Issue 24–Autumn 13 - The Australian Timber Flooring Association

AQUAPRO
coatings
A PUBLICATION FROM
THE AUSTRALIAN TIMBER
FLOORING ASSOCIATION
ISSUE 24 AUTUMN 2013
At Embelton
page 26-7
TIMBER FLOORS
Maintaining
floors finished with
waxes or oils
Avoiding noise
with floating floors
Top work in the Top End

Whatever
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President’s Report
TIMBER FLOORS
Staff and Contributors
Editor and Art Director
Lucy Perry
editor@atfa.com.au
Contributing writers
Tanya Seabrook, Linda Davis,
David Hayward, Randy Flierman,
Emma Watt, Lisa Alexiou
Advertising sales
Tanya Seabrook - tanya@atfa.com.au
Linda Davis - linda@atfa.com.au
phone 02 9440 9999 | fax 02 9440 9066
Production - Pure Publishing
Graphic design - Reece Butler
Print management - Bruce Perry
In welcoming the ATFA family to the first issue
of the new year, I do so with mixed feelings, in the
knowledge that many members, their families
and communities have had a stressful time due
to widespread natural disasters throughout our
great country.
Communities have endured fire in our southern
states and torrential rain and floods in our
northern and eastern states. Many members and communities have suffered
enormous losses.
It is at these times that the strength of the Australian spirit rallies and
comes together to offer support and assistance in the rebuilding of mind, body
and communities. This is the “Aussie way” and we can all be very proud to be
assisting in whatever way we can.
As your President, I have been representing ATFA in the Illegal Logging
Legislation workshops. The Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 became law
in Australia on 28 November 2012 and the focus is now on the development of
regulations to support the legislation. Workshops on regulated products and
due diligence have been held and upcoming workshops include monitoring
compliance and reporting procedures.
With all the energy currently being generated in our communities and
markets we can expect a busy market throughout 2013. Be an active member
and take advantage of member products and services. We encourage and
welcome your feedback. By providing your thoughts we can continuously
improve our association and our resources for you, our members.
Be well, stay healthy, keep busy.
John Hollis, President, Australian Timber Flooring Association
Publisher
Australian Timber Flooring Association
11 Oleander Ave Shelly Beach QLD 4551
ph 1300 361 693 | fax 1300 361 793
atfa.com.au | ABN 16 524 524 226
Timber Floors is published four times a
year by The Australian Timber Flooring
Association.
Timber Floors may not be produced in
whole or part without the written consent of
the publisher. Views expressed within this
publication are not necessarily the opinions
of the editors or publisher. Whilst all efforts
are made to ensure the accuracy and
truthfulness of stories included in this issue,
the writers, editors and publisher cannot be
held responsible for inaccurate information
supplied for publication. Timber Floors also
holds no responsibility for any advertisements
printed in this magazine that may be deemed
inaccurate.
this issue
ATFA update 2
From the desk of Lisa Alexiou 5
Member profile: James Schulhin Floors 6
Species feature: Southern Blue Gum 8
Maintaining waxed or oiled floors 9
Product review: new plate system for Polivac 10
Avoid noise with floating floors 12
Bullying in the workplace 20
Technical feature: moisture content standard 22
Top 5 tips to improve your website rank 24
IR talk, calendar dates 25
Product snap shots 26
Project feature: top work in the top end 28
Douglas Fir
by Market Timbers
markettimbers.com
03 9314 9999
1

ATFA update
NEW INITIATIVES FROM ATFA
During the January-February period each year we do a lot
of planning and commence implementation of new activities
for the year ahead. This year we’ve been particularly busy and
are rolling out a raft of new initiatives to benefit all sectors of
our industry. It is our aim to ensure ATFA members are able
to capitalise on the resurgence in consumer confidence.
INITIATIVE ONE: NEW ATFA WEBSITE COMING SOON
Keep a look out for our updated website which should
be live very soon. The new site is easier to navigate and
now offers online registration and payment services. There
are also a couple of important new components including
the ATFA Shop and a communication hub for builders and
architects. Members can also create their own login details.
If you ever forget your login, you will be able to request a
reminder directly from the site. This also puts an end to
renewing details every 12 months. Please let us know if you
spot any teething problems once we go live.
INITIATIVE TWO: LIST A PROJECT
A feature of our website update allows us to target those
in the market for timber flooring by providing them with
resources and confidence in the superior quality delivered
by ATFA members. They will be able to search for ATFA
contractors who adhere to these standards. ‘List a Project’
is a new feature which provides consumers, builders,
architects, retailers and others with an opportunity to list
the details of their upcoming projects on the ATFA website.
Importantly, these projects go directly into the member
secure section of the ATFA website. An alert is sent to
members and they can then contact the consumer to
organise a visit to provide a quote. Terms and conditions
apply, see atfa.com.au for details.
INITIATIVE THREE: STATE EXPOS
In addition to our major national expo held approximately
every 18 months, ATFA is commencing a three-year cycle of
state expos around the country. In 2013, we’ll be kicking off
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2

with Perth and Brisbane, followed by Tasmania and Adelaide
in 2014 and so on. These will be in addition to the informative
trade night events held all over Australia. The state expos
will bring up to 24 exhibitors to your state in a one day event,
combined with a couple of guest speakers and a state dinner.
These events will be a great opportunity to mingle with your
colleagues and many timber flooring manufacturer and
supplier representatives.
INITIATIVE FOUR: ATFA DIPLOMA OF TIMBER FLOORING
TECHNOLOGY
ATFA’s own industry diploma offers members the
opportunity to start acquiring the requirements to obtain
this valuable credential. It will combine complete training
(designated workshops, New Techniques Program
and Advanced Techniques Program) with an industry
questionnaire. Successfully obtaining the ATFA Diploma of
Timber Flooring Technology shows that you have strong
knowledge and hands-on skills across all aspects of the
timber flooring sector. Benefits include:
• Better on-job performance and faster job completion
rates
• Better job site analysis and problem resolution
• Recognition in the ATFA Find a Member website
section, noting Diploma achievement
• Points towards ATFA accreditation
Please contact the ATFA office if you wish to apply or to get
the process started.
Finishing is a breeze
with the Lagler Trio
Freecall 1800 880 888
3

ATFA update continued
INITIATIVE FIVE: PRODUCT BUYING GUIDE
ATFA’S Product Buying Guide is soon to be released and
will provide the timber flooring industry, builders, architects
and consumers with a comprehensive inventory of companies
producing and selling timber flooring products throughout
Australia. This guide is a great opportunity for manufacturers,
suppliers and importers to provide an up-to-date listing of
what they have on offer. It will greatly assist the industry to
obtain products quickly. It will also be a great advertisement
to the wider building and architectural industry. If you sell any
kind of timber flooring products or services you should be in
it. Email admin@atfa.com.au for details.
INITIATIVE SEVEN: TIMBER FLOORING SYSTEMS
As the market changes and more of the people you deal
with are from Generation Y, you will notice that as consumers,
they differ from older generations. Generally speaking, while
Baby Boomers and Gen X wanted to know all the ins and outs
and options available, Gen Y want a solution, not options – a
package, not a bunch of decisions. Recent advice from ANZ
has shown that the future market is directed to multi-density
housing and that’s where Gen Y will be the strong consumer.
ATFA has planned for this and developed an information sheet
to help with exactly this scenario (Timber Flooring Systems).
Email admin@atfa.com.au or download it on our website.
INITIATIVE EIGHT: DECKING AND LAMINATE INDUSTRY
STANDARDS
In the months ahead, e-publications related to Industry
Standards will roll off the ATFA production line for both
timber decking and laminate. If you have any input or interest
in these areas please contact David Hayward by email at
david@atfa.com.au in the first instance. Otherwise, look out
for these publications in the months ahead.
INITIATIVE NINE: NEW TECHNIQUES PROGRAM –
MELBOURNE
This event is scheduled for 17-19 April, so if you’re not
enrolled yet, best you get cracking! See the ATFA website for
registration details. There are also a range of other training
opportunities on our website.
INITIATIVE TEN: SMARTPHONE APP
INITIATIVE SIX: MEDIBANK PARTNERS WITH ATFA
Medibank is committed to being your health partner so is
offering ATFA members, their families and employees a wide
range of health cover benefits, including:
• 5% discount!
• No hospital excess for kids
• 100% back on optical items
• Corporate hospital cover including access to Mi Health
and a range of health support services including access to
a Medibank nurse 24/7
Call 131 680 or ask in store. Please quote the Medibank
Organisation ID for ATFA: 3771221. Note that waiting periods
apply, including 12 months for preexisting ailments and that
other conditions apply. Please refer to the product disclosure
statement for further details, including terms and conditions.
We’ve looked at it before and now we’ve found a way
to produce a cost-effective app – but first we want some
feedback from you. Contact us at admin@atfa.com.au and tell
us what kind of app you think you need the most in your day
to day timber flooring environment.
If you have any questions on these initiatives or anything
else to do with ATFA, we’re just an email or phone call away
at admin@atfa.com.au or 1300 36 1693. f
FROM THE DESK OF
Randy Flierman, CEO
Ph 1300 361 693
Email admin@atfa.com.au
4

Consider SMS marketing in 2013
Over the new year holiday break I got into some ‘learning
books’ – books that offer insight into doing business
effectively. A standout for me was ‘Free Marketing 101 Low
and No-Cost Ways to Grow your business Online and Off’ by
Jim Cockrum.
This book covers everything from creating compelling
online content to the strategic use of smart phones. It details
how to use this knowledge to enhance your credibility and
attract customers.
A favourite chapter was on Text Marketing (or SMS
Marketing). How can we use this technology to business
advantage in the timber flooring industry?
Before you implement an SMS campaign, it is required by
the Privacy Act that any customer phone number you collect
for marketing purposes is obtained via an “opt-in” system.
This means gaining permission from your customers to
contact them via SMS. You can then send your customers
relevant messages they will find useful. You must also include
an opt-out message in your SMS messages.
Why use SMS marketing? Cockrum says it is cost effective
and has more than a 90% read rate.
Using SMS for reminders, coupons, event announcements
and communication with employees allows your business to
communicate quickly and effectively. For example, perhaps
you are overstocked and need to move it fast. How are you
going to implement an effective and strategic campaign
immediately? SMS!
If you’re a contractor with a lull in business, how about
implementing an SMS campaign to your customers, asking
for referrals or maintenance work?
SMS marketing is simple, immediate and cost effective. f
FROM THE DESK OF
Lisa Alexiou, Marketing Coordinator
Ph 07 5446 5956 • 0488 196 543
Email lisa@atfa.com.au
Replace
5

Member profile
James Schulhin Floors
James Schulhin is a second-generation floor sander,
volunteer fire fighter, family man and business owner. In his
spare time he moonlights as a tornado chaser tour guide in
the United States.
James moved to Canberra in 1998 and set up his business,
James Schulhin Floors, specialising in sanding and finishing
timber floors. He has Level 7 ATFA accreditation (the highest
level attainable) and has been in the trade for 20 years.
One of the biggest challenges James faces in the relatively
small Canberra area is competing against the “backyard
boys” of the industry. These are the contractors who have very
little experience and who are attempting to corner the market
on price alone. James has developed a number of tactics to
deal with this situation.
“Being my own boss and having the freedom to do what
I want to do,” is what James enjoys about owning his own
business. He chooses to work 11 months of the year and then
heads to the United States to be a tour guide in a tornado
chasing touring company in Oklahoma.
The storm-chasing season kicks off in May each year.
James is part owner of a fully equipped tornado chase vehicle
and takes multiple seven day tours, along with a qualified
meteorologist. The storms are pretty reliable and usually
a great spectacle, but if all is quiet, he will take a tour of
otherwise weird and wonderful places such as Car Henge – a
replica of Stonehenge made out of cars.
Dealing with prospective clients in Canberra can get quite
exciting (one man once threatened to throw James out of
the house because he thought his quote was too high!), but
nothing he has experienced in Canberra comes close to a
particular day in May 2010 in Oklahoma. James and his tour
were tracking a twister on their on-board radar when they
looked up to see the sky circling above them. They found
themselves stuck in the middle of three twisters with a few
other storm chasers. “We got away but the car behind us
got hit out of nowhere. It blew out all their windows – 4 inch
hail came next.” Although the passengers involved were
somewhat shaken and bruised, everyone got out of it OK.
James has spent considerable time and money on his
online presence and his website jsfloors.com.au has some
good, detailed content. He finds this useful to capture web
surfers as he feels most people go to his site to be educated
about timber floors and to get ideas. In the past four or five
years he has received many emails requesting quotes as a
result of his website. He finds the information on his site also
helps him by preparing the customer for what he requires at
a job – such as power and easy access.
The website also points out his unique position as the
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6

only tradesman in Canberra who uses non-toxic coatings.
Although this can make him more expensive, he believes it
delivers him additional work.
James has been an ATFA member for six years. He has
found their courses to be invaluable in his business. “I find
ATFA is a great support structure to fall back on if I have an
issue, if I’m using a product that I haven’t used before or I’m
doing a floor that’s a bit unusual.” James will often contact
ATFA directly or other ATFA members. “I look for the field
expert in the membership area and ring them.” James is
always happy to offer his help to other ATFA members. f
James Schulhin of
James Schulhin Floors
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7

Species feature: Southern Blue Gum
Southern Blue Gum (Eucalyptus Globulos) is sometimes
referred to as Tasmanian Blue Gum. It mainly grows in the
cooler parts of Australia such as Tasmania and Victoria.
Originally, this timber was popular with early settlers
as wood chip and structural timber. It has graduated to a
decorative timber and a flooring alternative as paler species
have become popular.
The colour ranges from pale straw to
browns. Sometimes there are blue,
green or grey highlights. There are
often pink shades seen in timber
sourced from regrowth. The sapwood
and heartwood are difficult to
distinguish, although the sapwood is
thought to be slightly paler.
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Scientific name Eucalyptus Globulos
Family Myrtaceae
Density Approx. 900kg/m 3 at 12% moisture
content
Strength groups Seasoned SD2, unseasoned S3
Hardness 7kN unseasoned, 23J seasoned
The grain of the Southern Blue Gum is interlocked with a
medium and relatively even texture. Plantation timber can
often exhibit areas of pinhole marking.
The wood is tough and hard, making it ideal as a flooring
medium. It is easy to work, fix and dress.
Southern Blue Gum is not termite resistant and left
untreated is susceptible to Lyctid borer attack. It has a
tendency to blunt tools but good results can be achieved with
careful working and use of the correct machinery.
It accepts most standard finishes although due to its
hardness, can be difficult to drill and nail. However, the holes
are usually very clean and to size.
In 2005, Southern Blue Gum made up
almost 65% of Australia’s hardwood
plantations and is one of the world’s
most widely planted eucalypts.
The tree isn’t too fussy where it grows and tends to do well
in wet or dry Sclerophyll forests (a type of vegetation with
hard leaves and short distances between leaves along the
stem). Trees can reach up to 40m in ideal conditions and will
grow quickly – up to 2 metres per year!
In 2005, Southern Blue Gum made up almost 65% of
Australia’s hardwood plantations and is one of the world’s
most widely planted eucalypts.
Refer to timber.tas.gov.au for further details on this
species. f
8

Maintaining waxed or oiled floors
Plenty of contractors have waxes and oils in their service
offering these days - a smart move, as there are plenty
of clients wanting to explore these options. Up-front,
it pays to speak with prospective clients in some detail
about maintenance, paying particular attention to high
traffic areas. Not only is it beneficial to the client to have a
maintenance plan in place, but there is also potential for
repeat business for the flooring professional.
Floors finished with wax or oil can usually be spot-treated
or repaired without having to refinish the whole floor and this
could be a major consideration for clients with known hightraffic
areas.
So, what are the important points to cover when speaking
with a commercial client who runs a restaurant, or a
residential client with a doorway that handles some seriously
heavy foot-traffic?
As with all floor finishes, effective regular maintenance
by the owner is key. Floors should be cleaned regularly
with wood soap diluted with warm water. Often these soaps
contain soy, coconut fats and lanolin, which add protection
to the finish. Maintenance oil can be buffed into the floor
periodically to rejuvenate the finish.
Giles Whittle-Herbert of Whittle Waxes advises clients to
take a three-phase approach to maintaining floors with a wax
or oil coating. “As long as the floor has a non skin-forming
coating, clients can replenish it themselves. Daily cleaning
can be done with a mild wood soap. Fortnightly or monthly
cleaning can be done with a slightly more aggressive cleaner.
Then, as needed, another coating can simply be buffed on.”
Giles advises clients to be very specific when instructing
their cleaners. “Owners and managers should give the
cleaners the products they want used on the floor.”
Clients should be advised to keep the amount of grit and
dirt to a minimum, use dirt trapping mats at all entrances,
apply protective pads to furniture, avoid high heels, consider
rugs in high traffic areas and avoid wetting the floor
excessively. In addition, great follow-up service is vital. Talk
with the client and put in place a maintenance plan which
involves you visiting the premises every two or three years.
As Kurt Beyer from Woca explains, “With an oil finish,
clients should understand that local repair can be done easily
and quickly; often with a turnaround time of twenty four
hours. For a problem caused by high traffic, where the timber
itself hasn’t been exposed, it’s simply a case of cleaning with
an intensive cleaner, allowing to dry, re-applying the oil and
buffing the area.”
Kurt recommends supplying the client with a maintenance
kit and setting up an arrangement whereby the flooring
professional contacts the owner periodically. The Crown
Casino in Melbourne is one such project where sections
of the floor are maintained periodically with little or no
disruption to business. f
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9

Product Review: New sanding
plate system for Polivac
Keven de Vroom is a reformed perfectionist - “I used to
be a perfectionist, until I realised the best you can achieve
is excellence.” Keven has 19 years’ experience in the timber
flooring industry, has been in business for himself for nine
of those years, and has a Level 5 accreditation with ATFA.
Keven created Ingrain Technique Creative Timber Flooring
(IngrainTechnique.com) to target the market for those who
require a truly excellent timber flooring finish.
His aim is to create a discernible difference between a
beautifully finished Ingrain Technique floor and those that
do not use his technique. Keven has an eye for detail, and
believes a well-finished floor is one where “nothing catches
your eye. An Ingrain Technique floor leaves no imperfections
from the machining process, whilst presenting enhanced
timber grain, definition and colour.”
Keven admits that maintaining these standards can be
tough. “Complacency is a disease and too often tradesmen
are too keen just to smash a job and get out ASAP.” Keven
likes to approach each job with consideration for the client
and appreciation for the time and effort they have put into
their renovations, not to mention the time it takes the
average person to save their pennies to begin such a venture.
Keven says that “ironically, the quickest way to get things
done is to take your time, enjoy what you are doing and be
creative…long after the price has been forgotten the result of
your work will remain”.
Given his drive for excellence, it is no wonder that Keven
has looked for creative solutions to improve his process. He
has created a breakthrough in the effectiveness of the cutting
plates that attach to his Polivac SV25 rotary sander.
The result is a machine that runs quieter and smoother,
with additional stability and extra cutting power. This
machine “floats over the floor with the new cutting plates”
whilst also delivering increased accuracy. It is totally dust
free as it utilises a separate Nilfisk twin motor extractor dust
collection system that plugs directly into the Polivac.
The modifications Keven has made to the Polivac include
increasing the current capacity of the machine from 10amp
to 15amp. This extra charge improves performance and may
even make the motor run cooler. The drive shaft from the
gearbox was drilled and tapped to accept six high tensile
bolts in place of the standard three.
A newly designed Billet Drive head bolts directly to the
shaft, incorporating a high density wear shim. He has also
Keven in action
10

The result is a machine that runs
quieter and smoother, with additional
stability and extra cutting power.
designed two plates. One is the flat cutting plate, weighing in at 7kgs, for
fitting the white driver pad and abrasive screen. The other is the quad plate,
weighing in at 10kgs, which is considerably heavier than similar cutting heads
available. Keven has also custom-made the seals to ensure optimal dustless
performance. The drive head, flat cutting plate and quad plate are made from
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billet alloy, which has been CNC cut, anodised and engraved with the Ingrain
Technique logo (and a “really cool” saw blade around the circumference).
He has added a specially designed 20kg weight to give it some extra cutting
power – and he encourages leaning on it. He says it handles the weight quite
with
well.
The Polivac maintains its 192rpm speed. A slower speed is recommended
for the cutting operation of the quad plate. Keven says that when his floors are
ready for coating, “there’ll be a reflection in the timber because it’s just so flat
and so smooth – even before applying the choice of coating on it.”
Keven advises that this type of modification should only be made to a Polivac
that already has a good working motor. He is looking into designing a billet set
of gears to ensure they can be sustained with the increased working load, “but
the standard gears are currently holding up OK for now.”
Keven has spent considerable time and money developing these
modifications and is considering making this modified machine available to
anyone who wants it. You can contact Keven De Vroom of Ingrain Technique
Creative Timber Flooring on 0413 592 861 for further enquiries. f
LEFT – Drive head with wear shim
and simple locking mechanism to
attach the cutting plates.
BELOW LEFT – Quad plate with larger
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BELOW –Drive shaft drilled with the
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11

Take steps to avoid noise
complaints with floating floors
By Ron Call
As published in February/March 2013 in Hardwood Floors Magazine, USA.
A note from David Hayward, ATFA Technical Manager: This article stresses the need to acclimatise engineered flooring in the
USA. For various engineered products in Australia, acclimatisation is not required by manufacturers. Furthermore, in Australia
internal conditions are not controlled as occurs in the USA.
I started installing floors in 1979 and have seen our
industry change over the years. When I bought my first set
of tools from a guy who was retiring, my toolbox contained
needle and thread for sewing carpet seams. Fortunately, it
also came with a three-inch seam iron. I only had occasion
a couple of times in my career where the needle and thread
came in handy on a few sets of stairs. The last 15 years of my
contracting career I have focused my business on hardwood
installation and sanding and refinishing. There have been
many changes here as well, such as the switch in the glues
we use from high VOCs to water-based and urethanes. The
primary method of installation has changed as well. Only
10 years ago, 90 percent of my business was glue-down
prefinished hardwood. The occasional floating floor I did was
usually an edge-glued laminate.
Today it has totally flipped, and now 90 percent of the floors
I install are floating wood floors and laminates. Very seldom
do I get to play in glue anymore, which is the good news,
since the jobs go a little faster and my jeans look good longer.
The drawback is that they can cost you money if you aren’t
careful. The biggest problem I have found is some of the
floors are a little noisy underfoot when you walk on them. And
the planks, once installed, can sometimes move and create
gaps. Fortunately these problems can usually be avoided;
here are what I have found to be the primary causes of these
issues and how to prevent them.
MOISTURE AND MOVEMENT
Edge-glued floating floors are typically engineered floors
that are assembled with a bead of glue between the tongue
and groove around the perimeter of each board. They are
assembled over a 6mm moisture barrier and a cushioned pad
to reduce noise. These floors become one monolithic floor
(basically, the entire floor becomes one piece). If you have
an edge-glued floating floor that is making a lot of noise,
chances are the issue is either floor prep or moisture. Let’s
take a look at each one.
We all know that we are supposed to leave expansion
Moisture testing your subfloor is key so you don’t install
a floating floor where it will absorb too much moisture,
expand and make noise. Photo courtesy Ron Call.
Being proactive about
subfloor preparation
and customer
communication will
drastically increase the
chances of customers
being happy with their
floating wood floor.
12

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13

ction will drastically increase the chances of customers being happy with their floating w
Continued - Take steps to avoid noise complaints with floating floors stomer
If debris like this is left on the floor, it
can cause excess movement
and noise when walked on.
If a subfloor like this one isn’t flattened and cleaned, the resulting
movement can break the bonds between the boards.
space when installing any wood floor, but, because of their
monolithic nature, this is especially critical when installing
floating floors. Due to potential changes in the environment,
either in temperature or humidity, you must leave a proper
expansion gap around the perimeter of the floor and around
any vertical obstruction (kitchen islands, pillars, etc.) to allow
for expansion and contraction. Because the floor acts as one
large piece, T-moldings are required to separate adjacent
areas. This is because each room must be able to expand
or contract without affecting other rooms. If a floating floor
installed throughout an entire home were interconnected
without T-moldings, what happened in the kitchen would
affect what happened to the floor in the back bedrooms.
If your glued-edge floating floor is making noise, one
potential cause is that, due to moisture, the floor has
expanded the maximum it can based on the expansion gap
left during installation. At this point, the floor is locked in,
hitting the walls or doorjambs around the perimeter. You
may notice that the floor seems a little softer or bouncier
compared to what it was right after installation. This is
because the floor is still trying to expand and now has no
place to go but up. What you are hearing is the bond between
the glued boards breaking as you walk across the floor. If
you don’t repair this quickly, the floor may begin to show
separation and gaps between the boards. If that happens, the
floor may not be able to be repaired, and replacement may be
necessary.
Before the floor gets that far gone, the
good news is that repair is possible.
You’ll need to remove the skirting and
moldings to find where the floor is
hitting the walls or moldings and is
locked in. You will need to use a toe
kick saw to cut the floor back to allow
for proper expansion. Once you have
made the cuts, the floor should drop
back down almost immediately and
should be fine.
Note that when this happens, it’s possible that the
floor wasn’t acclimatised properly prior to installation.
Or, it’s possible the floor was acclimatised properly but
the temperature and moisture changed too much after
installation. Be sure you educate customers about the
importance of maintaining fairly consistent temperature and
moisture in the home, and the fact that they should never
completely turn off their heating or air-conditioning if they
are leaving their home for extended periods of time. If they
go on vacation or if it is a second home, they must maintain a
minimum range to avoid drastic changes in temperature and
humidity.
If the floor was acclimatised properly and the conditions in
14

the home have been fairly consistent since installation,
it’s possible there is another source of moisture. This
could be something like a slab leak or external water up
against the slab during the rainy season that is wicking
into the slab under the floor. Raised garden beds right
up against the home or sprinklers pointed in the wrong
direction can cause the same problem. Always make
sure the property is properly sloped so that water drains
away from it when it rains.
Installing on
concrete floors?
FLOOR PREP PROBLEMS
If you have a noisy floating floor and you have removed
all your moldings and baseboards and find there are still
proper expansion gaps, you may have a floor prep issue.
Floating wood floors typically require that the substrate,
or subfloor, be flat to within a certain tolerance. This
should be included in the directions that came with
the product. Making sure the subfloor is relatively flat
minimizes vertical movement of the floor when people
walk on it. Note, though, that with a floating floor you
will always have a certain amount of movement, as it is
installed over a pad. When you walk, the pad compresses
and the floor will move. But too much movement—such
as when the floorboards are spanning too big of a dip in
the subfloor—can cause the floor to flex so much that
the bond of the glue between boards will weaken. Over
time, the bond can break, causing the floor to fail. If this
is the case, you may be hearing loose boards beginning
to rub against each other.
Even if the subfloor was properly flattened prior to
installation, there is another floor prep issue that can
cause noisy floating floors: There may be loose debris
under the floor crunching as you walk. In either of these
cases, whether the problem is an uneven subfloor or
a dirty subfloor, there is not much you can do to fix the
floor except pull it up and start over, making sure that
the floor prep is done properly and the subfloor is clean
of all loose dirt and debris.
GLUELESS INTERLOCKING ISSUES
If the floor at issue is one of the newer glueless
floating hardwood floors that lock together without
adhesive, the cause of the noise may very well be the
ones I discussed above: moisture or floor prep. But
it’s possible that the noise may also be inherent in the
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15

ction will drastically increase the chances of customers being happy with their floating w
Continued - Take steps to avoid noise complaints with floating floors stomer
design of the locking mechanism of the floor itself.
Let me be clear: That is certainly not true for every glueless
floating floor. But over the last several years, as glueless
floating floors have flooded the market, some manufacturers
have rushed to keep up with others to secure their market
share. As a consequence, I have found that some glueless
floors will make noise no matter what you do.
As a contractor, I have seen my installation business
change to where almost all the floating floors I install now are
glueless-type installs. Some of these floors are easy to install
and perform well, while others can be a nightmare. When I
say “nightmare,” what I mean is that it’s all about customer
expectations. I have personally installed thousands of square
metres of these new products manufactured by almost every
company in the business. If a customer is told at the point
of sale that these floors tend to be a little noisier than glued
floors, there is usually no problem. If they’re not informed of
that fact, the floor may not meet their expectations.
up and re-flattened the subfloor so that it was completely flat,
exceeding the manufacturer’s requirements. I took photos
and video of the subfloor prep and perfect flatness (just to
protect myself) and then reinstalled the floor. Guess what?
The floor sounded exactly the same—no change whatsoever.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with
these floors. They can be a great value for the money, and
easier to install. They can just tend to be noisier than a
glued or nailed-down hardwood floor. So, what can you do?
In the example/experiment I mentioned above, I returned
all the underlayment and kept the flooring but switched the
customer over to a glue-down installation. This did not affect
the warranty, as this particular floor could be floated or glued
down directly to the slab. Once glued down, the floor had no
movement and made no noise at all. It cost the customer the
extra expense of adhesive and a little more in labour costs,
but in the end he was happy with the installation and the floor
looked great.
From my experience, in general,
the wider the plank, the quieter
the floor. I have found that a 76mm
wide board made by Manufacturer X
sounded like walking on Rice Bubbles,
while the same floor from the same
manufacturer in 127mm was fairly
quiet. What is causing the noise in
some of these products is the fact
that although the manufacturing
tolerances of these products lock
the boards together, there is some
movement between boards, so they
can squeak and make noise when
walked upon.
A couple of years back I did an experiment on a job where I
was installing 750m 2 of 76mm wide Product X. After installing
the first room (approximately 76m 2 ), every step was creaking
and popping. The floor was properly acclimatised and the
floor was flattened and prepped to meet the manufacturer’s
requirements. At this point I had the homeowner walk on the
floor, and he was not happy with the performance/noise the
floor made when he walked on it. I pulled the floor completely
CREEPING GAPS
Something else I’ve noticed the last few years regarding
If you are looking at an installed floor with this
problem, there are two things you can try to help
minimize the noise:
1. If the problem is localised to a small area, a traditional
fix is to try sprinkling a little talcum baby powder
between the boards. Then gently tap the floor with a
rubber mallet so as to not damage the wood. This will
create vibrations and the powder will migrate down
between the boards. The powder will act as a lubricant
and may solve the problem. Note that you should check
with the manufacturer to make sure they approve.
2. The nice thing about these floors is they can be
disassembled and put back together at least three
times, so if the problem is throughout the floor,
you can pull it up and glue it down, or pull it up and
edge-glue it. This will generally solve the problem,
but it may affect the warranty, so check on this first.
I would call the technical services department of the
manufacturer and see if this can be done; ask them to
send you an email verifying you can do this. If you don’t
get it in writing, you’re leaving yourself open to a costly
replacement.
16

ction will drastically increase the chances of customers being happy with their floating
Continued - Take steps to avoid noise complaints with floating floors stomer
18
floating floors is that sometimes they move due to foot traffic,
exposing the expansion gaps. I have seen this most often
at the pivot point of a hallway. For example, if the floor is
installed in a hallway crossways (like the ties of a railroad
track), each board is at most 1m to 1.2m wide. When the floor
was first installed with a proper expansion gap on both sides
of the hall and the gap was covered with baseboard or shoe
moldings, it all looked great. Now there may be a board or
two that is showing a gap between the edge of the floor and
the molding. This happens very gradually and may not appear
until several months after installation. The reason is that as
the homeowner walks and turns to go down the hallway, the
slight sideways pressure exerted by the pivoting foot creates
a gap. The board(s) is moving a very slight amount each time,
and eventually a small gap begins to appear.
This can be fixed a couple of different ways. The first is very
simple—it may or may not work and is only temporary. Put on
a pair of good sneakers that grip the floor and try kicking the
boards back in place. If this does work, you may have to do it
on occasion, as the problem will most likely reappear later.
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If you cannot get the gapping boards to move back into place
using your foot, remove the baseboard on the wall opposite
the gap, take a pry bar and gently pry the boards back to
their original location. Again, this will most likely be only a
temporary fix. To prevent the gaps from reoccurring, it will
be necessary to disassemble the hallway back to the affected
area and use some flooring glue (the type you would use on a
glued-edge floating floor) between the tongue and groove and
then reassemble. The glued boards will be able to withstand
the sideways pivot pressure that caused the problem and this
will be a permanent fix. Now remember, doing this may affect
the warranty, so check first.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
To prevent these issues from costing you headaches and
money, there are a few things you can do. First make sure
you have done the proper moisture testing recommended by
the wood-flooring manufacturer and have documented your
testing. Never cheat on floor prep or acclimatisation, since
most failures in our industry are related to either moisture
or improper floor prep. If you pull up the existing floor and
discover extensive prep is required but the customer is not
willing to pay for repairs, do not do the install. Even if they tell
you something like, “I don’t care if the floor fails later—I’m
just trying to sell the place,” etc., do not do the job. If you
install it, you own it. Even if you get it in writing that the
customer was OK with you installing it that way, if you get
sued later, you will lose in court. The judge will rule you were
the professional and you should have known better. Plus,
your name is on it, and you don’t want your name out there
associated with bad work.
Once you begin your floating install, check it after you have
installed the first several rows. Walk on it back and forth, and
if it’s quiet, you’re good to go. If it’s noisy, stop and have the
customer walk on it. Explain to them that they chose a great
floor but that some floating floors are a little noisier than
glued-down floors, and are they OK with the creaking? Some
people will tell you that it’s fine, because the old hardwood
floors that they grew up with made noise and they expect it.
If that’s the case, keep going. If they tell you they were not
expecting the floor to creak and they don’t like it, stop and
call the person who sold the floor. Most salespeople don’t
even know that noise with floating installs is a potential
issue. If you don’t stop but instead finish the install and your
customer ends up being unhappy, he or she will call you

or the retailer. The retailer will call the manufacturer, and they will
send out a company inspector. Best to avoid this scenario entirely by
making the customer happy up-front.
As technology changes, you’ve got to keep
up. Try to attend as many manufacturertraining
classes as you possibly can when
they are in your area. Make sure you
schedule time to bring everyone in your
crew as well; they need first-hand training
as much as you do. Make sure you know
about all the latest changes that may
affect your business as the industry moves
forward.
Learn more from Ron Call on YouTube.
com. Ron has a huge library of
instructional demonstration videos,
sharing his 30+ years of experience in
the timber flooring industry. Search
for Ron Call Urban Floors.
Ron Call is owner at Harmony Flooring in San Diego, Calif., and
Cleveland, Ohio. f
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19

Bullying in the workplace
It seems as though a lot of people are talking about
workplace bullying these days. It’s in the news, there was
a recent Parliamentary Inquiry and Julia Gillard is even
tweeting about it! Is the incidence of workplace bullying
increasing? Or is it simply a case of more people reporting
it? Is it really a big deal? And how much should employees
and business owners focus on it?
Beyond the enormous personal and organisational costs,
the Productivity Commission estimates that workplace
bullying costs the Australian economy between $6 billion and
$36 billion annually. Those are some big numbers and they
help to explain why the government is interested in wiping
this expense off the profit and loss report of the country.
The impact on individual businesses is easier to
understand: staff turnover, loss of productivity, diminishment
of workplace culture and a negative impact on the company’s
reputation. It is estimated that each case of bullying costs
the employer an average of $17,000 to $24,000. It has a
significant effect on workplace morale for all employees,
not just those involved in the dispute. This doesn’t even take
into account the expense of missed job opportunities or
management down time due to the significant time required
to deal with each case. There are many other costs on the
human side that can not be counted such as the reduced
quality of life of victims and their families. Sounds like some
pretty serious stuff, right? It may be worth taking some time
to understand this issue.
So let’s break it down for you. In this issue, we’re looking at
what workplace bullying actually is.
BULLYING IN THE
WORK PLACE IS BAD
FOR PRODUCTIVITY
There are a couple of trends occurring
in this area according to industrial
relations expert, Emma Watt. “Firstly,
employees are becoming more likely
to report incidents of bullying. This
may be due to increased media
scrutiny and statistics coming to
light of the widespread incidence of
bullying from school to workplaces to
Parliament.
20
Secondly, although reporting is increasing, some people
are still unsure about how to deal with it.”
One of the problems the Parliamentary Report highlighted
is multiple official definitions of workplace bullying. There
are numerous jurisdictions responsible for this area across
Australia because traditionally, this issue is handled at a
state level. So, if the powers that be haven’t come up with an
agreed national definition, it’s probably safe to say that it is
difficult to define. This, of course, makes it hard for business’s
to identify what is and isn’t workplace bullying.
The Parliamentary Report made many recommendations,

the most obvious of which is a national definition. It
suggests that bullying behaviour in the workplace
is anything that a reasonable person would see as
victimising, humiliating, undermining or threatening.
Interestingly, the intent of the so-called “bully” is
irrelevant. Two researchers who made submissions to the
report “observed that in their research, many workers are
not aware of the effect of their behaviour in the workplace
and consequently, bullying can be seen as ‘accidental’ or
unintended.”
This makes things a little muddy. Even the
recommended national definition is open to significant
interpretation. Even more concerning is that someone
could be accused of being a bully even if they never
intended to bully anyone. The person experiencing the
bullying needs only his or her own “experience” which is
then put to a “reasonable person” test.
It seems even the report thinks we all could do with
some help navigating this issue and have recommended
“that the Commonwealth Government develop a national
advisory service that provides practical and operational
advice on what does and does not constitute workplace
bullying.”
In our next issue we will look at how to tell if bullying
is impacting your business and what to do about it. Also,
what if you’re the bully? f
21

Moisture content standard revised
In the previous issue we emphasised that care is
necessary when comparing the moisture content of different
products to ensure we are comparing “apples with apples”.
The standard in Australia and New Zealand for measuring
the moisture content of solid timber has recently been
revised. David Hayward explains some of the important
changes that have a bearing on the timber flooring industry.
The moisture content of a piece of wood is the mass of
water divided by the mass of dry wood present, which is then
expressed as a percentage. Knowing the moisture content of
wood is useful as it will give us an idea of how it will perform
or how stable it will be when in service. Understanding
moisture content measurement is also very important when
analysing problem floors. Measuring the moisture content
is relatively easy and is commonly done with two types of
meters (resistance and capacitance) and by what’s known as
an “oven dry moisture content test”.
The previous version of the Australian and New Zealand
Standard for moisture content has served the industry since
1997 and the recent revision just scraped into 2012 (AS/
NZS 1080.1 Timber – Methods of test - Method 1: Moisture
content). For the remainder of this article we will look at
some important differences contained in this new update.
The first most significant change is that where the
previous version covered resistance meters and oven dry
testing it did not include capacitance moisture meters. The
revised standard includes all three methods but there is
one further subtle change. The standard outlines that the
oven dry method is used to determine moisture content and
that meters are used to estimate moisture content. It also
indicates that of the two meter types the resistance meter is
considered to be of greater accuracy.
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22
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Capacitance
moisture meter
Resistance
moisture meter
The standard is about methods of testing and it outlines
what is applicable to each of these three methods. It details
how samples should be obtained and how results should
be reported. To reflect the differences in accuracy between
methods the standard indicates that the results should be
reported as follows:
• Oven dry testing to the nearest 0.2%
• Resistance moisture meters to the nearest 0.5%
(after temperature and species corrections have been
applied)
• Capacitance meters (set to the applicable density) to
the nearest 1%.
For example, if your resistance meter gives a corrected
reading of 11.3% it should be recorded as 11.5% while a
capacitance meter the same reading would be recorded as
11%.
Added to the standard are two appendices covering useful
things to know when using both resistance and capacitance
moisture meters. These include the principles behind how
each of these meter types work, calibration, accuracy and
precautions when using the meters. For example, the use
of a capacitance moisture meter is limited by species mixes
such as Tasmanian Oak (due to the greater variances in board
densities).
The standard now also recognises the variety of uses
of the different meters. The standard acknowledges that
capacitance moisture meters are useful for process control. It
also highlights the important use they provide in our industry
and their use when undertaking survey work (particularly in
locating a moisture problem in different locations of a floor).
The standard also acknowledges that employing multiple
methods may be necessary. For example, when using
capacitance moisture meters, a back-up with a resistance
moisture meter or oven dry testing will often be needed.
Finally, there is one other significant change that affects
our industry. Moisture content testing of some of our flooring
products does not fit into any of the prescribed standards for
moisture content testing. For example, take a multilayered
engineered floor board. Should it be oven dry tested under the
method contained in this standard or perhaps the standard
used for plywood? Well, a note has been added to the scope
of this standard stating that: “The oven-drying method may
also provide a useful estimation of moisture content for
other non-solid products such as engineered wood flooring
and bamboo-based flooring.” Hence the standard now
acknowledges application to these other flooring products
and it is up to industry for the sensible interpretation of the
results.
Many other aspects of the standard remain much the
same. It includes an updated and comprehensive list of
species corrections for resistance meters, temperature
correction tables and standard resistances for different
moisture contents. An electronic copy of the standard can
be purchased from the Standards Australia online store at
siaglobal.com and it is also available as a hard copy. Finally,
you can be assured that the information provided by ATFA is
current with the revised standard. f
Drying oven
and scales
FROM THE DESK OF
David Hayward, Technical Manager
Ph 07 3420 4968
Email david@atfa.com.au
23

Timber Floors Magazine TOP
improve your website rank
5
So you have a website for your business. Good start. But
it will be a hard slog encouraging potential customers to
visit your site if the only way to get them there is to give
them your exact website address. You need the top search
engines to index your site so that it will come up in the top
results relevant to your business.
Here are our top five tips for search engine optimisation
(SEO) to improve your site’s ranking, to bring you more traffic
and more business.
1. Increase your content and include your major keywords
as much as possible.
Search engines use the text in your website to match to
search queries. If a potential customer searches the term
“timber flooring” and you don’t have this term peppered
throughout your site, it will not rank well.
Think carefully about what search phrases your market
will use to find you and don’t assume your market will use
industry lingo. Many image-heavy sites fall into the trap of
having too high a “code to content” ratio. You need as much
HTML text as possible in your website otherwise Google will
consider it too light in the content department. A good rule of
thumb is a minimum of 500 words on every page of your site,
more for your blog or newsletter.
2. Engage in social media.
Search engines give extra cred to websites with “social
proof”. That means your site’s address has been shared on
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and blogs.
Make this easy for your users by adding share icons to
every page (see Addthis.com), have a monthly blog which is
part of your website and make it a breeze for visitors to “like”
your Facebook page without leaving your website.
3. Learn from the pros.
Google a search phrase you would like to rank well in.
Then take a look at the sites which rank in the top five for
this search query and see what they’re doing to achieve this.
Do they have the phrase in their website address, in their
headings and page content? Do they have a Facebook page
with that phrase name? Are their images named according to
the phrase? Then apply these tricks to your site.
4. Play fair.
Google, Yahoo and Bing are smarter than all of us put
together. You will be penalised if you try to keyword load or
trick the system. If you add a stack of keyword loaded text
which is white on a white background, just for SEO, Google
will spot it and refuse to index your site. Spend your time
working on creating good quality content and engaging social
content rather than working out ways to trick the world’s
biggest search engines.
5. Keep at it…and watch your site rise through the rankings
SEO is a constant beast and you should be improving your
site content, keywords and social media on a weekly basis.
Don’t let your competitors out-perform you in the SEO
stakes. f
Bring in more
business by attracting more
traffic to your website.
24

ATFA
Assessing Timber Floor Performance, Victoria
19 March 2013 – 20 March 2013
Assessing Timber Floor Performance, New South Wales
9 April 2013 – 10 April 2013
New Techniques Install and Finish Program, Victoria
17 April 2013 – 19 April 2013
Industry Golf Day, Queensland
17 May 2013
Assessing Timber Floor Performance, Queensland
22 May 2013 – 23 May 2013
State Expo and Dinner, Western Australia
7 June 2013
ir talk with Emma Watt
websites
Penalties for breaches of an Act
(including the Fair Work Act 2009)
are described in the legislation in
terms of ‘penalty units’. Each piece
of legislation defines what number
of ‘penalty units’ apply for a breach
of that legislation. For about 15
years, the federal ‘penalty unit’ has
been $110. Recently, the value of
a ‘penalty unit’ has increased from
$110 to $170.
For example, in the Fair Work Act
2009 (section 539), a breach of the
General Protections provisions, or
the Right of Entry provisions, may
attract a maximum penalty of 60
penalty units for an individual, or
300 for a body corporate (such as a
Pty Ltd company, with an ACN, not
just an ABN).
This means that the maximum
penalty for an individual has
increased from $6,600 to $10,200
per breach, and the maximum
penalty for a corporate has
increased from $33,000 to $51,000
per breach. When prosecutions
occur for breach of a modern
award, each day that an award
is breached in relation to each
employee may be considered a
separate breach!
This change is a reminder to
employers to ensure compliance
with the National Employment
Standards and the relevant modern
award or enterprise agreement.
You also need to be sure that you
are keeping appropriate records
and providing payslips to your
employees. If you think you may
need to dismiss an employee,
ensure you consult the Small
Business Fair Dismissal Code.
If ATFA members are concerned
about a matter that could be the
subject of a large fine, please
contact Emma Watt for advice.
fastpay.anz.com
ANZ FastPay allows you to
process credit and debit card
sales securely from your iPhone
and iPad. Make sure you use
promotional code ‘henderm4’.
woodsolutions.com.au
Visit the Technical Design
Guides on the resources page
for some new guides on timber
finishing.
Emma Watt specialises in advising small to medium sized businesses in
the timber and furnishing industries. She offers ATFA members two free
telephone calls per annum for help on IR/HR issues.
Phone 03 8822 3712 Mobile 0411 708 073 Email emma@emmawatt.com.au
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Product snap shots
BORAL TIMBER - NEW WIDE BOARD OVERLAY
Boral Timber has released a 130mm wide board
overlay solid strip flooring product. The 14mm thick
overlay is solid hardwood tongue and groove strip flooring
designed to be laid directly over a level, flat solid surface.
With no underside glue grooves, installers can achieve
greater surface area contact between the timber and the
subfloor. With an equivalent wear layer to the Boral solid
strip flooring 13mm profile boards, Boral 14mm overlay
solid strip flooring can be sanded several times during
the lifespan of the timber. This product is available in
Blackbutt, Spotted Gum, Sydney Blue Gum, Aussie beech
and Forest Reds. For details visit boral.com.au, email
timberspec@boral.com.au or call 1800 818 317.
LAGLER ON FACEBOOK!
Lagler Australia has launched a Facebook page to
complement their comprehensive, information-packed
website and blog. Contractors are encouraged to send in
pictures of their eligible finished floors so that Lagler can
share them with the timber flooring community. “It fits with
our philosophy that we are more than a supplier, we are a
partner,” says Lagler Australia MD, Cameron Luke. Go to
facebook.com/lagleroz to like this page.
AQUAPRO 8270 ADVANCE 2K WATER BASED FLOOR FINISH
This is a two pack, water-based, floor finish recommended
for application to interior parquetry, timber, particleboard
and cork flooring. It has exceptional abrasion resistance
and excellent chemical and black heel mark resistance
(BHMR) and is highly suitable for commercial and high
traffic environments. It’s easy to apply, flows and levels well
with low risk of lap marking. This coating has a very low
VOC (solvent) content, is safer for contractor/applicators
and building occupants and
complies with the Green
Building Council Australia
- Green Star Rating. It is
available in full gloss, semi
gloss, satin and matt and is
recommended for application
over AQUAPRO 8020 Water
Based Sealer. For details
of the full AQUAPRO range
available from Embelton call
1800 339 638.
NEW OVERLAY XL FROM
HURFORD HARDWOOD
Hurford Hardwood is pleased
to introduce Hurford Overlay XL
(Xtra Long) in its 83mm x 14mm
overlay product. Hurford Overlay
XL will be the same profile as
the regular 83mm x 14mm and
can be interchanged without
problems. If you have one long
hallway or a large room that
you think would look better with
longer length flooring and lots of
smaller rooms then why not mix
and match XL and the standard
product. Overlay XL is available
as Spotted Gum, Blackbutt,
Grey Ironbark, Blue Gum,
Brushbox and Red Ironbark. Visit
hardwood.com.au or call
02 6621 9886 for more details.
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Hamer Hall
Installed by Darren Carrolan of
Architectural Floors
Timber supplied by Embelton
Coating supplied by Polycure
AQUAPRO Water Based Coatings
Polycure is the name professional tradespeople think of for
quality flooring finishes. Our product range includes water based,
moisture cure, polyurethane and oil based floor coatings.
The AQUAPRO Water Based range includes:
• AQUAPRO Hitek Single Pack Coatings
• AQUAPRO Advance 2K Two Pack Coatings
• AQUAPRO Water Based Sealer
• AQUAPRO Water Based Stains
For more information visit polycure.com.au
Serving the trade for 40 years
Offering great service at the most competitive prices,
Embelton Flooring is your one stop shop – drop by for a visit!
Solid Timber | Parquetry | Decking | Trade Flooring Supplies
Melbourne – Coburg
147 Bakers Road
Coburg VIC 3058
T: +61 (0)3 9353 4811
E: gpevic@embelton.com
Melbourne – Huntingdale
72 Fenton St
Huntingdale VIC 3166
T: +61 (0)3 9545 6499
E: gpevic@embelton.com
Sydney – Silverwater
20 Fariola Street
Silverwater NSW 2128
T: +61 (0)2 9748 3188
E: gpensw@embelton.com
Perth – Osborne Park
21 Pearson Way
Osborne Park WA 6017
T: +61 (0)8 9204 1300
E: gpewa@embelton.com
Brisbane – Kedron
44 Millway Street
Kedron QLD 4031
Tel: + 61 (0)7 3359 7100
E: gpeqld@embelton.com
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Project feature:
Top work in the Top End
Every now and again a story comes along that makes you
smile. This is one such story.
Anyone who has travelled throughout this great big, brown
land of ours would be aware of its massive proportions.
Those who choose to live in its extremities are renowned for
their resilience and true Aussie character, but there is also a
downside to this remoteness.
Will Stubbs, Coordinator of the Buku-Larrigay Mulka
Art Centre says, “We could not find a professional willing
to travel to remote North East Arnhem land to install our
floor.” This is a common complaint in these areas, and it is
particularly difficult to locate local tradesmen with the lure of
the mines and their attractive pay packets.
“In despair, we contacted Randy Flierman at the Australian
Timber Floors Association,” says Will Stubbs. Randy offered
to circulate the job to the ATFA members as well as soliciting
advice from Lisa Alexiou and David Hayward.
The floor that Will required was special. It was not only
to be beautiful, but also a tribute to a local indigenous
artist. Gulumbu Yunupingu recently died at the age of 66.
Her life was one of giving to her family and her community.
In addition to this, she became a well-known and globally
recognised aboriginal artist. Her art has a permanent
position in the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris. She also
received first prize in the National Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Art Awards. Topped off with a more recent
exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art
in Sydney.
Will wanted a floor to act as a canvas to commemorate
her art and her love of stars. Ms Yunupinga had often told a
story of camping with her family as a young girl – no tent, just
sleeping on the beach. At one point in the night she woke to
find light rain falling on her skin. When she told her mother
about this, she remarked, “There were no clouds, it must
have been the stars crying.” From then on, her relationship
with the sky and stars became special and she drew on this
in her art. For her, stars became a reminder that people
should work towards harmony: “We can all look at the stars,
whichever sky we’re looking at.”
The floor has been designed so that at a certain time of
day, as if by magic, the natural light from the surrounding
windows creates a pattern of stars and lines on the floor of
varying colours. This mimics one of her canvases.
Randy Flierman rallied the troops and found some noso-local
contractors who were willing to travel. Randy says,
“Approximately ten member companies put in an offer.
Members were very excited to get involved.” The team from
Westcoast Floor won the contract and not only travelled from
Geelong to the top end, but also donated their time.
The installers Alex and Ryan were treated to a traditional
ceremony and hunting everything from buffalo to barramundi.
Will says, “I cannot tell you the amount of positive feedback
we have had already about the quality of the work done here…
the community has been enchanted with the result and…the
whole school population of 160 came down to see it.” f
The floor and the miraculous stars that appear on it every day at
11.30am echoing the style of Gulumbu Yunupingu
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since 1828
1 www.staufusa.com
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The hardwood secret nail wide board flooring,
with outstanding performance & easy installation.
Hurford Hardwood has developed “Fourteen” for people who love the look of wide hardwood boards
but don’t want the traditional top-nail appearance in their floor. Available in two sizes, 130mm x 14mm
and 180mm x 14mm and board lengths range from 0.6m to 4.5m.
Fourteen is available in a wide variety of species and grades, which insures it’s broad enough to
complement any design requirement. The Fourteen series is straight lined before profiling to produce
a straight, flat floor that is easier and quicker to install, Hurford Hardwood guarantees it.
For more info on Fourteen please contact us or visit the website...
Phone: +61(2) 6621 9886
Email: hardwood@hurfords.com.au
Website: www.hardwood.com.au
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