Frequently asked questions

1 Why should I choose for an engineered wooden floor?

We can give you not one, but 10 reasons.

1. Once installed there is no difference with solid wood.

2. It doesn’t expand and contract to the same extent as solid wood. Aside its great looks, this is arguably one of the most significant advantages of engineered wood flooring over solid wood.

3. It is extremely durable. Engineered wood flooring is made up of layers and are bonded together with core material a solid wood lamella or top layer and backing. The making of engineered wood flooring boards in this way means that they are incredibly tough and will stand up in both domestic and commercial environments.

4. It can be sanded. Although the number of times that engineered wood flooring can be sanded depends on the thickness of the lamella or top layer, there’s no getting away from the fact that engineered wood can be re sanded during its lifetime. Re sanding a floor enables you to bring the floor back to life when it’s looking tired. It is also a good way to get rid of surface staining or marking.

5. It can be refinished. Once you’ve re-sanded your engineered wood floor, you can refinish it to protect it and make it look like new again. What this means is that you are completely free to change the look of your floor every time you re-sand and refinish it, giving you real flexibility.

6. It comes in a whole range of species, grades, and finishes. In the same way that solid wood flooring comes in a whole range of species and grades, engineered wood flooring has the same range for its lamellas or top layers. This means that you can achieve the look you want as well as choosing the best finish to suit your lifestyle. Different grades of wood mean that you can adapt your choice to suit your budget too. So, no matter whether you want a tough, lacquered low budget option or an aged, oiled top-quality option, the choice is there for you.

7. It comes in chevron and parquet look. It is becoming more and more common to find engineered wood flooring boards in parquet and chevron styles. What this means is that you can buy boards that already have your desired finished style in place, allowing you to complete a detailed parquet or chevron floor project in next to no time.

8. It’s easy to install. Easy to work and quick to lay, engineered wood flooring lends itself perfectly to both DIY and professional installation. In fact, there is even a click system, which is even simpler than standard engineered wood flooring for anyone who fancies taking on a project of this nature for the first time.

9. It won’t break the bank. The final, great advantage of engineered wood flooring is that even though it might look as if it cost a fortune, it won’t.

10. A composite parquet can be perfectly placed on underfloor heating.

2 How to maintain my oiled floor?

For daily maintenance and long-lasting protection of your oiled floor, it is best to use a soft broom or vacuum cleaner, followed by cleaning with ‘Cabbani parquet soap’. To thoroughly refresh a dulled parquet and bring back its silky luster, it is best to use ‘Cabbani maintenance oil’ in concentrated form.

3 When do I use maintenance oil?

If your floor looks dull due to trodden-in and caked-on dirt, ‘Cabbani intensive cleaner’ is the solution. This provides a deep cleaning that also removes some oil, which is why it is necessary to treat with ‘Cabbani maintenance oil’ in concentrated form afterward. If you have underfloor heating, ‘Cabbani maintenance oil’ must be applied at least twice per year to nourish the wood adequately. You can read our full maintenance instructions at www.cabbani.com/en/downloads.

4 How to maintain my lacquered floor?

It is important to avoid damaging the varnish when cleaning Cabbani floors with a varnish finish. That is why we recommend using our ‘Cabbani cleaner’. This has been specially developed to remove dirt safely while protecting the wood. ‘Cabbani cleaner’ is available in a ready-to-use spray or as a concentrated cleaner that needs to be diluted with water.

5 What’s the use of the Trio profiles?

Profiles are intended to create an elegant transition or to take up height differences. Our useful profiles can be used for 3 applications: as an end profile, adjustment profile or transition profile.

6 What about skirtings?

Cabbani skirting boards are available in 25 colours. The skirting boards are 8 cm (3”) high, but can just as easily be shortened to 6 (2.4”) or even 2.5 cm (1”) in no time. The notches make it possible to place the skirting boards neatly and straight up to the desired height.

7 Can we use your flooring for stairs?

Cabbani parquet can also be used to finish stairs. We have developed solid tread nosing specifically for this application in all 25 colours from our product range.

8 When can you use subfloors?

Cabbani parquet is usually glued down. However, if you do choose a floating installation, the parquet can easily be placed on a subfloor. In this case, only the tongue and the groove are glued to each other. Subfloors are primarily intended to provide a moisture barrier or noise muffling function. They are also able to conceal minor irregularities on the substrate.

9 How to choose the parquet that suits

The Cabbani collection stands out through its unique 'A la carte system'. The end result can meet your expectations by varying and playing with some parameters. In the next pages we'll explain the 5 steps you need to take to achieve your dream floor. The specific circumstances and applications are very important to determine the right choice of parquet. Will it be travelled intensively? Will it be used with or without underfloor heating? Will it be laid in an apartment or a single-family residence? Your distributor or flooring professional will be happy to help you find the solution that meets your needs.

10 How to choose your color?

The Cabbani collection has 25 colours divided into 5 collections. Every collection has its own specific characteristics and colour variants. The fact that wood is a natural product which can have slight colour variations makes the whole more interesting, natural and whimsical.

11 What size should you choose?

The size of the space determines the size of the boards. For smaller spaces, it is best to choose narrow, short boards. In large spaces, broad, long boards come more into their own. The orientation of the boards also has an effect. Long boards installed along the length of a room make the room look even longer.

12 How to choose the style?

This is where your personal taste comes first. Do you like it neat or do you prefer a more raw and rustic look? Depending the chosen color and board size you have the choice between two styles: Select or Rustic Mix. Select is only possible in the collections 01 and 02. Rustic Mix is available in all collections. For the PREMIER board size in collections 01 and 02 you can chose between 'Rustic Light' and 'Rustic Nature', with more or less visible knots. For the long boards (ELITE and DESIGNER) no need because the rustic aspect is less pronounced and the special color effects are dominating in collections 03 and 04.

13 What thickness should I choose?

Cabbani offers a choice of various top layer thicknesses. Top layers are available in 0.6 mm, 2.5 mm, 3.2 mm and 5.5 mm. The thicker the top layer, the more solid the look. The thickness of the top layer contributes to the lifespan:

• a 2.5 mm top layer can be resanded once
• a 3.2 mm top layer can be resanded twice
• a 5.5 mm top layer can be resanded three times.

The respective board thicknesses are 10, 12, 14 or 19 mm. The thicker the board, the better the acoustic insulation. For renovation projects, choose the board thickness that fits best with the thickness of the existing retained floors.

14 What about the core?

HDF or High Density Fiberboard consists of wood chips pressed together under high pressure. This produces a remarkably good quality panel that is extremely resistant against heavy loading. The intense compression also removes any possible tension from the wood. The strong and hard core makes HDF an excellent base for parquet floors. BIRCH PLYWOOD: Thin layers of birch wood are bonded to each other crosswise with waterproof adhesive to form a strong core with optimal properties. This leads to an exceptionally dimensionally-stable core that also conducts heat very well, making a birch plywood core ideal for parquet to be installed with underfloor heating.

15 Why is the air humidity of the room so important?

Wood is a natural, humidity-sensitive material. Warping can sometimes occur under the influence of excess moisture or extremely dry air depending on the climate in your region or the conditions in your residence. To avoid possible problems, we recommend monitoring the air humidity using a hygrometer and maintaining the level with a humidifier or dehumidifier. More information about this is available on our website and in our installation instructions.

16 Scratches and dents In my floor?

Like any wooden floor, Cabbani floors are also susceptible to scratches and dents. But it is precisely this lived-in aspect that provides authentic character. If you still prefer to avoid this, plenty of solutions are available: keeping the floor clean, a doormat, felt pads under furniture legs, protective mats under chairs with wheels… If necessary, your parquet can also easily be repaired locally or freshened up using our specially developed maintenance products.

17 Can we use Cabbani with floor heating?

Cabbani parquet is perfect for use in combination with underfloor heating, as long as the floor temperature does not rise above 27°C (80°F). Because there are different underfloor heating systems, we recommend following the manufacturer’s instructions. Ask our distributors for more information. Specific laying instructions can also be found here.

18 Where are you producing the Cabbani parquet?

Did you know that Cabbani parquet is produced in the same region as the famous wines Saint-Emilion, Puisseguin, Pomerol… a stone’s throw from Cognac? Cabbani also guarantees 100% French quality.

19 Is colour variation normal?

The reactive stains that we use at Cabbani are exceptionally beautiful and give the wood a weathered and aged look. Subtly nuanced differences in the colour pattern also contribute to this natural effect. These nuance differences result from the varying quantities of tannin that one tree species can contain, depending on the region or even the location in the forest. Tone and reaction differences are therefore completely normal and make our lye-treated floors unique.

20 Is preserving nature important for Cabbani?

Decospan gives respect for nature a central place in its policy. This conviction was embodied in the Pure Wood Charter. Suppliers are asked to sign and adhere to this charter. It gives a clear signal to both customers and suppliers that engagement in preserving nature is an important part of our strategy.