Showroom

We have selected quality timber flooring options, from a range of respected suppliers, to allow you to choose your floor that you love.
Visit our online showroom, or physical showroom in Wanaka.

Lifetime Care of Your Floors

When you choose a wood floor, we can help you look after it for its lifetime. Information and care guides.

SERVICES

SPECIALIST PRODUCTS

 

STAIRS

Our team of craftsman are specialists in timber stairs to match in with our timber floors.

We work with architects and designers to craft a wide range of stairs for your project. From the basics of a straight flight of overlay engineered flooring and nosings, landings, split cases, through to floating and spiral stairs. We make to specification and bespoke finish. We can work with joiners to finish and solve tricky situations for a perfect stair.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We work with a selection of solid timbers in their raw (unfinished) form. New Zealand natives such as solid recyled Rimu or Matai (if available), Australian hardwoods or solid American White Oak and European oaks, and many other timbers for special projects.

We source these, or have the timber machined, and bring it to Wanaka to acclimitise. Solid timber flooring in  Central Otago, as our environment (cold, hot, dry), is a challenge for timber, due to its hygroscopic nature. Timber will shrink, and have some seasonal movement. We can work with you to understand how to manage this and minimise movement.
Solid timber flooring is traditionally in a square edged T&G plank. It comes in several widths and thickness, but we recommend 19mm for our conditions. Grade of Timber, with a few knots, lots of big knots or prime grade can be chosen. Texture that can be added including wire brushing and band sawn effects.

We will sand your floor once it is laid, to a fine finish or desired look. We can stain to colour and give effects, and the finishes applied all can work together to create a unique bespoke wood floor for your project.

We can also make a solid  herringbone or alternative parquet floor for you.

We prefer to glue down a timber floor, but there are some special circumstances when floating is the best option. Talk to us for specific advice.

Refinishing Your Wooden Floor.    

What to expect before, during and after your refurbishment…

Like any investment, a beautifully finished floor requires on-going maintenance and care to ensure it looks beautiful for many years to come, and preserve its value.

We use a variety of professional sanding machines, each machine has a specific job. If we are fully sanding back your floor, we will sand back through a series of grits, before a fine finish, or other specialised finishes and then coatings. Please discuss finishing options and coating products prior to us starting.

We use dust extractors also to minimise the dust. However very fine wood dust is generated when the floors are sanded. We will minimise this but cannot eliminate it.

Preparing for your residence for resanding.

  • Before our team arrive, you are required to remove all furniture as well as any floor coverings (including staples, tacks and other items). If a kitchen carefully remove the fridge and oven, toe kicks etc. Remove any food.
  • Remove all small objects from the room, and cover any other items in the room with drop cloths or large sheets of plastic. Masking tape is a useful tool to hold down the sheets without damaging the surface it is taped to.

Ensure you cover any stereos, speakers, bookcases etc.

Sealing cupboards and doors with masking tape is a very good idea. Placing a rolled towel at the base behind any door will help stop dust from entering other rooms.

  • Ensure that adequate lighting and power will be available for the floorsanders and their equipment.
  • Provide clear and safe access to the site for the workers.

What to expect with your flooring finish

  • We will provide a detailed explanation of the work to be completed included in the quote so you can be sure you know what is going to happen.
  • Our expert floor sanders will give a professional sanding and coating job.
  • The floor nails will be punched, if required.
  • We can fill all nail holes, but please note that this is an additional charge.
  • Knot holes and gaps at the end of boards can be filled with the appropriate filler. Please discuss this prior to us starting.
  • A coating that will provide many years of beauty, provided it is properly maintained.

What NOT to expect with your flooring finish

  • Your environment to be completely dust free. While we use the best modern sanding machinery that is fitted with dust collecting equipment, it is next to impossible to clean away all the dust. Our equipment will try to clean away as much of the dust as possible, but there will be a few resulting consequences due to the difficulty in getting rid of all the dust:
    1. There will always be some dust particles that settle on the newly finished surface.
    2. There will be an amount of dust throughout the rest of the house.

We will clean down the walls and window sills as best we can, but further cleaning will be required, and you will need to remove all the dust coverings after.

  • Removal of deep cuts from the timber floor boards. Stain removal from within the floor boards and around nail holes.
  • Gaps to be filled in between the floor boards. The reason for this is because subsequent shrinkage and expansion in the timber will cause cracking in the filler.
  • Areas filled with filler to have the same feel of the rest of the timber.

Once your floors are refurbished, please discuss the ongoing care of them. Depending on the finish we have applied, there is a care programme for your floors to keep them looking beautiful.

See Caring for Your Floors Page and our Online Shop for full information for caring for your floor.

If you are not sure what type of finish your floor has, ask us. If we installed your floor we may have records; or help identify other ways.

Fill out the form  below:

Tell us:

  • What timber you like
  • Address of Property
  • Areas for timber floors
  • Type of subfloor
  • New build or Renovation
  • Name of your builder
  • Upload your plans
  • Other products – Wall Panelling, Decking, Ceiling
  • Phone number in case we have more questions
  • email for quote

We can give you a quote based on this, and work with you on other options or choices.

We love timber floors, and by carefully selecting the right type of timber floor and the finish for your lifestyle, the answer is usually yes. But take the time to discuss this with us and ensure you choose the best option for you.  Do you have underfloor heating, is it a holiday home shut up for months, ground level or multiple stories, consider animals, children, how long you will live in this home, how often you clean your floor, are you prepared to follow a maintenance programme.

A number of options to consider, with timber options to match.

Our showroom in Frederick Street, Wanaka is open weekdays 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. We can arrange an appointment after hours or in the weekend, if required. We can also send samples to you on request.

As part of the Forte Flooring network, you can also visit the Auckland or Queenstown showroom to view Forte samples.

We can work with you and/or your designer or architect to produce your dream floor. We work with a selection of solid or engineered timbers in their raw (unfinished) form. New Zealand natives such as solid recyled rimu or Matai (if available), Australian harwoods in engineered or solid, engineered or solid oaks, and many other timbers for special projects. We source these, or have the timber machined, and bring it to Wanaka to acclimitise.
We will make up samples, then follow the recipe to produce your chosen floor.
Grade of Timber, Texture that can be added including wire brushing and band sawn effects, stain to colour and give effects, and the finishes applied all can work together to create a unique bespoke wood floor for your project.

We work with a selection of solid or engineered timbers. What is the best choice? There are advantages to both – sometimes there is a construction or design requirement for one, sometimes it is a personal choice.
Type of timber, grade, climate, ease of care, life of floor, price, heating source, and finish are all factors to consider.
Engineered timber is a very good solution for Central Otago as our environment (cold, hot, dry) is a challenge for timber, due to its hygroscopic nature. Timber will shrink, and have some seasonal movement. A good quality engineered floor can be significantly more stable, and compatible with underfloor heating. However, if you prefer solid, we can work with you to understand how to manage this and minimise movement, and use in kitchens, and high moisture areas.

Key Differences
Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring, also referred to as solid wood flooring, comes in a large variety of timber species, more often made of a hardwood species. New Zealand natives such as recyled rimu or Matai (if available) and Beech, Black Miro are only available in solid flooring. Other species used for solid flooring are Australian hardwoods including Jarrah, Blackbutt, Blue Gum or Spotted Gum. Oaks such as American White Oak or European Oak,and other timbers like Kwila and Maple.
Solid flooring comes from a solid piece of milled wood.
In general, Hardwood Timber flooring is solid timber machined into19mm thick T&G, the width can vary from 65mm to 200mm, It is laid onto concrete, a subfloor or joists, then sanded and coated in place. This allows it to be sanded and refinished over and over, down to the tounge (a 6mm wear layer).

Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered wood flooring looks almost identical to the hardwood on the surface, but instead of a single wood plank, it’s made of a plywood core with a layer of solid wood on top. There is a wide range in quality in engineered flooring, depending on quality and thickness of the plywood backing, the thickness (wear layer) of solid timber layer, width of board, and quality of manufacture. This can range from an 8mm thick board, with a 1mm of solid timber on a single layer backing board, to a quality 21mm board, with a multilayer ply and a 6mm wear layer of solid timber. The quality is reflected in the price. A good quality engineered timber, can be resanded and last a long time.
It can come in an unfinished board, which we finish on site and is square edged – no bevels, or in a prefinished board in a wide range of colours, looks and widths, finished in the factory, with bevels. Most boards are 190 – 220 wide, though some wider. We recommend a thicker board for Central Otago of about 18mm, to minimise any potential for cupping if exposed to high summer temperatures, expanses of glass and sun. A 15mm to 21mm range can be managed. If used with underfloor heating up to 20mm.
Most engineered timber in New Zealand is European oak, which is very uniform so can be stained and prefinished in a wide range of colours and finishes. Australian hardwoods have a range available also. Boards can come in prime or select grade (few knots), feature grade – some knots, through to rustic. They can have a smooth, light brushed or heavy brushed finish.
Engineered timber is a very good solution for Central Otago as our environment (cold, hot, dry) is a challenge for timber, due to its hygroscopic nature. A good quality engineered floor can be significantly more stable, and compatible with underfloor heating. It also has advantages in high-moisture environments, making it a better option for kitchens, bathrooms and basements.

Industry Associations

  • Wanaka Wood Floors is an active member of the Australian Timber Flooring Association and the NWFA.
  • We operate to  Commercial and Residential Health and Safety Standards with Site Safe accreditation.
  • BCITO Timber Flooring Installer Trainers

Get a Quote for your Wood Floor

Ready to Build or Renovate? We’re happy to answer any queries, give advice and options, or to price up your plans. Our goal is to help you achieve your dream timber floor.

Please send us you details to our email:

Name and Contact Details including phone and email

Address of Project

Plans

Areas to be worked on

Time frame

Name of Builder