Faktor utama yang membuat pemilik rumah memilih untuk menggunakan lantai kayu adalah karakter spesial dan sifat elegan yang dihasilkan lantai kayu. Saat pemilik rumah mulai tertarik untuk menggunakan lantai kayu sebagai pengganti keramik yang membosankan dan yang biayanya lebih mahal dari lantai kayu WoodPro, maka muncul beberapa pertanyaan yang dikarenakan sifat kayu yang berbeda dengan sifat keramik.

Satu hal yang terpenting ketika pemilik rumah memutuskan untuk menggunakan lantai kayu sebagai bagian dari kehidupan sehari-harinya, adalah cara memperlakukan lantai kayu tersebut.

Kayu adalah salah satu elemen yang memiliki sifat alami, cantik dan design tekstur yang abadi. Dengan merawatnya secara konsisten dan benar, maka sifat-sifat positif tersebut bisa terus dipertahankan.

Dengan mengikuti beberapa cara merawat lantai kayu dibawah ini, anda harus siap mendapatkan lirikan dan pujian dari keluarga dan teman saat mereka mampir ke rumah anda, hingga bertahun-tahun kemudian.

• Letakkan keset kaki/sepatu/sandal di setiap jalan masuk ruangan yang berlantai kayu untuk menahan penyebaran pasir atau kerikil yang terbawa oleh alas kaki. Partikel-partikel mungil ini bersifat abrasif dan perlahan menggores finishing lantai kayu. Hindari keset yang alasnya terbuat dari karet atau keset yang tidak berventilasi. Gunakan keset khusus untuk lantai kayu, dan bersihkan secara rutin.

• Gunakanlah penyapu dan pengepel yang berkualitas baik secara rutin untuk mengusir debu, pasir dan partikel lain.

• Vaccum cleaner juga baik untuk digunakan untuk menghisap partikel yang tersembunyi.

• Gunakan produk khusus pembersih lantai kayu untuk membersihkan noda atau tumpahan cairan lain tanpa membuat lantai kayu menjadi kusam.

• Lantai kayu yang finishing-nya menggunakan poly-urethane, membutuhkan pembersih yang tidak meninggalkan residu dan tidak mengandung bahan wax (lilin).

• Untuk titik yang terkena noda lengket, bersihkan dengan kain berbahan handuk atau sponge basah.

• Jangan gunakan pembersih dengan amonia atau sabun berminyak, karena akan mengakibatkan permukaan lantai kayu menjadi kusam.

• Karena sifat kayu yang mengembang ketika terlalu lembab, maka hindari penggunaan pel kain yang terlalu basah. Bila terlalu basah, lantai kayu dapat menggembung hingga timbul keretakan atau perubahan bentuk.

Kesimpulannya, merawat lantai kayu adalah sama halnya dengan merawat lantai dari material lainnya. Hanya saja bahan pembersihnya berbeda dan perlakuannya membutuhkan perhatian yang lebih. Lantai kayu bukan lagi sekedar alas untuk rumah anda, tetapi merupakan dekorasi yang mewah dan eksotik yang menjadi bagian utama dari rumah itu sendiri.

These are need to know terms that are used in lumber world.

..and Better: Usually abbreviated "&Btr", indicates that lumber so graded contains a specified percentage of pieces that are of a higher grade than the lowest acceptable grade.

Appearance Grade: A grade of framing lumber intended primarily for exposed use in housing and light construction where fine appearance is required; sound, tight knots are permitted.

Blow: A separation of a portion of veneers in a plywood panel, caused by a steam pocket that develops during the press process.

Board Foot: The basic unit of measurement for lumber. One board foot is equal to a 1-inch board, 12 inches in width and 12 inches in length. Thus, a 10 foot long, 1 inch thick and 12 inch wide piece would contain 10 board feet, as would a 10-foot 2x6. When calculating board feet, nominal sizes are assumed.

Bright: Unstained, fresh material, recently milled, free of discoloration.

Check: A lengthwise separation of the wood, normally occurring across or through the rings of annual growth and usually the result of seasoning.

Clear: Free or practically free of all blemishes, characteristics or defects.

Common: Lumber that is suitable for general construction and utility purposes.

Cull: Lumber of the lowest quality with little or no commercial value.

Dry: Seasoned, usually to a moisture content of 19% or less.

Economy: The lowest recognized grade in lumber. Economy permits serious defects in the lumber, including large knots and holes, unsound wood, splits, wane and others.

Fingerjoint: A method of joining two pieces of lumber end-to-end by sawing into the end of each piece a set of projecting "fingers" that interlock when the two pieces are pushed together, forming a strong glue joint.

Free of Heart Center (FOHC): Lumber sawn to exclude the pith or heart center of a log.

Glue Laminated (Glue Lam): A process in which individual pieces of lumber or veneer are bonded together with an adhesive to make a single piece with the grain of each running parallel to the grain of each of the other pieces.

Hardwood: A general term referring to any of a variety of broad leaved, deciduous trees and the wood from those trees. The term has nothing to do with the actual hardness of the wood; some hardwoods are softer than certain softwood species.

Kiln Dried: Lumber that has been seasoned in a kiln to a predetermined moisture content.

Ply: A single layer or sheet of veneer. One complete layer of veneer in a sheet of plywood.

Pressure Treating: A process of impregnating lumber or other wood products with various chemicals, such as preservatives and fire retardants, by forcing the chemicals into the structure of the wood using high pressure.

Reman: Remanufacture or remanufacturing; a process of converting a common product to a more specialized or higher grade product by further manufacturing.

Ruff Sawn: A designation for plywood paneling or siding which has been saw-textured to provide a decorative, rough sawn appearance.

Sanded: Plywood panels which have been processed through a machine sander to obtain a smooth surface on the outer plies; usually one side carries an A or B face.

Select: A high quality piece of lumber graded for appearance. Uses include interior and exterior trim and cabinetry.

Select Tite Kno4 (STK): A grade term often used for Cedar lumber. Lumber graded STK is selected from the mill run because of tight knots in each piece.

Softwood: A general term referring to any of a variety of trees having narrow, needlelike or scalelike leaves, general coniferous, and the wood from such trees. The term has nothing to do with the actual softness of the wood; some softwoods are harder than certain hardwood species.

Standard and Better (Std&Btr): Lumber containing a mixture of grades, the lowest of which is the Standard grade of light framing; the "and better" signifies that a portion of the lumber is of higher grade or grades. While Std&Btr is fully suitable for general construction purposes, the proportion of higher grades included is a factor in determining market value.

Stud Grade: Lumber of this grade has the strength and stiffness values that make it suitable for use in load baring walls.

T1-11 (plywood): A type of plywood siding, grooved to resemble lumber.

Tally: A numerical breakdown of the various lengths and/or sizes in a load of lumber. The price of a random length load is generally dependent on the tally, with those loads having a high proportion of the desired lengths bringing the higher price.

Utility: A grade of softwood lumber used when a combination of strength and economy is desired. It is suitable for many uses in construction, but lacks the strength of Standard, the next highest light framing grade, and may not be allowed for certain applications where high strength is required.

Utility and Better (Util&Btr): A mixture of light framing lumber grades with the lowest being Utility. The "and Better" signifies that some percentage of the mixture is of a higher grade than Utility (but not necessarily of the highest grade).

Veneer: Wood peeled, sawn or sliced in a given, constant thickness and used in the production of plywood. Plywood consists of two raw materials, glued and veneered.

Vertical grain (VG): Lumber that is sawn at approximately right angles to the annual growth rings so that the rings form an angle of 45 degrees or more with the surface of the piece.

Wane: Bark or lack of wood from any cause on the edge or corner of a piece of lumber.

Warp: Any variation from a true or plan surface, including bow, crook, cup or any combination of these.

White Speck: A fungus that develops in a living tree. It does not develop until after the tree has been harvested. Causes small white areas in the wood.

Dare to build your own deck and skip our expertise? You can do it! Follow these simple steps from Black&Decker Project Center. Review the design plan before beginning deck construction. Build the deck in several stages, and gather tools and materials for each stage before beginning. Arrange to have a helper for the more difficult stages. The time it takes to build a deck depends on the size and complexity of the design. A rectangular deck, about 3m × 4.5m, can be completed in two or three weekends.

1. Install a ledger to anchor the deck to the house and to serve as reference for laying out footings. Use batterboards and mason's strings to locate footings, and check for square by measuring diagonals. 2. Pour concrete post footings, and install metal post anchors. Set and brace the posts, attach them to the post anchors, and mark posts to show where beam will be attached. 3. Fasten the beam to the posts. Install the outside joists and header joist, using galvanized nails. 4. Install metal joist hangers on the ledger and header joist, then hang the remaining joists. Most decking patterns require joists that are spaced 16" on center. 5. Lay decking boards, and trim them with a circular saw. If desired for appearance, cover pressure-treated header and outside joists with redwood or cedar facing boards. 6. Build deck stairs. Stairs provide access to the deck and establish traffic patterns. 7. Install a railing around the deck and stairway. A railing adds a decorative touch and may be required on any deck that is more than 24" above the ground.

Bangkirai decking tile is one of the easiest solution to remodel patios, pathways and other outdoor surface usage. Why? Simply because everyone can virtually lay the tile anywhere necessary.

Here are few advantages using wood decking tiles for your patio remodelling project:

1. Install an entire patio in an afternoon with less tools
2. Zero to less carpentry skills needed
3. Nothing to less surface preparation necessary
4. The most cost-effective concrete floor resurfacing option
5. Once all done, it adds value to your home and beauty to every surface
6. Yellow Balau wood tiles are durable, long lasting and an investment for the future
7. Wood decking tiles can be easily disassembled and taken with you whenever you move
8. Low maintenance, simply wash with a garden hose, blow or just sweep clean

Timber Decking Association in the UK has developed a detailed guide on how to construct a low level deck and which materials are of DeckMark quality. We, at the WoodPro, have been using this guide as our quality standard on building decks, and now you can use it as your own reference, if you decided to do it yourself.
The document is "Creating a low level deck - TDA Instructions", it contains instructions on how to build a low level deck using DeckMark quality materials.
You can download the pdf file here and start your safe and quality project.

About TDA,
is a technical and advisory organisation in the UK that provides guidance on the materials and practices required to create high quality decks and associated structures. The association is also the voice of authority on decking in the UK and is recognised as setting the standard for all that's best in design, construction practices.

About DeckMark(tm)
is a quality assurance scheme created for the Timber Decking Association by BM TRADA Certification. The scheme is based on existing quality assurance standards - ISO 9000, EN45011/12, ISO Guide 62/65 and is intended to help all those engaged in the specification, design, installation or purchasing of decking ensure that the products they buy or the contractor they commission from a TDA registered firm will be of the highest quality.