Specifications for commercial and multi-residential projects often call for test reports alongside the floor itself. This is a short guide to the four kinds Topdeck publishes on its Downloads page, and what each figure means.
Fire: critical heat flux, AS ISO 9239.1
This test exposes a floor covering to radiant heat and records how far a flame spreads across it. The result is the critical heat flux (CHF), in kilowatts per square metre: the level of heat at which the flame stops spreading. A higher figure means more heat is needed before flame travels across the floor. The National Construction Code sets minimum values for floor coverings, which depend on the class of building and where the floor is.
- Heritage, solid hardwood: CHF 5.6 kW/m²
- Provenance, engineered hardwood: CHF 3.5 kW/m²
- Rhine: 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
- Prime Laminate: Deluxe Edition (8.3mm) 5.8 kW/m²; Contemporary Plus (12.3mm) 8.5 kW/m²; Luxury Edition (12.3mm) 8.8 kW/m²; Legend Edition (12.3mm) 7.4 kW/m²
- Core hybrid: Avala 11 kW/m²; Lumière Ultra HD 10.3 kW/m²; Belle Vie herringbone 11 kW/m²; Storm Luxury 10.7 kW/m²; Artisan hybrid tile 11 kW/m²
Slip: AS 4586
AS 4586 classifies a surface's slip resistance using a wet pendulum test, from P0 to P5. The higher the class, the more slip resistant the surface is when wet. Standards Australia's handbook SA HB 198 sets out which classes suit which locations.
- Heritage: P1
- Provenance: P3
- Rhine: Project Oak plank P4; Castel Nuovo herringbone P3; Lavanda Oak P3; Cavallo Bianco chevron P2
- Prime Laminate: Deluxe Edition P1; Contemporary Plus P3; Luxury Edition P2; Legend Edition P4
- Core hybrid: Avala P4; Lumière Ultra HD P4; Belle Vie herringbone P3; Storm Luxury P3; Artisan hybrid tile P4
Emissions
Wood-based floors are classed by their formaldehyde emissions, with E0 the lower of the two common classes, E0 and E1. The emissions reports for Heritage, Rhine, Prime Laminate and the Core hybrid ranges record E0.
Acoustics: AAAC star ratings
In apartments, the sound of footsteps reaching the room below is often rated on the Association of Australasian Acoustical Consultants (AAAC) star scheme, where more stars mean better performance. A rating describes the floor system that was tested, including the slab and ceiling beneath, so a project's acoustic consultant confirms it for the actual build-up.
- Avala: 5 Star
- Lumière Ultra HD: 6 Star
- Belle Vie herringbone: 6 Star
- Storm Luxury: 5 Star
- Artisan hybrid tile: 5 Star
Acoustic reports for two underlays, Black Pearl Rubber Underlay and Green Underlay, are also published.
Using the reports
Each report applies to the products named on its row on the Downloads page, and the full report is the reference for a specification. For a report not listed, the trade team can supply current documentation directly.
