The Natural Flooring Company Ltd

flooring — Ferrymead · Christchurch

About The Natural Flooring Company Ltd

The Natural Flooring Company Ltd, trading as Green Flooring, has been a trusted provider of natural flooring across New Zealand for many years. Their range covers timber, bamboo, laminate, cork and hybrid flooring, catering to a wide variety of preferences and needs for both residential and commercial spaces.

Quality and health sit at the centre of the business. Flooring materials are sourced from a reputable European supplier with a local presence in New Zealand, and every product is E and CARB-certified, free of toxic elements and VOC emissions, to protect indoor air quality. Installations come with a warranty that matches the longevity of the flooring itself.

Beyond supply, the company brings genuine technical expertise to installation — from correctly calculating waste allowances for different timber species and room shapes, to setting proper expansion gaps so floors can move safely with seasonal humidity changes. The Natural Flooring Company positions itself as a long-term partner in creating healthy, sustainable living spaces, not just a materials supplier.

The Natural Flooring Company: Sustainable Flooring Built on Technical Know-How

For many years, The Natural Flooring Company Ltd has supplied natural flooring to homes and businesses across New Zealand, trading under the Green Flooring name. Its range spans timber, bamboo, laminate, cork and hybrid flooring, giving customers a broad set of natural and eco-conscious options to choose from.

Quality and Health First

The company sources its premium flooring materials from a reputable European supplier with a local presence in New Zealand, aiming for a high standard of reliability and quality across every range. All flooring offered is E and CARB-certified — free of toxic elements and VOC emissions — which the company positions as central to protecting indoor air quality in the homes it fits. Installations are backed by a warranty that matches the expected longevity of the flooring itself.

More Than a Supplier

What separates The Natural Flooring Company from a straightforward materials retailer is the depth of technical guidance behind each installation. The business publishes detailed guidance on issues that affect how a floor performs over time — waste factors, pinch points, humidity, and expansion gaps — all of which come from real installation experience rather than marketing copy.

Getting the Waste Factor Right

Waste allowances exist to make sure there's enough material left after all the cuts needed during fitting. Several things affect how much waste to allow: irregular room shapes with curves, angles or lots of corners create more offcuts; less stable timber species can twist, cup or crack during acclimatisation, leading to more discarded boards. Solid timber flooring typically needs a 15% waste allowance, rising to 20% for less stable species, while engineered timber — being more dimensionally stable — usually needs significantly less. The company notes its own flooring systems can require up to 50% less waste than traditional tongue-and-groove solid timber flooring.

Understanding Pinch Points

Pinch points happen when there isn't enough expansion gap left around the perimeter of a timber or bamboo floor. Timber and bamboo naturally expand in warmer, more humid conditions as moisture is absorbed into the boards. Without a proper gap to allow for that movement, the flooring presses against fixed surfaces like walls or cabinetry — which can cause cupping in glued-down floors, or peaking and gapping in floating floors. Getting the expansion allowance right during installation avoids these problems.

Humidity and Timber Performance

The relative humidity of a room has a direct effect on the moisture content of timber flooring, which is why floors can expand or contract over time. In modern, low-moisture homes, flooring installed with high initial moisture content can lose moisture and shrink, leading to cracking, checking or cell collapse in solid timber. To address this, dimensionally stable timber flooring has been developed to perform reliably even in low-humidity environments. Under the 2022 Wet Area Compliance Codes, flooring prone to gapping is no longer permitted in kitchens, toilets, laundries, bathrooms and ensuites, which makes correct product selection and acclimatisation essential.

Expansion Gaps, Explained

Timber, laminate and bamboo floors all expand and contract with seasonal humidity changes, and expansion gaps exist to allow for that movement without buckling, peaking or gapping. Recommended gaps vary by product: laminate flooring needs 5-8mm, timber flooring 8-10mm, bamboo flooring 10mm, and solid 19-21mm tongue and groove timber needs 12-15mm. These gaps are usually hidden beneath skirting boards or floor trims, though narrower skirtings may not fully cover what's required, meaning wider trims are sometimes necessary for a clean finish. It's worth remembering that expansion gaps only manage expansion — shrinkage has to be addressed separately, through using stable, properly acclimatised flooring materials.

For anyone weighing up flooring options, The Natural Flooring Company's combination of a certified, eco-conscious product range and genuine technical grounding in how floors actually perform over time is worth factoring into the decision.

Signature items

  • Timber Flooring
  • Bamboo Flooring
  • Laminate Flooring
  • Hybrid Flooring
  • Cork Flooring
  • Installation Warranty

Menu

Flooring Ranges

  • Cork Flooring — Natural cork flooring option from the company's eco-friendly range
  • Timber Flooring — Solid and engineered timber flooring; engineered options are more dimensionally stable and need less waste allowance
  • Laminate Flooring — Laminate flooring requiring a 5-8mm expansion gap around the perimeter
  • Hybrid Flooring — Hybrid flooring option combining durability with natural styling
  • Bamboo Flooring — Bamboo flooring requiring a 10mm expansion gap around the perimeter
  • Exclusive Specials — Selected flooring ranges offered at special pricing

Accessories & Care

  • Underlay — Underlay products for use beneath flooring installations
  • Cleaners & Maintenance — Cleaning and maintenance products for keeping floors in good condition
  • Accessories — Flooring accessories to complete an installation

Frequently asked questions

What types of flooring does The Natural Flooring Company offer?
Timber, bamboo, laminate, cork and hybrid flooring, along with underlay, cleaners, maintenance products and accessories.
Is the flooring certified for indoor air quality?
Yes, the flooring is E and CARB-certified, free of toxic elements and VOC emissions.
What warranty comes with an installation?
Installations come with a warranty that matches the expected longevity of the flooring.
What determines the waste factor applied to a flooring install?
Room shape, timber stability and flooring type all affect it — solid timber typically needs a 15% allowance, rising to 20% for less stable species, while engineered timber needs less.
What are pinch points in flooring?
They occur when there isn't enough expansion gap around a timber or bamboo floor's perimeter, causing the floor to press against walls or cabinetry as it expands.
How does room humidity affect timber flooring?
Relative humidity changes the moisture content of timber, causing expansion or contraction; in low-humidity homes, flooring with high initial moisture content can shrink, crack or check.
Why are expansion gaps needed around a floor?
They allow timber, laminate and bamboo flooring to expand and contract with seasonal humidity without buckling, peaking or gapping.

Tips

  • {"body":"Curved or angular rooms need a higher waste allowance, so factor this into quotes.","title":"Ask about waste allowance for irregular rooms"}
  • {"body":"Under 2022 Wet Area Compliance Codes, flooring prone to gapping isn't permitted in kitchens, bathrooms, laundries, toilets or ensuites.","title":"Check wet area compliance"}
  • {"body":"Standard 10-12mm skirtings may not fully cover the required expansion gap — ask if wider trims are needed for a clean finish.","title":"Confirm expansion gap coverage"}
  • {"body":"Engineered timber is more dimensionally stable than solid timber and typically needs less waste allowance.","title":"Consider engineered timber for stability"}