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Eurotex is a direct importer of the highest quality hardwood flooring products available. Eurotex specialize in solid wood products from South America and Asia, including interior solid wood flooring, exterior Decking, Facade & cladding, cladding & facade, Exterior wood façade, exterior cladding and solid wood for gates. Eurotex’s interior flooring line is offered in pre-finished & engineered selections.
NATURE is Eurotex's signature brand of pre-finished hardwood flooring which includes the industry's best selection of solid hardwood flooring. Eurotex offer the finest in Exotic, Handscraped and Classic hardwoods.
Eurotex works with the leading manufacturers throughout the world to give Eurotex’s customers superior, top-quality products at the most competitive prices available.
Eurotex is one of the leaders in pre-finished hardwood flooring and pre-finished engineered solid wood flooring. Eurotex work with state of the art factories in South America and Asia, specializing in the highest quality pre-finished solid hardwood flooring available.
Eurotex’s partners in manufacturing use the latest technology to produce a precision milled and properly kiln dried product. Eurotex require extensive quality control at every stage of the manufacturing process. The final step in the process is to apply an aluminum oxide factory finish. This 8 coat process includes sanding, sealer, aluminum oxide which gives the finish its hardness, and then the final top coat. Eurotex pre-finished flooring carries a 25 year warranty for residential use.
Eurotex specialize in most South American Exotic species including Brazilian Cherry, Ipe, Tiger Wood, Cumaru, Merbau, White Oak, Walnut and many other Brazilian Amazon woods. |
Engineering Wood Flooring
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Eurotex Hardwood Flooring
Prefinished Solid and Engineered Wood Floors
The Finest Hardwood Flooring from around the World.
Eurotex focuses on sustainable practices by responsibly hand selecting the finest, long-lasting, most beautiful woods from all across the globe.
Eurotex Exotic Collection
Eurotex’s Exotic Collection comes from some of the world's most exotic regions. Places where you can hear an accent on the "i" in the word "Passion." Exotic is about being impulsive yet prepared. Getting wild while keeping it classy. Dropping yEurotex’s drink in the excitement of what's to come. You'll get shivers on some of the sexiest wood you'll ever find.
EXOTIC BRAZIL COLLECTION WOODS
- Jatoba, Brazilian Cherry
- Cumaru, Brazilian Teak
- Ipe, Brazilian Walnut
- American Walnut
FEATURES AND BENEFITS
- Superior Kiln Drying for Maximum Stability and Ease of Installation
- Superior Milling Quality for Best Fit and Noise Reduction
- Superior Finishing for Long Life and Wear Resistance
- 8 Coat System featuring Bona
- Low Sheen Semi-Gloss (30-40%)
- Aluminum Oxide for Maximum Durability
- Environmentally Safe
THE HIGHEST QUALITY PREFINISHED FLOORING FROM American & European Countries
Eurotex’s solid prefinished hardwood flooring offers the performance of 3/4” a solid hardwood floor with a durable high quality factory finish. No other product has been able to replace solid hardwood flooring as the most durable and beautiful floor available. Eurotex’s exotic solid prefinished flooring can be sanded and refinished many times, offering a floor which will last a lifetime. Eurotex’s flooring is precision milled with the highest quality equipment available. Eurotex’s full time quality control and technical staff ensure the highest standards of fit and finish.
SUPERIOR KILN DRYING OF TROPICAL WOODS - JATOBA, CUMARU, IPE, TIGERWOOD, aMERICAN WALNUT, wHITE OAK & MERBAU.
Careful kiln drying is one of the most important factors in producing the best possible tropical hardwood solid pre-finished flooring products. Tropical woods generally have a higher density and require kiln drying techniques vastly different than the drying domestic temperate hardwoods, such as Oak, Ash, Maple and Walnut, Jatoba, Cumaru, Ipe, Tigerwood, White Oak, Merbau
Eurotex’s rough lumber blanks are air dried for a minimum of three months prior to kiln drying - this process slowly removes moisture from the wood without shocking the material when it enters the kiln. Proper air drying will bring the lumber moisture content down close to fiber saturation point, typically around 25% moisture content. Ideally, when lumber enters the kilns the individual pieces are at approximately the same starting moisture content. The pre-drying or air drying process helps to achieve this ideal.
Eurotex’s exotic lumber is dried in the highest quality modern dry kilns with variable speed fans, high quality uniform stacking sticks, electonic in-kiln moisture meters and computer controlled scheduling. We do not rush the drying process and the material goes through both equalization and conditioning steps to ensure the material has a uniform moisture content throughout each piece.
EXCEPTIONAL KILN DRYING TECHNIQUES MINIMIZE MOVEMENT, SHRINKAGE, EXPANSION, AND GAPPING
At all phases of the manufacturing process after kiln drying, Eurotex’s material is kept in a humidity controlled environment. We pride Eurotex in producing a product with a consistent and uniform final moisture content; Eurotex’s high quality kiln drying permits the minimum amount of equalization time on the final job site. We still recommend a minimum of two weeks of equalization on the job site prior to installation.
Because solid hardwood will always move with changes in moisture content, many problems related to exotic hardwood flooring are caused by variations in humidity or moisture content. These changes in the moisture content of the wood can cause movement, shrinkage, expansion, gapping between boards, cracking and checking. Extreme changes in moisture can lift the factory finish right off the wood itself.
STATE OF THE ART MILLING QUALITY OF EXOTIC HARDWOODS
Eurotex’s milling quality is the very best in the industry. This means Eurotex’s product will fit together perfectly, not too tight and not too loose. This will save time during the installation and help to prevent squeeks and pops during the life of Eurotex’s floor.
We use only the finest moulders imported from Germany and Italy to mill Eurotex’s flooring. These moulders use the latest in computer aided set up including electronic grinding of knives for a precision "jointed" finish - jointing is the process of equalizing all cutting knives in the moulder head so each knife cuts an equal amount. This creates the smoothest possible finish with a minimum of knife marks and eliminates the typical chatter and tear out found in many hardwood flooring products. Having the highest tolerances possible allows for a higher quality factory finish, and a more consistent fit for quicker installation.
8 COAT BONA ALUMINUM OXIDE FINISH WITH 25 YEAR FACTORY WARRANTY
Factory finished floors offer some unique advantages over a sand and finish on-site floor. Although Eurotex’s sand and finish on site products are milled to the same exacting tolerances, with Eurotex’s factory finished or prefinished flooring products we can offer an aluminum oxide finish from Bona which is one of the hardest and most durable flooring finishes available. The aluminum oxide is an additive used during coats 3 through 6 out of 8 coats total which gives the floor its finish hardness. As part of Eurotex’s quality control process, we regularly test Eurotex’s prefinished flooring using the Tabor method to ensure that finish quality is as expected. |
INSTALLATION ADVICE FOR SOLID PREFINISHED HARDWOOD FLOORS
It is critical that installation conditions are correct prior to beginning the installation of solid wood flooring. The moisture content of the wood sub-floor or concrete slab should be tested upon delivery of the material to the jobsite, especially in new construction. We recommend that the moisture conditions are noted on the delivery paperwork. Material should always be acclimated to the jobsite prior to installation; we recommend a minimum of 10 days, but areas with high humidity or low humidity will require longer equalization times. The jobsite should also be held at a consistent humidity and temperature during acclimation and installation. Never install hardwood flooring prior to installing a fully functional HVAC system and sealing up the building. Wood flooring will move very slightly with variations in temperature and this will often cause popping or cracking sounds.
INSTALLATION ADVICE
It is critical that installation conditions are correct prior to beginning the installation of solid wood flooring. The moisture content of the wood sub-floor or concrete slab should be tested upon delivery of the material to the jobsite, especially in new construction. We recommend that the moisture conditions are noted on the delivery paperwork. Material should always be acclimated to the jobsite prior to installation; we recommend a minimum of 10 days, but areas with high humidity or low humidity will require longer equalization times. The jobsite should also be held at a consistent humidity and temperature during acclimation and installation. Never install hardwood flooring prior to installing a fully functional HVAC system and sealing up the building. Wood flooring will move very slightly with variations in temperature and this will often cause popping or cracking sounds.
Wood Floor Installation | Installing Hardwood Flooring | Installation Tips
Solid Floor Nail-Down Installation
Please follow these installation procedures to ensure the successful installation of your hardwood floor. These procedures are written with an experienced installer audience in mind, so if you require more information on the basic procedures of installation, we encourage you to contact the NWFA for more information at www.nwfa.org or by phone at 1-800-422-4556.
Pre-Installation Considerations
Inspecting Wood
Inspect all materials products prior to installation. Do not install defective materials. Wood is a natural product with natural color variations, grain variations, and tone variations. Though products do undergo a rigorous inspection process before leaving the plant, it is still necessary to inspect the materials in order to ensure their quality. Installation of defective materials could result in voiding your warranty.
Order of Installation
In order to ensure that no damage is done to the wood over the course of construction, particularly in the case of homes under construction and reEurotextion, wood flooring should always be installed after all other installations are finished. Additionally, foot traffic should be kept to a minimum after the installation of the floor is complete. If a protective cover is placed over the floor at this time, make sure that the entire floor is covered as many woods are sensitive to light and will undergo color change.
Crawl Space and Subfloor Specifications
Before installation, ensure that all basements and crawl spaces are dry. The crawl space also needs to allow for at least 18 inches between the joists and the ground. A vapor barrier/retarder has to cover 100% of the crawl space, with the joints of the vapor barrier overlapping at least 6 inches. The vapor barrier itself should extend six inches up the stem wall, where it must be attached and sealed. Finally, there must be a constantly operating mechanical exhaust and perimeter wall insulation or conditioned air supply with insulation.
Wood Sub-Floors
Wood sub-floors must be secured with screws or nailed. Nails need to be ring shank and screws must be counter sunk. In the event that the wood sub-floor is less than 3/4" thick, add a single cross layer with a minimum thickness of 5/16" for a total of 1" inch of thickness in order to combat possible squeaking after installation. There must be no oil, existing adhesives, wax, grease, urethane, dirt, varnish, paint, etc. on the wood subfloor. Particleboard is not a possible sub-flooring option for staple or nail down installation, but it can be sufficient for a glue down installation. Subfloors must not measure over 12% moisture content. Additionally, the hardwood flooring's moisture content and that of the subfloor can not have a difference of more than 4%.
Protecting Hardwood Prior to Installation
It is paramount that the wood is not delivered or stored at the site until the building is enclosed, as storing wood in these conditions will cause adverse effects as a result of fluctuating outdoor humidity and temperature values. Once the building is enclosed, don't bring or install the wood into the house until it has been brought to the temperature and relative humidity that it will kept at with the future occupants present. Additionally, don’t deliver or install the hardwood until painting of primer coats, drywall, texturing, masonry, and concrete is finished.
Grade Consideration
For the different grades of a house, there are different restrictions for which types of hardwood can be installed. For above-grade and on-grade installation, engineered hardwood, solid hardwood, and a floating floor are all acceptable. However, at below-grade, only floating floors and engineered hardwood are options. Should the ground around a building be 3 or more inches above the floor of that level, that level is considered below-grade, and thus ineligible for solid hardwood.
Acclimating Hardwood Flooring
Preparing the Wood
Acclimating Hardwood is often an essential task for ensuring the wood doesn't undergo any unforeseen dimensional shifts after or even during the installation. While acclimating, make sure not to store hardwood in a location where the temperature and humidity is not that of the living space within the house, such as a garage or exterior patio. Preferably, the house should have all of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems running for at least five days before the hardwood arrives for acclimation.
Checking Boards' Moisture Content
The relationship between the moisture content of the hardwood boards and that of the subflooring determines whether or not the wood is acceptable for installation. In order to ascertain these moisture values, check various boards' moisture content, approximately 4 boards for every 100 square feet. If the wood is solid and wider than 3", then there should be no more than a 2% difference between moisture content of the wood after it has acclimated and the subflooring. With hardwood that is narrower than 3", the difference between the moisture content of the hardwood and the subfloor should be no more than 4%. As a general rule, wood floor maintains dimensional stability best within a temperature range of 60-80° Fahrenheit and a humidity range of 35-65%. The two exceptions to this rule apply to imported and exotic wood species, as they may react differently to these circumstances, and extreme geographical circumstances.
Processes of Moisture Testing
Subfloor Moisture Testing
In order to get an accurate reading of the sub-floor's moisture level, test approximately 2 locations per every 100 square feet and take the mean average of these values. If there is an unusually high value in one particular region, this probably indicates a problem which should be attended to prior to installation. There are various moisture tests that can be performed to determine whether moisture levels are acceptable for installation. The acceptable moisture conditions for installation are:
- Moisture readings of less than 14% when using an equivalent moisture meter on wood substrates.
- Calcium chloride test producing results of less than 3 pounds/1000 square feet/24 hours.
- A reading of less than 5.0 on a Concrete Moisture Counter.
Vapor Barriers
Vapor barriers for hardwood and wood sub-floors are sometimes referred to as vapor retarders. They can be a membrane, vapor resistant material, or covering with a vapor resistance rating at or above .7 perms, or at or below 50 perms. They are effective at alleviating moisture problems by protecting the hardwood from ground moisture and condensation. They also provide a number of other benefits, including noise reduction, dust reduction, and the elimination of wood-on-wood contact.
However, different vapor barriers work more effectively than others in given circumstances. In the case of a wood subfloor, an impermeable vapor barrier with a rating of .7 or less shouldn't be used. With this level of impermeability, the vapor barrier could possibly trap moisture in or on the wood subfloor.
In the case of a concrete subfloor, there are a variety of methods to test its moisture, including calcium carbide testing, calcium chloride testing, or relative-humidity testing. Before testing, the concrete is required to be at least 30 days old. Various retailers provide concrete moisture meters and relative humidity kits. You can contact the NWFA to find a retailer near you at 1-800-422-4556. Unfortunately, these tests cannot guarantee a concrete slab that is completely free of moisture all year-round.
The vapor barrier specifications for a concrete subfloor diverge from the wood subfloor specifications by requiring a very high level of impermeability at .15 perms or lower, allowing for little or no moisture movement.
Installing Solid Hardwood Flooring
When preparing to install solid hardwood flooring, be sure that you do not install over an area with radiant heat. 15 lbs. asphalt felt must be laid to install, and a moisture barrier of 6 mil polyethylene film may also be necessary. This protects against moisture rising up from below and also helps prevent squeaking. Install the vapor barrier parallel to the direction of the flooring. Make sure that the vapor barrier has a 3" overhang around the perimeter, and that it overlaps each previous run by at least 6".
Door frames in the flooring area can be cut approximately 1/16 of an inch higher than the hardwood being installed to increase the ease of installation and avoid complex cuts. Take boards out of several boxes in order to ensure good tonal variety and mixture in the floor. Lay your flooring at a 90° angle to the floor joists whenever possible. Using an external wall as a reference, snap a working line parallel to the reference wall, allowing for the requisite expansion space indicated by the wood’s manufacturer.
Put down a row of planks that runs the along the length of the working line. Make sure the tongues are always facing out as using the tapping block on the plank’s groove could damage the board. Blind nail and top nail the first row, while being sure to use only the appropriate fasteners.
Research the specie of wood you’re installing to determine whether or not it will require pre-drilling in order to nail it down. The later rows of boards should be blind nailed whenever possible. Also, attempt to nail the boards into joists whenever possible. Nails should be 1-2" from the ends of the boards and every 4-6" along the edge of the boards, going in at a 45° angle. Make sure to stagger your boards such that no two end joints are within three rows or 6" of each other.
Once installation is complete, use appropriate trim moldings and wall moldings along walls and doorways to cover edges and conceal gaps resulting from any irregularities in perimeter dimensions. Use a flooring filler to fill in any wide seems along joints that blends with the tone of the wood. Clean the floor with a recommended hardwood flooring cleaner.
Maintenance
Sweep the floor often to remove any abrasive materials that could potentially damage your floor.
Felt protectors should be placed under the legs or bottoms of heavy furniture, chairs, etc.
Apply leading hardwood cleaner to towels to clean the floor. Do not apply the cleaner directly to the flooring.
Use a white washcloth and hard surface cleaner to remove spills on the flooring quickly.
Avoid wearing spike-heeled shoes or damaged shoes on the floor as they can cause damage.
Do not use a wet or damp mop to clean the hardwood floor. Any water can damage the flooring.
UV rays produced by the sun can alter the tone and color of your flooring.
Place mats at all points in the home with exterior entrances to avoid debris being tracked onto the flooring.
Do not use products containing wax, oil, or polish on hardwood, as doing so will create a residue on the wood surface that will cause the finish to dull.
Keep your housepets' nails clipped short in order to avoid scratches. The larger the pet, the greater the danger of scratches.
Put a rug in front of all water sources, such as kitchen sinks, dishwashers, and any other place where water could spill onto the hardwood. |
