Page 22 - Professional Parquet July 2013

ON FIELD
IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS
Reflections on the
outdoor parquet
The excellent characteristics of Teak, Ipé and Bangkirai allow these flooring to resist well to all weather conditions. However, it is fundamental to make an accurate selection of raw materials and find a careful
design solution. Things to know...
The wood is finding new destina- tions and spaces that, in recent past, were reserved for other materials. The return to the tradition, therefore, by employing a natural material used for thousands of years, which is renewable in its physical and mechanical character- istics, is a relief. It is an environmentally friendly product in its lifecycle, flexible in applications, ideal partner in design- ing outdoor spaces, as it is easily adapt- able to any need and "configurable" de- pending on the type of surface on which it resides.
Outdoor paving, patios, paths, walk- ways, crossings, gazebo and roof gar- dens... The "outdoor parquet" offers the ideal solution to help valorize these sites.
The excellent characteristics of wood such as Teak, Ipé and Bangkirai allow the floorings to resist to prolonged ex- posures to atmospheric agents. These wood species, naturally imperishable, do not require special conservation treatments for outdoor exposure, if not finished with suitable maintenance oil.
DOMENICO ADELIZZI
The surface appearance is changed in time by turning into gray, but hardly the wood is attacked by insects, molds and bacteria that are among the main causes of deterioration of the wood, thus maintaining its mechanical and functional characteristics unchanged. An accurate selection of raw materials and a careful design solution are critical to obtain the quality and the overall du- ration of the wooden outdoor floors.
Attention to the moisture...
And not only
The percentage of moisture content is a very important parameter to evaluate the characteristics of the wood. Tim- bers, whether fresh or aged, have a very variable humidity, such a way to influ- ence significantly the mechanical prop- erties of the wood (the loss of water in fresh wood can cause the withdrawal phenomenon of which consist reducing the volume and cause a deformation in already-cut logs). This explains why the characteristics of the timber must al- ways be referred to the moisture per- R