Frequently Asked Questions

Oil penetrates deep into the wood and brings out the true beauty of both the color and grain, as well as providing protection for the floor. In addition to providing a natural look, oiled floors lend themselves to being spot repaired in the event of surface damage.

Most oiled floors require an additional coat of oil or Hardwax Oil, a mixture of sunflower, soybean and thistle oil, carnauba and candelilla wax after installation. This is micro-porous, water-repellent, dirt-resistant, and stain-resistant against wine, beer, cola, coffee, tea, fruit juices and milk; it will not crack, flake, peel or blister.

Lacquer is normally a polyurethane coating which is applied to the surface of a wooden floor by brush or roller. The polyurethane covers the pores of the wood and forms a hard, resilient coating which protects the wood from dirt and moisture ingress.

An engineered board is a wood board which consists of more than one layer. By placing each layer so that the grain runs perpendicularly, it becomes much harder for the wood to swell or shrink with changes in humidity. This dramatically increases the stability. The top layer of an engineered board (the lamella) is solid wood, usually hardwood, and ranges from 3/32" - 1/4" (2mm to 6mm) thick.

Engineered boards should not be confused with laminate or veneer. Laminate uses an image of wood on its surface, while veneer uses only a very thin layer of wood over a core of some type of composite wood product, usually fibreboard.

Engineered wood flooring technology has enabled the production of much wider boards as well as the application of an enormous variety of interesting finishes, textures and colors.

Our wood is sourced from all over Europe.

Floating floors with a click system joint between planks can be laid without bonding them to the sub-floor. These floors can be uplifted and re-laid several times. Nearly all Havwoods floors can be sanded and refinished to prolong their life and change their appearance, if desired, so the floor doesn’t need replacing when you want to redecorate – something which is unique to wooden floors.

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A solid wooden floor is milled form a single piece of wood and is uniform throughout. An engineered floor has a hardwood top layer with cross-laminated layers of timber beneath to add structural stability. This reduces movement and increases stability under exposure to varying temperature and humidity in the environment.

The majority of engineered boards are perfectly suitable to use with underfloor heating; this is particularly true of those with an oak lamella and less likely to be so for ones using exotic timbers. Always check with Havwoods before specifying any wood floor for use with underfloor heating.

A floating floor installation is where the planks are attached to each other, instead of to the subfloor on which it is being laid. It is a fast, relatively easy method of fixing which allows some room for movement and expansion given changes in humidity; the floor can be removed easily too, making it ideal for commercial applications where the flooring is more likely to be changed within the foreseeable future. Floating installations are usually associated with the fitting of engineered wood floors but, in fact, solid timber boards can also be laid floating over a suitable subfloor providing a damp-proof membrane is laid and Elastilon employed.

The area(s) of installation will dictate the wastage on any installation, with small areas requiring more wastage than open spaces. For planks we typically advise on 8-12% wastage and patterned floors, such as herringbone or chevron, may need 15-20% wastage. Always consult with the installer for accurate wastage calculations.

The order quantity will be the net measure of the areas where the product is to be installed plus the wastage allowance (see above).

Wood is a natural material which passively changes its moisture content to reach equilibrium with its environment (hygroscopy). At times of the year where humidity is higher, wooden floors will take on moisture from the air and this causes some expansion. Equally, when humidity decreases, the floor will contract slightly The expansion gap allows for this expansion to occur without creating any tension in the floor from the wood pushing against walls, door frames, pipes etc.

Wood is a natural material and each piece of each tree will vary in color and grain structure. Color variation is dictated by the age, location, exposure, soil pH and multiple other factors during the growth of the tree.

Oiled wood floors are very easy to care for. For everyday cleaning to remove dust or loose debris a broom, vacuum cleaner or dry mop is all that is required. For more thorough cleaning, damp mop using a diluted oiled wood floor cleaner. In public places where the footfall is greater, oiled wood floors may be damp mopped on a daily basis and should be treated regularly with a maintenance wax. This may be applied to the most heavily used areas or to the whole floor, spreading it with an electric, single-disc buffing machine with a beige pad. Maintenance wax need only be applied to residential flooring when the wood begins to look a little lifeless.

Humidty levels affect how wood flooring expands and contracts and can vary depending on your climate. 
If you have questions about humidty and wood flooring, contact us and we'd be happy to discuss with you.

Wooden floors contribute to a healthy living environment for all of the family, including pets. It is important to keep pet claws trimmed to reduce any abrasion that these can cause. Maintenance products can be applied to all of our floors to reduce the appearance of minor scratches over time.

The vast majority of Havwoods floors can be sanded and refinished multiple times over their lifetime. Each time a floor is sanded, the appearance can be tailored to fit the decoration scheme of the room/area where the floor is installed.

Day-to-day cleaning involves sweeping your floor and cleaning with a spray-mop and the correct cleaning solution for the surface finish. Periodic maintenance can be carried out on all floors through the application of a maintenance product, such as a refresher for lacquered floors or Liquid Wax Cleaner for UV oil, natural oil and hard-wax oil finishes.

A properly installed and maintained wooden floor will last for many years (and decades). Havwoods offer varying specifications of product which have different designed lifespans.

All Havwoods floors are tested for stain and spillage resistance When floors are being installed into commercial spaces or busy kitchens, it is often a good idea to apply maintenance products soon after installation to ensure that the surface finish is maintained in these more demanding areas.

Dents and scratches may occur over time these can be fixed with the application of maintenance products or easy to use repair kits.

You can read through the full explanation of the different wood grades available from Havwoods, or give us a call at 844.808.9663

FSC® stands for Forestry Stewardship Council. It is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit-making organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. The FSC principles and criteria aim to ensure that forest can be managed to meet the social, economic, ecological and cultural needs of both present and future generations. Products may be from an FSC source but cannot carry the FSC label unless the chain of custody throughout is FSC approved.

Our North American Warehouse is located in Belcamp, Maryland on the east coast of the USA.

We ship to all of Canada, Mexico and the United States. If you live outside these areas, you can find a Havwoods International partner here.

We stock most of our products in our US warehouse and can ship to anywhere in North America in 4-7 business days.

If a product is not in stock or is a bespoke product, lead times may vary from a few weeks to a few months depending on the project needs. If you would like a more information for your project, you can request a quote.

You can read our full return policy here.

In North America, Havwoods has a showroom located in New York City, USA. You can visit our showrooms from 9:00am-5:00pm or book private appointments. Whether it be virtual or in-person you can book a consultation with a product specialist. 

Yes! Havwoods has collections like Vertical, which feature wood wall cladding and cork wall cladding. Our Relik collection is hosts geniuine reclaimed wood products.

The WoodBook, published quarterly, is Havwoods go-to guide for our newest product launches, inspirational images, case studies, pricing and more. You can view The WoodBook online, and requested printed or digital editions with pricing here.

Havwoods was founded in the UK in 1975. After growing a European and Australian presence, Havwoods North America opened in 2016. We are now located in New York. You can also browse all of our showrooms.

Havwoods hosts an array of events in our New York City Showroom. If you're interested in attending an event, or partnering with Havwoods to host your event in our showrooms, please email us at marketing.na@havwoods.com.

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