Are the floors of MFDesign antique or antiqued?
MFDesign, to realize its plank floors, works with wood coming from farmhouses, old farmhouses, pontoons, bridges of boats, Venetian briccole.
The ancient wooden planks are supplied with a certificate of authenticity filled in according to the law.
What are the wood species used?
The antique woods that MFDesign uses are oak, larch, fir, poplar, elm, walnut, Burmese teak and Indian acacia.
What is the origin of the recovered wood?
The ancient larch and the ancient fir are recovered from Trentino Alto Adige and Veneto, Piedmont and Val D' Aosta; the ancient oak and poplar are recovered from Emilia Romagna and Lombardy, while the ancient walnut is recovered in particular from southern Italy and the ancient teak and acacia have Indian origin.
What are the characteristics to consider in the choice of a woody species rather than another?
Spruce or larch wood is less resistant to compression (falling objects or signs from dragging furniture) and therefore can be chosen by those who love the natural aging of wood or by those who, however, pose it in poorly trodden environments (eg. bedroom).
For greater resistance it is advisable to use oak, elm or walnut wood. Each wood species, whether old or new, has different characteristics for hardness, refraction of light, nervousness and absorption of surface finishing substances, therefore each floor, while maintaining the basic general characteristics, makes its own history and is not replaceable with others.
Is old wood less durable than new wood?
No, the mechanical resistance is unchanged but the ancient wood undergoes a rigid selection to eliminate the damaged parts.
What can be the durability of an antique parquet?
If stored away from direct water sources (which makes it rot) even hundreds of years. The three-layer counterbalance does not require surface sanding that would affect the thickness.
Does the color of the wood change over time?
Once exposed to the light, the wooden parquet tends to darken and become uniform due to the normal oxidation. In contact with light, the doussié can show even marked chromatic differences among individual elements originally identical. At the time of installation, the teak presents natural shades and variegations that, in contact with light, tend to disappear.
Some woody species, mainly doussiè and wenge, may contain mineral concretions with colors from white to lemon yellow that tend to disappear with the natural oxidation caused by light.
A careful selection of the material to be used, allows to estimate the right amount that is needed for laying, reducing waste.
During the analysis the wood is cleaned, examined and cut according to the most suitable criteria. At this point, depending on the type of material and the canons of quality to be respected there will be a different volume of waste.
Wood waste can be converted into energy through thermochemical processes particularly suitable for woody biomass such as industrial waste from wood processing.
CHARACTERISTICS
Is MFDesign parquet solid?
It can be either a counterbalanced floor in three layers or solid.
How is it composed?
If it is a solid board with a thickness of 15 or 20 mm if counterbalanced the noble part has a thickness of 4 or 5 mm, the counterbalance consists of two layers of fir PEFC certified, glued with crossed fiber for a total thickness of 15 mm or 20 mm.
Is ancient wood subject to woodworm?
All the wood processed in MFDesign undergoes a natural drying treatment at 80 C vacuum: in this way a woodworm treatment is guaranteed.
How does the floorboard look?
It has four sides with F/F joint (female/female) and a slight bevel that can be eliminated or accentuated according to the customer’s aesthetic choice. For new materials is also provided male and female interlocking.
Why did we choose an F/F joint?
In order to allow a possible rotation of the plank to make an aesthetically better mixture of tones and veins.
What sizes do MFDesign wooden planks have?
The planks have a thickness of 15 mm or 20 mm, lengths between 700 mm and 5000 mm and widths between 120 mm and 350 mm.
Why do we use variable plank sizes?
We do it to recall the style of the ancient floors, but at customer’s choice we can also produce fixed measures.
Can the floor of MFDesign be considered a pre-finished?
Yes, even if at the end of the laying the operator must proceed with polishing and application of protective product.
INSTALLATION
Which laying method is recommended for antique plank wood floors?
When installing the parquet, ensure that the room temperature is at least 12°/15°C and that the relative humidity of the air is between 40 % and 60 %; the floor should be protected from moisture infiltration and condensation, the moisture control shall be carried out by means of a carbide hygrometer. The cement screed should be solid, compact, rigid, flat, clean, without dust on the surface.
What types of laying can be used for pre-finished parquet?
The floor can be laid nailed on a warp structure previously prepared, glued with two-component glue for wood on suitable screed (be careful not to dirty the waxed surface with glue, in case of accidental contact, remove immediately without rubbing), floating on the mattress, with the interposition of vapor barrier.
The company becomes available for the supply of environmentally friendly organic glue for laying.
Can the old and new pre-finished wooden floor be laid on a floor with underfloor heating?
The wooden floor can also be laid on heating screed (follow the heating instructions for the period before laying) preferably glued: the test with carbide hygrometer is more difficult to carry out in this situation. It is advisable to apply the primer as a barrier to the rise of moisture. In the case of installation on heated screed, given the characteristics of the wood, the formation of cracks during the heating period cannot be excluded: they do not constitute a defect and must be tolerated. It is advisable to turn on the heating a week after laying gradually increasing the temperature.
What should be done at the end of the installation of the pre-finished waxed parquet?
Once the waxed floor has been laid, it is necessary to clean the surface with a vacuum cleaner and, in order to remove any excess of wax and pigment, polish it with the help of a special monobrush. In a first phase it must be equipped with a red scotch-brite disc and, in a second and final phase, with a white disk.
To increase the wear resistance and facilitate the preservation of wood, proceed with the application of spray-Buffing wax MFDesign LINFO OPAX, finally polish with a monobrush equipped with a red disc, and then polish further with wool cloth.
What about the oiled finish?
Once you are finished with the installation of an oiled floor, clean the surface with an industrial monobrush equipped with a yellow disc until the stains on the surface are removed. After three days from laying, spray Buffing LINFO OPAX and polish with the monobrush and the red disc.
What about the water-coated finish?
When a water-coated floor has been installed, clean the surface by vacuuming it. MFDesign MISTRAL detergent should be used to clean the surface.
Do you need special attention at the end of the installation?
The laid and finished floor must be protected from rubbing and spilling by covering it exclusively with breathable and consistent material (non-woven fabric on request can be also provided by MFDesign), NEVER USE NYLON POLYETHYLENE FILM OR SIMILAR.
MAINTENANCE-CARE
How many times can you wash the wooden floor?
Even every day as long as you use a suitable detergent such as the one that provides MFDesign.
Is microfiber suitable for washing waxed or oiled wooden floors?
No, because having degreasing effect creates unsightly halos.
What should I use to wash a wooden floor?
A damp cotton rag, warm water and 1 scoop of detergent (no mop).
What to do if the parquet is opaque?
Use the MFDesign wax to spray it. To make the surface even more shiny you need to use a wool cloth on the dry floor.
If the wooden floor gets stained with oil, coffee or red wine what should you do?
You have to wash the surface as soon as possible and let it dry. If it remains a halo use the red pad of the maintenance kit vigorously rubbing on the entire stained plank. If the surface discolor, apply a thin layer of pigmented MFDesign wax. Repeat the process until the surface tone is uniform.
CURIOUSNESS
Can antique plank parquet be laid in the kitchen or in the bathroom?
In these places the wood lives well because, thanks to the steam of shower or pots, the recommended humidity of 40-60% is preserved.
Can we use wheelchairs on wooden floors?
Yes, as long as the wheels are rubberized.
Can we lay plank wood floor on pre-existing floor?
Yes, as long as the surface is completely leveled.
Are MFDesign floors compatible with green building?
Yes, because the wood used comes from recovery if old, and is PEFC certified if new.
The glues are water-based free from pentachlorophylphenol and formaldehyde, the waxes and oils are completely natural based.