Ted Todds Wood Floors
Solid Wood Floors

Low quality/inferior version
Solid Wood Floors

• Nested packs 400-2400mm long. Average guaranteed 1500mm+Long
• Length Packs 400-3000mm long. Average guaranteed 2100mm+

• 200 to 900mm long
• No average length guarantee, but usually only 600mm
• Can find that all lengths are 200mm long

• 21mm

• 18mm usually 17.5mm after prefinishing

• 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200, 220, and 260mm

• 90, 110, 120, 130 sometimes 150 or 180mm
  (150/180mm are not even dimensionally stable when only 18mm thick)

• Pre-planed and then accurately machined to tongue and groove profile

• Machined only once on old machines

• Precisely machined to +/- 0.25mm

• Sold as +/- 1mm - i.e. can have 2mm gaps between boards and still be within manufacturers parameters

• 7mm of hardwood above tongue

• 3.5mm of hardwood above tongue

• Air dried for 6 months
• Slowly kiln dried 8-10% to British Standard BS8201

• Under dried from freshly cut logs to 12% moisture content
• Very prone to shrinkage once installed

• Two coats of natural oil, properly dried between coats

• One coat of a petro chemically derived oil
• Difficult to clean and attracts dirt that becomes ingrained

• Eight coats of non-toxic lacquer, applied and dried on modern coating line
• Built up with proper basecoats for extra wear protection
• Light natural appearance with high durability

• Usually applied with a basic curtain coater.
• This pours lacquer on to the board rather than applies monitored quantities. No sanding or drying between coats producing heavy lacquer with poor scratch and impact resistance.
• Lacquer splits rather than folds into dents. Once the oak is not fully protected from dirt/water it then turns black.

• Textured lacquered in 5 colours, matt lacquered, neutral lacquered,antique distressed, brushed and oiled, limed, fumed, and double fumed.

• Narrow range of options.

• True European Oak - Beautiful bright wood with proper oak characteristics of grain and knots.

• Might be called oak, but apart from it being a similar colour to European Oak, it shares no other properties - it is softer and a dull grey colour, and looks lifeless with no nicely formed knots and no attractive grain.

• National forests of France, Germany, Austria and Hungary; from managed forests that undertake an active and responsible approach to the farming of woodland. Many of these forests are  now FSC or PEFC certified and this is clearly detailed on each product.

• Arrives from the port of Felixstowe in a white box. Where it has actually come from is anybody's guess. To be able to sell for such low prices, most of the raw material that goes into these products is all allegedly stolen from Russia, Africa, South America, Indonesia and Burma. (See environmental section for list of  CITIES listed timbers used in wood floors.)

• Professional and legal approach to documenting where timber comes from with far-reaching consequences for organisations that flout the rules.

• Widespread abuse of the certification system with over 300 FSC licenses revoked due to improper usage.
• Check if the seller is claiming that it is from a sustainable source, and insist on a sales invoice that states that the product bought is FSC certified and make sure that the FSC logo with the sellers unique number is on both the delivery note and sales invoice.

• Energy produced to kiln wood, heat warehouses  (often also to produce electricity) from recycling wood waste.

• Inefficient coal-fired power stations used to produce power for drying, heating and running machinery.

• By truck from Europe 700-900 miles

• 1000 miles from Northern province by truck to Chinese port
• 3000 miles by container ship and then from Felixstowe to your  supplier and then to you

• Properly paid employees, with proper holidays and  working in good conditions.

• Labour rates from $50 per month, 15 hrs per day, 7 days per week, 51 weeks per year

• Our products are continually available, even with special finishing or grading requirements. If you buy a floor and need some more this will never be a problem.

• With 12 week delivery times and manufacturers closing down every day, continuity of supply is a major issue.
• Product specifications continually change and if no stock is available the wait can be long - even if you only need one pack!

• With the cost of the Euro increasing, purchasing your wood floor from this source is more expensive, but if  you want a real wood floor made in a traditional way, from trees that have been harvested from people who care - this is the floor for you.

• With a total disregard for the environment and a focus on doing nothing more than turning our worlds forests 'resources' into cash, this product cynically purports to be a lifelong investment, when it is nothing of the sort. If you are happy to turn a blind eye to purchase a product you know is poor quality and will not last for long, then at £18m2 this is the floor for you!