What should you pay attention to when purchasing solid wood flooring?
(1) When buying a wooden floor, ask about the tree species
When buying a wooden floor, ask about the tree species: golden sandalwood, ivory wood, cherry wood, golden wood... These are the most popular building materials in the market. The dazzling names of wood often make it difficult for consumers to distinguish its "origin" and thus its price. Recently, the Flooring Committee of the China Forest Products Industry Association took the lead and invited forestry experts to identify more than 50 wood flooring varieties on the market. The State Bureau of Technical Supervision and the China Administration for Industry and Commerce also participated in the review. It is reported that the names of wooden flooring in the building materials market will be replaced by more scientific and accurate tree species names. Merchants who want to fish in troubled waters with names may no longer be able to use made-up wood names to deceive consumers. In the investigation report provided by the Wood Industry Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, the reporter saw that some tree species that are very valuable in the minds of ordinary people are mostly common tree species in Southeast Asia: the one called red sandalwood by merchants is the "Renga" from Southeast Asia. "Lacquer wood", what is called iron pear wood is actually "merbau" from Southeast Asia, "jinbuhuan" and "huanghuali" are actually "gamba bean" from Southeast Asia... According to an expert from the Wood Industry Research Institute of the Academy of Forestry, it is produced in my country's wood originally had strict national standard names. Currently, most of the wood that causes name confusion in the market is imported wood. Because it has market trade names, commercial names, tree species names... multiple names, coupled with language barriers, it makes This creates an opportunity for unscrupulous businesses to take advantage of. But most businesses and consumers do want to “verify the identity” of these imported timber so that sellers can understand and buy with confidence. The name of wooden flooring is identified by the name of the tree species. Some businesses are also worried that changing the name to a new name will affect the sales of wooden flooring. The person in charge of the industry association said that after the name is standardized, some measures will be taken to help consumers adapt to the "tree species name", such as renaming the commercial name of the wooden floor based on the characteristics of the tree species, or marking it under the tree species name. It may be a little troublesome to adapt to the new name, but standardizing the name is ultimately about protecting consumer rights, and I believe everyone will understand.
(2) When buying solid wood flooring, you should look at the moisture content
Solid wood flooring is one of the oldest flooring materials in the world. Even today, when decorative materials are extremely abundant, people are still impressed by its charm with its naturally beautiful texture and the intimate feeling of being close to nature. After determining the decoration style of the room and deciding to lay solid wood floors, it becomes a top priority to go to the building materials market to choose a satisfactory solid wood floor. There are many stores on the market that specialize in solid wood flooring and there are many types of flooring. Products of various textures, colors, brands, and price points give consumers a lot of choice. Experts have given us some advice on how to choose products of good quality and suitable for your own home from the many solid wood floors.
■First determine the color and price of the solid wood floor: The colors of solid wood flooring on the market are quite rich, ranging from log-colored birch to extremely dark rosewood and dozens of colors. Wooden floors of the same color can also be made of different types of wood. Due to their rarity, the price ranges from 70 yuan/square meter to 400 yuan/square meter. Experts say that the floor occupies a very important position in interior decoration. The color of the floor can best reflect the owner's decoration style and enhance the atmosphere, so the color of the floor must be selected according to the decoration design style. The solid wood color brings a warm feeling of being close to nature; the delicate and euphemistic white color reflects neatness and sophistication; the dark floor and classical furniture give people a solemn, simple and nostalgic feeling. In short, the color of solid wood flooring should be coordinated with the overall style of the home. In addition, experts recommend choosing wood based on your own economic situation. The prices of birch, oak, etc. are low or moderate, while the prices of precious varieties such as precious teak and rosewood are very high. The types of solid wood flooring sold on the market can meet the requirements in terms of hardness and craftsmanship, so you don’t have to blindly pursue precious species of wood, which can save considerable expenses for home decoration.
■Moisture content is the most important indicator of the deformation of solid wood floors, and lower is not always better. In a mall that specializes in wooden flooring, stall owners enthusiastically told them that the moisture content of their solid wood floors is 12% and they adopt strict processing techniques. Even the stall owners pay so much attention to it, is the moisture content really so important? Experts say, yes, moisture content is an important indicator of the deformation of solid wood floors.
According to national regulations, the water rate is 8%-12%, which should be higher in the south and lower in the north. In fact, to be more precise, different places have different standards. In Beijing, the humidity is higher in June-July in summer and drier in other months, so the average moisture content is 11%-12%. If the moisture content is too high, the wooden floor will gradually shrink and crack after laying; if the moisture content is too low, the wooden floor will absorb moisture from the air, causing expansion and warping. Therefore, the moisture content of the purchased wooden floor must be consistent with the local average moisture content. Experts suggest that you must open the box when purchasing and use a moisture content meter to test the moisture content of the purchased type of wooden floor.
■The quality standard of solid wood flooring is not "AAA": The reporter asked several stalls and found that the quality level column on the floor label of each stall had different contents, some filled in "excellent", and some filled in Fill in "AAA", some fill in "B", etc. The stall owner who filled in "AAA" said that it was nationally certified, which means that all indicators of the wooden floor are optimal. Experts say that the national standards for solid wood flooring are "excellent product", "first-class product" and "second-class product". There is no "AAA" at all. It is probably the manufacturer's own standard or filled in casually. The grade of a product is related to its quality, such as tolerance, flatness, finish, color difference, etc., but does not include moisture content, which must be qualified.
■Be careful not to be fooled. Some people use beautiful names to deceive people: samples of solid wood flooring are hung on the wall, and each variety is decorated with price tags. In addition to the price, the wood is also marked. variety. Some wooden floors marked with "cherry wood", "maple wood", "rosewood", "purple grapefruit" and other precious materials are not very expensive, which is very attractive. Experts say don’t be fooled. Take "cherry wood" as an example. Domestic cherry wood is basically useless. The real "cherry wood" on the market is imported from the United States and other places and is expensive. If it is sold very cheaply, it must be "birch" that is labeled "cherry wood" and "maple wood" by merchants. Generally, the price of solid wood flooring made of precious tree species will not be low, so consumers must be careful when purchasing and not be deceived by the low prices of some unscrupulous merchants.
■Don’t keep the construction cost too low, otherwise there is a risk of cutting corners: Many businesses require that the manufacturer be responsible for installation and laying before they can guarantee the wooden floors they sell. The warranty period ranges from 1 to 5 years. . The cost of laying flooring varies from merchant to merchant. Some ask for 40 yuan/square meter, while others only charge 20 yuan/square meter. You can also bargain. Experts say that the cost of laying the floor mainly includes the material cost and labor cost of the keel. The normal price in the market should be about 30-35 yuan/square meter. If the price is too low, in order to maintain normal profits, businesses will definitely have to cut corners and create hidden dangers for floor safety. So don't keep wages too low.
■Experts recommend how to choose solid wood flooring: Try to choose products from regular manufacturers, and pay attention to products with no factory address, no product name and non-standard outer packaging. First, check the grade of the floor to see if there are any board defects such as insect holes, cracks, blue stains, rot, dead knots, etc. Then test the processing accuracy of the wooden boards. After unpacking, take any 5-6 wooden floors and assemble them according to the falcon grooves on glass or a flat place. Check whether they are flat by touching them and see if the gaps are appropriate. A gap that is too large is unsightly, and a gap that is too small can easily cause expansion and warping when air humidity increases. In addition, consumers should go through complete purchase procedures when purchasing solid wood floors. If the tree species and grade are indicated on the invoice, this can provide a basis for quality disputes in the future.
(3) Common diseases of solid wood floors
1. Insect infestation: In order to prevent infestation, one is to purchase floors produced through drying and spray steaming processes, although the price is relatively expensive. , but all the insect eggs in the wood have been killed; second, carefully select the keel, and do not use any with insect eyes or bark.
2. Gap removal: Some floors have been laid for several days, and large gaps appear between the slats. This is mostly related to the fact that the moisture content of the floor is too high before it is laid, and it shrinks due to indoor high temperature or air drying. Note that the moisture content of the floor before laying should be between 8 and 13, and it should be oiled in time after laying.
3. Noise: Due to the low quality of the floor, people will make a creaking sound when walking on it.
For this reason, attention should be paid to the keel and the ground. The nails between the floor and the keel should be firm, and the number and length of nails should be appropriate. At the same time, it is necessary to prevent the keel spacing from being too large or the moisture content being too high, otherwise it will dry out, shrink and loosen after laying, which will also cause certain effects.
4. Dirty floors: This refers to the fact that some floors give people an unclean "grey" feeling after being painted, and some even have footprints clearly visible. To avoid this from happening, it is important to keep the board surface clean after sanding and before oiling.
5. Drumming: To ensure that the floor does not bulge, three points should be noted: 1. Do not lay solid wood floors immediately after the civil construction project is completed; 2. If the situation is in a humid environment, It is advisable to lay moisture-proof floors; 3. When laying, the moisture content of the floor cannot be less than 6.
6. Warping: This is mainly caused by the fact that the solid wood floor has not undergone formal drying treatment. It should be possible to lay a layer of plastic under the floor during installation. For this purpose, place the floor in the room where it is to be laid two days in advance so that the wood can adapt to the indoor temperature and prevent warping.