Rhine is Topdeck's European oak range: an engineered board with an oak veneer over a multi-ply core, in plank, herringbone and chevron. This is a reference to what is recorded for it in the range data, the installation and care guides, the test reports and the Topdeck Limited Warranty.
The board
Rhine is a 14mm engineered board with a 2mm or 3mm European oak veneer on a multi-ply core. It is brushed and finished in nine layers of Sherwin-Williams ultra-matte UV lacquer. Its recorded Janka hardness is 6.8 kN.
Formats and grades
- Plank: 1900 × 190mm, with a 2mm or 3mm veneer, in ABCD grade.
- Herringbone: 600 × 120mm, with a 3mm veneer, in ABCD grade.
- Chevron: 780 × 125mm, with a 3mm veneer, in ABC grade, a selection that leaves out the D-grade boards included in ABCD.
Matching stair nosings are made across the range.
Test results
- Fire, critical heat flux (AS ISO 9239.1): Project Oak plank 3.6 kW/m²; Castel Nuovo herringbone 4.3 kW/m²; Lavanda Oak 4.1 kW/m²; Cavallo Bianco chevron 3.9 kW/m².
- Slip (AS 4586): Project Oak plank P4; Castel Nuovo herringbone P3; Lavanda Oak P3; Cavallo Bianco chevron P2.
- Emissions: E0.
The full reports are on Downloads, and Reading a flooring test report explains what each figure means.
Installation
The installation guide asks for 18–25°C and 40–60% relative humidity, held for at least five days before installation, through the work and for the life of the floor. Unopened cartons are stored flat, fully supported and clear of concrete in the installation area for at least 24 hours.
- Plank is glued down, or floated on an approved underlay with glued tongue-and-groove joints where the room and subfloor suit.
- Herringbone and chevron are full-spread adhesive-fixed by a professional timber-floor installer.
- The floor keeps a gap of 8–15mm at walls and fixed objects. A floated floor has an expansion break at 9m across the board width and 12m along its length.
The warranty requires installation to follow Topdeck's installation guidelines and the relevant Australian Standards (AS 1884, AS 2796, AS 3660). It does not cover installer workmanship.
Underfloor heating
The Topdeck Limited Warranty lists floor heating systems, except hydronic heated slabs, and underfloor heating as not suitable for Rhine. A heated floor is raised with Topdeck before anything is specified.
Care
- Swept or vacuumed with a soft brush or felt head, and cleaned with a pH-neutral floor cleaner and a microfibre mop.
- Never wet-mopped, damp-mopped or steam-mopped. To spot-clean, a very slightly dampened, near-dry mop.
- Kept at 45–60% relative humidity year-round and 18–26°C.
- On a floated plank floor, pieces over 800kg can restrict the floor's movement where they stand.
Rhine can be refinished by a professional sanding and polishing contractor. It is for indoor use only, and the warranty does not permit installation in wet areas such as bathrooms and laundries.
Warranty
- Structural: residential, lifetime (25 years limited); commercial, 10 years.
- Coating: residential, 20 years; commercial, 10 years.
See the range in Rhine. The installation guide, care guide and warranty are on Downloads.
