Suppliers who can’t confidently tell you what the moisture level is, or provide a range so large that at one end of the range you’d be ok, and at the other end of the range you’re going to have a problem.

Suppliers who don’t kiln-dry the feedstock before production, even for recycled timber. Airdrying may be ok in some situations, but is unlikely to be satisfactory for a modern heated and insulated house. 

But won’t onsite acclimatising overcome this? Yes, to a point, but if the change in moisture levels is significant, for example from 16% to 10% the sizes could distort, sometimes irregularly, leaving you with inconsistently sized or gauged timber, or make the fitting together of T&G profiles difficult.

As timber takes on or sheds moisture it expands and contracts.

A floorboards with a cover measurement of 85mm will expand and contact by about 0.2mm per 1% change in moisture – so if floorboards were 15% and it then taken into an environment at 9% it’ll contract by approximately 1.5mm. For a wider floorboard at 135mm the rate of change is about 0.3mm per 1% change.

This varies across species, so is a guide only.

A 1 or 2mm expansion or contraction may be an issue for a wooden floor where the boards are next to each other and you have a visual reference point, but be less of an issue for stair balusters spaced at 90mm, where there is less of a visual reference point.

Dry timber generally refers to it being suitably dry to be used in a house or other building.

Timber is hydroscopic, meaning it absorbs and sheds moisture from the air.

A modern heated and insulated house will likely operate at between 9 and 11% moisture. An old villa may operate at around 14%.

New timber, and recycled timber that has been kiln-dried, will often be dried to between 10 and 12% moisture.

Timber that has been stored in a garage, shed or warehouse will take on moisture from the air around it – likely to be higher in the winter and lower in the summer, and could be 14 to 18% or more.

Salvaged or recycled timber will behave just the same as new timber – it’ll take on or shed moisture depending on it’s surroundings – dispelling the myth that because it’s old it must be dry. It might have been salvaged on a rainy day, or might have sat in a farm shed or commercial warehouse for some time, and therefore adjusting to the moisture content of the environment around it.

The same goes ‘kiln-dried’ timber – if it has sat in a environment with higher moisture levels it doesn’t matter what it was kiln-dried to, it’ll be adjusting to it’s new environment.

The term “recycled” flooring can have two meanings: Flooring or floorboards that has been produced from recycled timber Floorboards that have been uplifted or salvaged for re-use as floorboards.

Here are the features of both:

Flooring or floorboards that have been produced from recycled timber:

Essentially new flooring or floorboards, but with characteristics from the previous use of the timber.

Produced from a range of salvaged timber – weatherboards, beams, joists, studs and other recycled timber.

New Tongue and Groove, so essentially a new floorboard.

Tongue and Groove with secret-nail profile that fits together nicely, and off-set downwards to allow for greater re-sanding.

Boards pull up and lay together like new flooring with minimal gaps.

Often produced from kiln dried feedstock, given greater certainty around moisture control.

When installed and then sanded & finished will often give the impression that it may have been the original wooden floor in the house (to those who are familiar with the subtleties of recycled characteristics). 

Uplifted-recycled or salvaged floorboards:

Floorboards that have been floorboards before, and salvaged from houses and other buildings pre-demolition.

Floorboards will likely have expanded and contracted through 100 summers and winters and aren’t being laid back next to their original neighbours. There will likely be gaps between the floorboards – like an original floor.

Usually take more time to lay than floorboards that have been produced from recycled timber.

Provides a genuine recycled wooden floor.

Not usually kiln-dried, so will likely need to be acclimatised on site pre-installation.

Yes this is possible but some precautions are needed. We recommend that the floorboards are narrower and thicker say 85-100mm wide by 19mm thick and these boards are laid over a layer of 12-15mm plywood, over the concrete. The alternative is an engineered floorboard which can be laid directly onto the concrete. It is important to condition any solid wood flooring in this situation by fillet stacking it in the house with the heating running. Talk to us about your plans and we can provide specific advice.

We can organise delivery of all orders. We use standard couriers for overnight delivery on small orders, a builder’s courier or our own truck for deliveries in the Wellington region and mainline transport companies for New Zealand wide deliveries.

Yes, if you have paitence and finishing carpentery or capable DIY skills you’ll be able to install your own floor. If you are missing one of these two characteristics you’ll likely struggle. Naturally we would prefer to understake the installation for you.

Purchasing recycled timber is the most sustainable option as the timber is being re-purposed or reused. In the main, any recycled timber is completely sound but it is often the buildings which are at the end of their functional life and are being redeveloped e.g. for earthquake strengthening or the site is destined for another use. Our new timber options are sourced from sustainable sources. We only buy in New Zealand native timber which has been sustainably harvested under Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) approved forestry management plans. Sustainable options for imported hardwoods are generally overseen by companies operating under the umbrella of the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) www.fsc.org or Programme for the endorsement of Forest certification schemes (PEFC) www.pefc.org.