Busting the 14mm Timber Overlay Myths
When choosing timber overlay flooring, most installers would gravitate towards the 19mm boards, and this could be because of these common reasons:
- Traditional installation methods have flooring directly fixed to joists, so the flooring needed to be structural to carry load
- There is an assumption that the thicker timber layer means that it has a longer lifespan, with more thickness for re-sanding
While 19mm timber flooring is ideal for some builds, there is an opportunity to install 14mm overlay timber where structural flooring isn't required,
What is timber overlay?
Solid overlay timber flooring is designed and manufactured for builds where flooring can go directly onto plywood or particleboard flooring.
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Installing on particleboard or plywood |
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Installing on a concrete slab |
Due to the thin profile, these products can offer more flexibility in installation without sacrificing the warmth and beauty that you get from traditional timber flooring. Timber overlays will also come in different widths, and the wider boards can give the space a bolder appearance.
Myths and facts
Thicker doesn’t always mean better, and sometimes, the thinner option can outperform traditional flooring materials.
Our friends at Hurford Hardwood help us breakdown some of the myths that surround both 19mm timber flooring and the 14mm timber flooring overlay:
Myth 1 – The number of times you can sand 14mm timber overlay is less than the allowance in a 19mm timber flooring
Fact: You get the same amount of sanding in a 14mm and 19mm timber flooring.
Hurfords indicate that the usable timber wear on both products relates to the position of the edge tongue and groove, and by lowering this on the 14mm thick product both products have the same sanding allowance.
Myth 2 – 14mm overlay is not as durable as a 19mm timber floor
Fact: 14mm timber overlay is less prone to peaking, gapping, or cupping
Timber swells and shrinks with changes in the environment it is installed in. A full trowel bed of adhesive and secret nail fixing can more easily restrain a thinner board than a thicker board. This makes 14mm overlay a more stable product resistant to peaking, gapping and cupping.
Myth 3 – You can't secret nail wide boards over 85mm
Fact: The Australian Standard AS 1684 previously indicated that secret nailing anything over 85mm, was non-compliant to the standard.
According to AS 1684.2, "boards over 85 mm cover width shall be fixed with two face-nails at each joist". However, as indicated in the revised standard this only relates to structural 19mm thick flooring that is fixed as a structural floor of subfloor, directly to floor joists.
Hurford's 14mm timber overlay is a thinner product that is to be installed on a structural subfloor. As such the secret fixing method including a full bed of adhesive is an acceptable method and does not contravene the timber house building standard. The secret fixing of the wider boards also means that you won't have to spend time concealing exposed nail holes.
Hurford Hardwood FOURTEEN Wide Board Secret Nail Flooring at NHS
Hurford Hardwood has developed “Fourteen” for clients who love the look of wide hardwood boards but don’t want the traditional top-nail appearance in their floor.
Specifically designed for secret fixing to plywood or particleboard using adhesive and concealed mechanical fixings. Fourteen has been pre-straightened using a proprietary method that Hurfords has developed and enables clean straight lines to be achieved when the flooring is installed. This means that you won't have to straighten up or shorten longer lengths, which traditional 19mm timber flooring may require.
The unique profile of their wide board overlay incorporates a distinct offset tongue and groove. This gives the floor an equivalent wear layer to thicker flooring products and also increases the stability of the floor when under pressure from expansion.
Overall, 14mm timber overlay has plenty of advantages over traditional timber flooring. Your client won’t have to compromise on the finished look of their space or the durability of the product, while you reduce the risk of installation problems and the additional work associated with top-nailed floors.