WOODEN FLOORING

When one thinks of wooden flooring as an option while building or renovating an office or a home, there are several other factors to look at besides personal preferences.  Apart from deciding on what kind of style or atmosphere one is going to choose from, one has to think of factors like colours. Choosing a dark colour could make the room seem smaller, while choosing a lighter colour could make the room seem bigger and brighter.  Having said this, and keeping in mind the cost of wooden flooring which almost equals the price of the best variety of natural stone that is available, there is something different about having wooden flooring for our homes and offices.  Status symbol or not, the aesthetic appeal of wooden flooring cannot be denied.

We spoke to Srinivasan Vaidyanathan, Regional Manager, Moldrup Systems about the company, its products and solid wooden flooring in general.  Moldrup Systems, is a Danish firm based in Singapore, it has its liaison office for India in Chennai.  A world leader and pioneer in Timber technology and specialist in Sports flooring, the company which is over 50 years old is part of the Moldrup group. 

Moldrup Systems is a leading manufacturer of equipment for timber preservation and vacuum drying in the Asia-Pacific region.  Our plants are manufactured according to the latest European technology and meet the latest environmental standards.  Their most attractive feature is their cost effectiveness.  We have also been working on the development of systems for impregnation and drying of rubber wood since 1982.  We have supplied rubber wood plants to more than 150 rubber wood factories all over Asia, Africa, West Asia and Central America.  We also manufacture solid wood flooring and are agents for wood working machines, MDF, Ply wood and Particle Board. We are also the associates of SISO Denmark in India and Sri Lanka. They offer high quality accessories for doors from knobs to locks and have a wide variety to choose from.

Moldrup Solid wood flooring is at present being mainly exported to Europe and USA, where it is popular as flooring in public buildings such as banks, shops and hotels. With increasing demand for a more health working environment and also the priority being given to factors like low maintenance and cleaning cost, timber flooring is becoming popular not only in Europe and USA but also in countries like ours.

Our product is pre-finished flooring where 'no sanding or lacquering' is required after installation.  A floor from Moldrup comes with the advantage of being of high quality with respect to precision in drying, machining and finishing.  It is eco-friendly, since it is derived from plantation and not from cutting forests. It is easy to lay on the floor as it is a floating floor and easy to maintain. The whole floor once laid can be taken out and re laid at a different location. It is sanded three times and pre-finished with seven coats of UV lacquer or three coats of oil finishing. It has a tongue and groove system on all sides with a groove on the bottom face for the special 'clip system'. The width and thickness of the strips match every time. The base is lacquered and treated against termites.

In Chennai we have done flooring for the health club of Le Royal Meridien and for the shuttle badminton court of Madras Race Club. We have also done for Windsor Manor in Bangalore and for Vikram Oberoi's residence in New Delhi.

The flooring species are plantation timber available in Asian countries such as Hevea Brasiliensis (Rubber wood), Koompassia Malaccensis (Kempas), Instia Bijuga (Merbau), Eucalyptus Saligma (Saligma), Tectonia Grandis (Teak) and other species like beech, ulin, merpau and nyatoh.

Solid wood flooring has an edge over other products because of its time-tested strength, durability and several other unique properties.  The important properties that come into consideration for wooden floors are excellent feel for plain walk, impact resistance and elegant appearance.  Timber flooring provides a healthier environment than many other flooring covers, as timber flooring does not trap dust, pollen and other allergens.  It does not cause any allergic electrostatic charging, which is very important in rooms with many computers.  It is less noisy than other flooring covers such as tiles. Wood wears slowly and uniformly, provides long functional service, and possesses natural warmth, beauty and resilience.  All this at only a modest maintenance cost.

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