Timber: The world’s only truly renewable building material; Part 2.

July 20th, 2011

Out of all building products, timber has the lowest embodied energy, meaning that low amounts of energy are used in production, transportation and distribution of products, including timber flooring. When compared to other flooring covers, such as carpet and tiles, timber stands out, showing a marked difference and significantly lower embodied energy rating.

In comparison to imported hardwoods, the native, Australian varieties speak even louder when it comes to benefits to the environment. Harvesting and manufacturing comes at a local level, meaning less shipping and less fossil fuel required for transportation.

 

One of our recycled timber samples

In addition to these factors, timber is a recyclable material and if thrown into landfill, is biodegradable. Timber can also be remanufactured into new products, including our very own range of recycled timber floors, made from old fences, heritage building sites and basically anything that gives that unique look.

 

Recycled timber sample No. 2.

Information supplied by Timber Floors Magazine, Australian Timber Flooring Association and Boral Timber.

Timber: The world’s only truly renewable building material; Part 1.

July 12th, 2011

 

Timber is natural, sustainable, renewable, recyclable. No other floor covering or building material boasts such properties. And with the common perception that cutting down trees is a detriment to the environment, I’m here to propose the opposite.

Forests play a crucial role in the carbon cycle, filtering air and taking carbon molecules away from carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen back into the air we breathe.

In Australia alone, forests convert over 30 million tonnes of CO2 every year and currently store more than 10 billion tonnes of carbon. In any wooden product, including timber floors, carbon is stored. It is only released into the atmosphere when the timber eventually biodegrades or is burnt.

Younger trees grown in plantations absorb carbon much faster than older forests and are therefore more efficient air filters and carbon reservoirs. Aging forests have less of an impact on climate change than these re-growth forests.

And only 1% of Australian forests are plantations that are used for harvesting. On top of this, less than 1% of that 1% is harvested each year.

Overall, forest coverage is growing at a much faster rate than harvesting.

To be continued….

Information supplied by Timber Floors Magazine, Australian Timber Flooring Association and Boral Timber.

Timber Floors in the 21st Century

July 4th, 2011

With a change in living conditions, timber floors play a vital role in keeping up with housing trends. No longer do we have homes being built with one long corridor and individual rooms branching off to the sides. Instead, we are finding more and more homes with open-plan living, meaning that a continuity of floor covering can create a dramatic appearance.

Timber floors no longer need to be destined only for hallways and lounge rooms and it is a common misconception that timber floors can’t be found in kitchens. With such new technology and advancements being made every day, coatings allow for kitchen floors to be made of timber. Common spills can easily be wiped up and lino or other coverings need not be the only answer!

Wide boards are especially great at creating depth within a room and are the latest look for new properties. And any fears that timber can’t be used in apartments is simply a myth. Acoustic underlay is fitted underneath the flooring so as to create sound insulation from your property to the property below. We have samples to show you how this can work – all you need to do is contact body corporate to seek permission.

Even stairways are made of timber nowadays and carpet no longer need to cover all upstairs bedrooms plus the stairs, only to stop at the bottom of the staircase. We specialise in timber stairways, which create special points of interest in homes.

So contact us today and we’ll help you create that star of a property you’ve always dreamt of.

Timber stairs in progress

Tallowwood

June 27th, 2011

Tallowwood. Image supplied by Boral Timber, one of our preferred suppliers.

With a Janka Rating of 8.6 (see previous blog, Durability of Timber Floors), Tallowwood comes in as a sturdy, hardwood grown along the coastal ranges from the Hunter River in NSW to the Maryborough district of QLD.

This highly durable timber is known for its complete absence of gum veins. The heartwood is yellow-brown in colour, with a tinge of olive green, whilst the sapwood is distinctly paler in comparison. The texture is coarse but even, and it is ideal for use in homes where the interior calls for warm tones. This beautiful species has limited availability and is one of the harder but not impossible, timbers to source, making it a floor for someone who likes that unique look not found in many other homes.

Call us today as a degree of future planning is required for this one of a kind floor!

Data from this article sourced from Timber Floors Magazine, Australian Timber Flooring Association.

Timber Floors and Water Leaks

May 29th, 2011

Has your timber floor recently come up as a result of a water leak? Is the coating of the existing floor peeling? And is rot a problem with your timber floor close to where your bathroom meets the hallway?

Any of these problems can be fixed, regardless of the damage.

Firstly, you will need to look at the problem and determine what the cause has been. This needs to be rectified immediately so that your new floor doesn’t suffer the same problem as before.

Phone your insurance company and get them to assess the damage.

Get in any relevant trades to fix the underlying problem and contact your timber flooring professional for a quote. Top Dog Timber Floors do repairs where there have been water leaks, however we charge for insurance quotes. This money will be credited toward your final bill should you decide to use us for your work. Another note is that we only accept work direct from individuals, not insurance companies.

Many of our clients who have had water leaks now have beautiful new floors. Let the Top Dog Team work with you to suggest any problems that need rectifying if you are unsure of which trade you need to speak with first.

Durability of Timber Floors

May 25th, 2011

The density or durability of different timbers are rated on what is known as the Janka Rating. The Janka Rating comes about from dropping a ball bearing onto timber from a certain height and measuring the dent. This rating gives us information on which timbers are more dense (or durable) than others.

Below is a list of ratings of our most commonly requested timbers.

TIMBER JANKA RATING (HARDNESS) kN
Ironbark 14
Turpentine 12
Spotted Gum 11
Brushbox 9.5
Sydney Blue Gum 9
Blackbutt 8.8
Tallowwood 8.6
Jarrah 8.5
Flooded Gum (Rose Gum) 7.5
European Oak 5.5
Tasmanian Oak 4.9-7.1

The day I met Kochie

April 8th, 2011

I was lucky enough to have come face-to-face with Kochie from Channel 7′s Sunrise after being invited by Yellow Pages to attend Kochie’s Business Builders Boot Camp, paid for by the YP team. This was rather exciting news seeing the ticket was valued at $700.

I got to mingle with people like Naomi Simson (CEO of Red Balloon), The Gadget Guy, Camilla Franks and other business owners who are extremely successful in what they do (think Google, eBay, Carmen’s Muesli – this itself is an empire!)

So when Yellow Pages phoned to tell me they were paying for me to attend, I was rather excited. Julio at Yellow Pages and your lovely HR Manager and team, you guys ROCK! 

Welcoming New Employee, Alex Cooper

March 31st, 2011

A little over a month ago, we welcomed in a new employee, Alex Cooper who has come to us from the UK with a great deal of experience in the trade industry and is a qualified joiner and fitter.

Alex has already had a noticeable affect on our business and we look forward to his continued success in our business.

How Under Floor INSULATION Works (AND HOW IT CAN MAKE YOU WARMER!)

March 29th, 2011

Top Dog Timber Floor Insulation use Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), a scientifically innovative material devised in Germany in 1930. EPS fits snugly between floor joists to ensure your home is protected from the extreme temperatures underneath your floor.

Benefits of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS):

•Stops heat entering in summer and escaping in winter.

•Especially suited to pole homes or homes with exposed timber floors.

•Saves you around 12% on your heating bill.

•The flame retardant polystyrene panels have a 50 year warranty.

•Ageing of the panels does not affect thermal efficiency.

Environment:

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS):

•Is completely recyclable

•Contains no CFC’s (Chlorofluorocarbon) – for better ozone protection

•Reduces energy when heating and cooling due to its insulation properties

•Made of 98% air – an effective use of raw materials

•Lightweight qualities reduce usage of transport fuels

•Highly resistant to breakage, thus minimising wastage

Why install under floor insulation?

Insulating floors makes sense – not only do you make your home cosy, but you also reduce energy, saving you money and helping the planet at the same time.

What you spend now on insulation will pay itself off quickly, leaving you all the more warmer. Even if your house currently has a thin and ineffective layer of insulation, it is well worth considering adding an extra layer on top.

Under floor insulation helps create a dryer home, thus reducing dampness, a common problem in Sydney leading to poor health.

Avoid wasting energy heating a room with cold and draughty floorboards – there is only so much heat that will stay in an uninsulated room.

So check out our website and give us a call – we quote for FREE.

www.timberfloorinsulation.com.au – Top Dog Timber Floor Insulation.   0449 831 960

Under Floor INSULATION

March 20th, 2011

As a timber flooring professional, sanding and installing timber floors, we’re always motivated to provide our customers with the most amazing timber floor, and that includes making your house cosy by insulating the floorboards from underneath.

Under floor insulation - nice and snug.

Over time, working in customer’s houses sanding and laying floors, we’ve come across some really cold houses in winter and it always seems the floorboards do not insulate against the cold temperatures and winds whipping up underneath the house. This is because the floorboards were always intended to have a covering, i.e. underlay then carpet, which adds layers of insulation. If we remove these, there is only one layer of timber (your floorboards) between you and the winds outside. Leaves for some pretty chilly stuff.

Last year, we were introduced to Expol under floor insulation and we haven’t turned back since. Although we only had one month of winter left, we decided to give it a go in our own home and we’re totally converted – the amount of warmth that stays in our house would be approximately 80% (we live in a very large, cold house where heat normally will not stay in for more than a few minutes).

And this summer, we’ve also noticed benefits, as it keeps the hot air out.

So check out our website and give us a call – we quote for FREE and I can guarantee you that you will be converted once you get Expol under floor insulation installed.

www.timberfloorinsulation.com.au – Top Dog Timber Floor Insulation.   

More info coming next week.