Innovations

Modern living room with engineered European oak flooring and a sea view, Saint Heliers, Auckland

Vienna Woods · Innovation in wood

Innovation in wood

Modern engineered European oak, made the considered way.

Vienna Woods floors are engineered European oak, built for the way New Zealanders live. A genuine oak surface over a stable engineered core, worked by hand into smoked, brushed, aged and ultra-matt textures, and milled as wide planks, long boards and herringbone. Here is what goes into them.

How it is built

Engineered construction

Every Vienna Woods board is engineered, not solid. A genuine European oak wear layer, most often 3mm to 4mm, is bonded over a cross-layered core. The timber you see and walk on is real oak, while the layers beneath give the board its structure. Our engineered European oak is made overseas to Vienna Woods’ specification.

A real oak surface

Real oak on top

You get a true European oak top layer, sanded and finished like a solid floor. Boards are typically 14mm to 15mm thick, with a 3mm to 4mm oak wear layer depending on the range.

A stable core

A cross-layered core

The core runs cross-layered beneath the oak. This construction is designed to hold its shape through New Zealand’s seasonal humidity swings better than a solid board of the same width.

Modern builds

Concrete and heating

Engineered boards can often be laid over a concrete subfloor and, subject to the manufacturer’s installation requirements, over underfloor heating. Ask us to confirm for your project.

A lighter slice of oak

Less solid hardwood

Because only the top layer is oak, an engineered board uses a thinner slice of slow-grown hardwood than a solid board of the same thickness.

Close detail of an engineered European oak plank showing the grain and finish
Surface and finish

Treatments and finishes

The character of a floor comes from how the surface is worked and finished. We offer the full range, from a barely-there matt to deeply textured and aged, so the floor reads the way the room is meant to feel. Surfaces can be smoked or fumed to deepen the colour through the timber, wire-brushed to raise the grain, or bandsawn and hand-scraped for a crafted, tactile board.

Smoked European oak flooring showing deep tone and brushed texture

Textured oak

Brushed, bandsawn and hand-scraped surfaces you can feel underfoot, for a floor with real depth and grain.

See textured oak →

Aged and reclaimed

Worked edges, saw marks and patina give a floor that looks like it has been down for decades, from day one.

See aged and reclaimed →

Oiled finish

A natural oil that sits in the timber rather than on top, for a soft matt look that can be re-oiled in place rather than sanded back.

See oiled finishes →

Lacquered finish

A clear UV-cured lacquer for a clean, low-sheen surface that keeps the oak looking close to natural.

See lacquered finishes →

Ultra-matt and raw

The look of raw, untreated oak with a protective finish over it, for the most natural surface we offer.

See ultra-matt and raw →

Unfinished oak

Raw boards finished on site, so the colour and sheen are chosen to match your project.

See unfinished oak →

New to the terms? Our guide to floor finishes explained walks through oiled, lacquered and matt in plain English.

Formats

Wide planks, long boards and parquet

The same oak can be milled to change the whole feel of a room. We work in wide planks, long boards and traditional parquet.

Wide plank

Wide boards, commonly 190mm to 220mm and up to 240mm on selected ranges, for a calm, contemporary floor with fewer joins.

Long boards

Long lengths up to 2200mm on selected ranges, including fixed-length boards with no shorts, for a clean, premium install.

Herringbone and chevron

Classic parquet in 120mm x 600mm blocks, laid in herringbone or chevron, for a floor with pattern and craft.

Matching stairs and nosings

Colour-matched stair nosings so the same floor carries through onto steps and landings.

Bordeaux European oak herringbone flooring in a living room with a fireplace, Westmere, Auckland
Reclaimed and circular

Timber with a past

Two of our ranges are built from timber that already exists. Antique Floors is reclaimed and aged French oak, reworked in Europe, carrying the marks and patina of its first life. Heritage is a separate range of reclaimed European oak, engineered onto a stable core and supplied raw to finish on site. Reusing timber that has already served one life is part of what makes these floors special. We tell this as a story of provenance, not as a certification.

Antique Floors reclaimed and aged French oak flooring with heavy texture and patina
Made to your spec

Custom and indent

Beyond the stocked ranges, we make European oak floors to order. Width, length, grade, texture and finish can be specified for a project, so architects and specifiers can match a floor to a design rather than the other way round. Made-to-order and made-in-Europe ranges typically run about 4 to 5 months, an estimate that can vary. Talk to us early and we will help you get it specified.

Good to know

Common questions

What does engineered oak flooring mean?

It means a real European oak wear layer, usually 3mm to 4mm, bonded over a cross-layered core. You get a genuine oak surface on a construction that is designed to be more stable than a solid board.

Where is Vienna Woods flooring made?

The species is European oak. Our engineered ranges are made overseas to Vienna Woods’ specification, and several ranges, including our reclaimed and made-in-Europe collections, are made in Europe. Ask us about a specific range.

Can engineered oak go over underfloor heating?

Engineered boards can often be laid over a concrete subfloor and over underfloor heating, subject to the manufacturer’s installation requirements. We will confirm what suits your project.

Can I see and feel the textures before I choose?

Yes. Order free samples or visit our Newmarket showroom to compare the smoked, brushed, aged and matt finishes in your own light.

Keep exploring

Where to next

Browse the collections

See every Vienna Woods range, colour and format in one place.

View the collections →

Engineered oak, explained

How an engineered board is built and why it suits New Zealand homes.

Read the guide →

What it costs

Real per-square-metre pricing for engineered oak flooring in New Zealand.

See the cost guide →

See innovation underfoot

Order a free sample pack or book a showroom visit in Newmarket. We will help you match construction, texture and format to your project.