Using wood for flooring and decking is amongst the oldest building practices in the world, dating back thousands of years. From the humblest log cabins to the most opulent palaces, wood has been a natural choice for various factors, including its aesthetics, sustainability, and durability.
In Malaysia, wood has traditionally been used in floors and decks alongside other natural materials such as bamboo, particularly in docks and jetties, longhouses in East Malaysia, and Malay-style kampung houses in West Malaysia. Today, wooden flooring and decking opens up a wide range of options and possibilities to the building and construction industry as a whole.
ESG-friendly Material
For construction purposes, wood represents an inherently sustainable material, as it is a natural carbon store; each tonne of dry wood produced sequesters 1.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). Compared with other popular floor and deck materials such as vinyl or stone, timber is a renewable resource harvested from trees that can be continually replanted. Wood is a natural insulator, so wooden floors can help with room insulation and lower energy costs. Timber floors and decks can also help with Green Building Index compliance, as long as they are sourced from sustainable manufacturers (look out for FSC or PEFC certifications). Engineered wood flooring products are even more environmentally-friendly, as they maximise the use of timber, including the use of off-cuts and occasionally recycled wood in their production process.
Aesthetically-pleasing Products
Wooden flooring and decking have long had the image of being premium, high-quality, upper-class products, with pleasing aesthetic qualities from a tactile (touch), olfactory (smell), auditory (sound), and visual (sight) perspective. Solid timber and engineered wood flooring and decking have the advantage of originality, being completely made of – or having a top layer (veneer) of – solid wood. Builders and renovators can choose from a wider range of colours, grains, and finishes that fit well with the general theme of their projects. Thanks to these aesthetic qualities, therefore, property values of residences with wooden flooring and/or decking often command a good premium on the market.
Versatile and Durable
Thanks to technical advancements over the years, wooden flooring and decking come in variants that are pest-resistant and weatherproof, making them suitable for use in any construction project under most if not all circumstances – even in kitchens and bathrooms. With the proper treatment and maintenance, they can last for many years while gaining character. In the case of solid wood flooring and decking, the timber is generally chosen from tree species that are durable and hard-wearing (as measured by the Janka scale; mostly over 1000 lbf).
This article is courtesy of the Malaysian Wood Moulding and Joinery Council (MWMJC). MWMJC represents the downstream timber ecosystem in Malaysia, including key industry leaders in the timber flooring and decking subsector.
For more information on how MWMJC can assist you with your wooden flooring and/or decking requirements, visit its website at https://www.mwmjc.my/ or call the Secretariat at +603 9283 7893.
