and floor failure, superior texture and finish options, superior finish quality and considerable cost and time-savings. Engineered wood uses about 1/3 of the precious hardwood so it is also the safe environmental choice.

Oil vs Lacquer Finish

Wood finish options available are Natural oil, UV oil, or lacquer (polyurethane).

NATURAL OIL FINISH

Natural oil finishes do not leave a film on the surface of the wood like polyurethane, instead the special 100% natural oils seep into the wood layer and harden, creating an incredibly beautiful and durable surface, leaving the wood pores open so you can enjoy the natural wood surface as nature intended. If you maintain the floor well you may never need to sand and refinish the entire surface of a Natural oiled floor, as scratches can easily be spot-repaired by the home owner – simply sand the scratch and apply more oil (this can only be done if the correct oil colour is available for touch-up’s).

Natural oiled floors develop a beautiful patina and character over time and often become even more attractive as they age.

It’s important to note that these finishes can age with ‘character’; this will depend on wear and tear – for example certain foodstuffs or liquids may leave a discolouration. Cleaning up spills immediately can help immensely. New generation finishes can often be applied as a top coat, to add a higher level of protection against potential staining.

Natural oiled wood feels wonderful to walk on with bare feet, and the open pored surface is warm to the touch and slip resistant. The open pored surface allows the wood to breathe, regulating moisture in the air, for a healthier home environment. Natural oiled floors have a great resistance to wear and are also suitable for commercial purposes.

Residential care: Mop every 2-3 weeks with Admonter or Ciranova Soap. Do not use any other cleaning product on oiled wood floors! Apply Admonter maintenance oil every 12-36 months, or Ciranova Maintenance Oil every 12 months depending on wear. View full care instructions on the product listing.

UV OIL FINISH

The oil finish is dried during production under UV lamps, making the wood surface very durable and easy to care for. UV oiled floors are a great compromise between natural oiled and polyurethane finishes – they give a similar appearance to a natural oiled finish, but are a bit more forgiving than natural oiled finishes if mistreated through a lack of maintenance. UV oiled floors tend to be more resistant to staining compared to natural oil finishes.

UV oiled floors are cared for in a similar manner to Natural Oiled wood floors.

Residential care: Mop every 2-3 weeks with Admonter or Ciranova Soap. Do not use any other cleaning product on oiled wood floors! Apply Ciranova Maintenance Oil every 12-24 months depending on wear. View full care instructions on the product listing.

LACQUER / POLYURETHANE FINISH

Acrylic matt lacquer (polyurethane) entirely seals the pores of the wood, providing excellent wear and chemical resistance. This acrylic lacquering is elastic and absolutely uncomplicated in care. An additional “anti-scratch” coating makes the floor extremely durable and resistant.

Lacquers have become very natural looking in recent times – ask us about Supermatt lacquer or Pureline lacquer.

Lacquer finishes will eventually require refurbishment, involving a full sanding and several coats of new lacquer.

Residential care: Use Admonter Clean and Care or BONA wood floor cleaner, apply by mop every 2-3 weeks. Vacuum or sweep in between times.