Warming to wood

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So solid

Another noticeable trend is a move away from shiny laminates, towards matt, natural finishes, using a choice of either solid, hardwood or engineered wood, said Gregory. “Laminates are essentially planks of artificial material with pictures of wood on them. These are short-term solutions. If you want something for two or three years then laminates are fine. However, it won’t last. What’s the benefit if you need to change it every three years? This is a long-term investment so engineered wood is definitely the way forward. In Dubai and across the region you tend to have high humidity outside and low inside – this is where engineered wood is much more efficient than solid wood. This is because even a 1% moisture change can make a huge impact on the wood – we limit this to only 10%,” he added.

Solid wood also has its advantages. At Nordic Homeworx, 1-strip products, where the surface and board is sawn in one piece, are popular. “Using this method gives a totally natural feel, emphasising the full character of each species chosen. The knots and variations in colour and grain give the floor a certain uniqueness that only 1-strip can provide. 1-strip is ideal for larger rooms where the dimension of the boards is in keeping with the overall space, and aims to the give the feel of stripped and varnished floorboards,” said Madani.

“In addition, Kährs uses stains to further enhance the colour that nature has provided. From light, white lacquered or white old to dark, deep and exotic colours, today the consumer has more design opportunities than ever before.”

Junckers has aimed to further widen the scope of choice with its collection of coloured floors, Soul+Collection. “When everything surrounding us oozes of personality and individual expression, there is no reason why the floor should not also do so,” Hansen maintained.

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“Junckers’ focal point is floors with a strong personal expression. Instead of sticking to a tight and natural palette, Junckers gave the floors a significant dash of colour. The eight spectacular standard colours include, for instance, the loud red HotSalsa and the elegantly toned down SpicyPepper. The structure and the knots of the wooden boards appear clearly through the coloured surface, giving a distinguished play between the natural and the colourful.”

A positive response to the collection has led the company to launch its new line of Reflection colours. “The coloured surface has been given a brand new treatment, resulting in a quite unique metallic expression, creating associations to metallic cars. The charcoal grey becomes metallic grey instead. As with the other Soul+Collection colours, the natural structure of the wood appears under the surface. It is cool elegance on a visible base of warm nature. The play is beyond compare and gives your home, a shop, restaurant or office an extremely trendy character.”

Natural attraction

While grain, stain and colour are decisive factors for any wood purchaser, sustainability considerations also come in to play in a very significant way. “We see an increasing amount of clients requesting environmental certifications in order to achieve the LEED qualification of their buildings. Wood is more environmentally friendly than other building materials. It plays an important part in counteracting climate change,” explained Madani.

“An increased use of wood products would stimulate the planting of new forests, resulting in a reduction of carbon dioxide. If using wood can reduce the amount of pollution in the air while creating an upscale feeling in even the smallest setting, why choose any other material?” she asked.

In order for a product to qualify as green, it must have certain characteristics, and bamboo flooring fulfills a number of those. “Eco-tile is a brand we’re actively promoting. Made from strands of woven bamboo, this product is up to 50% harder and denser than other products, providing great protection from things like high-heels – making it perfect for commercial applications,” said Santosh T.S, managing director of In-Step Trading Co.

“Its most important characteristic is that it is resource efficient. Bamboo is a sustainable material – and rapidly so. It replenishes itself up to twenty times faster than some hardwood trees, repeatedly sprouting from the same plant to maturity in just four to six years,” Santosh added.

But cost considerations still come into play, Santosh pointed out. And although there has been a strong tendency towards environmentally friendly products, “it disappointingly hasn’t caught up enough,” he maintained. “If a wooden floor costs even just one dollar less, some, if not most, people will buy a product that has no grading or certification whatsoever,” he argued.