Flooring glossary

Acclimatisation

Leaving timber flooring in the building so it can reach the room's temperature and humidity before laying; recommended times range from about 72 hours to several weeks depending on the source.

Also called: acclimatization, conditioning, settling

Acoustic underlay

A resilient layer beneath a floating or bonded floor that reduces impact noise to the room below.

Also called: impact sound underlay, sound mat

Basketweave

A pattern where small groups of parallel strips are laid in alternating directions, in the manner of a woven basket.

Also called: basket weave parquet, double basket, square basketweave

BES 6001

A responsible-sourcing certification scheme for construction products, used in a stone supplier's clause to evidence ethical and environmental sourcing.

Also called: responsible sourcing certification

Book-match

Cutting consecutive slices of stone or veneer and opening them like a book so the vein pattern mirrors across the join; four-way and slip matches are variants.

Also called: bookmatching, four-way match

Border

A band of different pattern or species laid around the perimeter of a floor field, to frame it and to meet the walls neatly.

Also called: parquet border, frame, surround

Brushed

A textured surface made by brushing the stone with abrasive brushes, which removes softer material and leaves a slightly rippled, low-sheen face.

Also called: brushed finish

Bush-hammered

A coarse, textured finish made with a multi-pointed hammer, giving strong grip but a surface that is difficult to clean.

Also called: bush hammered, pitted finish

Calacatta

A family of white Italian marbles from the Carrara area with bold, widely spaced veining; the name is used loosely in trade, so the quarry and slab should be named in a specification.

Also called: Calacatta Gold, Calacatta Borghini

Chantilly

A panel pattern built from square elements within a rectangular surround; retail sources describe it differently, so the exact layout should be confirmed with the maker.

Also called: Chantilly parquet, parquet de Chantilly

Chevron

A pattern in which the ends of the blocks are cut at an angle so that neighbouring blocks meet point to point, forming a continuous V rather than a stepped zigzag.

Also called: point de Hongrie (French, often used loosely), chevron parquet

Cupping

Distortion in which board edges rise above the middle (or the reverse) because one face takes up or loses moisture faster than the other.

Also called: cupped boards, dishing

Damp-proof membrane (DPM)

A barrier laid under or over a base to stop moisture from the ground or screed reaching the floor finish.

Also called: surface DPM, vapour check membrane

Declaration of Performance (DoP)

The manufacturer's document stating the declared performance of a construction product against a harmonised standard, which supports its CE or UKCA marking.

Also called: CE/UKCA marking, UKCA

Divider strip

A thin metal strip (often brass) set into terrazzo or stone floors to divide panels, mark pattern lines and sit over movement joints; US guidance says it is not a levelling device.

Also called: terrazzo strip, brass strip

Dry cutting

Cutting or grinding stone without water to suppress dust, which HSE guidance (May 2026) says is unacceptable for engineered stone.

Also called: dry fabrication

End-grain flooring

Floor made from timber blocks laid with the end grain facing up, giving a very hard-wearing surface with distinctive rings and a mosaic look.

Also called: wood block flooring, end grain blocks

Engineered stone

A man-made slab of crushed stone bound with resin, which can contain a very high proportion of crystalline silica (HSE says up to 95%).

Also called: engineered quartz, quartz surface, composite quartz

Engineered wood flooring

A floor board built from a real-wood top layer bonded to a core of timber layers, designed to move less with humidity than a single piece of solid timber.

Also called: multi-layer parquet, engineered timber floor

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

A verified document reporting a product's life-cycle environmental impacts in a standard format; two EPDs are only comparable if built on the same product category rules.

Also called: EN 15804 EPD, Type III declaration

Etching

Dulling of a polished calcium-based stone (such as marble) where acids dissolve the surface, which a sealer does not prevent.

Also called: acid etch

Euroclass (reaction to fire)

The European scheme that classifies how much a product contributes to fire, with floor classes carrying an 'fl' suffix and a smoke rating such as s1.

Also called: Bfl-s1, Cfl-s1, Dfl-s1, EN 13501-1 floor class

Expansion gap

A deliberate space left at the edges of a timber floor (and at fixed obstructions) so the floor can swell; WFA's guideline is 1.5 mm per linear metre with a minimum of 10 mm.

Also called: perimeter gap, movement gap

Finished floor level (FFL)

The height of the top surface of the finished floor, shown on drawings so that different finishes meet at the same level.

Also called: FFL

Flamed

A rough, slip-resistant finish made by playing a flame over crystalline stone so the surface flakes; suited to hard, crystalline stones such as granite.

Also called: flamed finish, thermal finish

Flat-sawn

Timber cut tangentially to the growth rings, giving broad cathedral-shaped figure and, for a given width, more movement across the board than quarter-sawn timber.

Also called: plain-sawn, through-and-through (loosely), cathedral grain

Flexural strength

The stress at which a stone slab breaks in bending, used to decide thickness, span and worktop overhang.

Also called: bending strength, EN 12372, EN 13161

Floating floor

A floor that is not fixed to the subfloor, only to itself, so the whole floor can move as one; usually laid on an underlay.

Also called: floated floor, click floor

FSC chain of custody

A certification that timber is tracked from a certified forest through each owner to the product, so the claim 'FSC' can be traced to a certificate number.

Also called: FSC CoC, PEFC certificate

Fully bonded

A floor adhered over its whole back to the subfloor with adhesive, which gives a solid feel and suits parquet and underfloor heating, but demands a flat, dry base.

Also called: glued down, fully glued

Fumed oak

Oak darkened by exposure to ammonia vapour or by a reactive treatment that reacts with the tannins, so the colour is within the wood rather than a surface stain.

Also called: smoked oak, reactive finish

Grade (wood flooring)

A supplier's appearance category for floor boards, based on knots, sapwood, colour variation and fillers; there is no UK standard, so the same name can mean different things.

Also called: Prime, Select, Natural, Rustic, AB/ABC/ABCD

Hardwax oil

A penetrating timber finish of oil and wax that sits mostly in the surface fibres, gives a natural low-sheen look and can be spot-repaired.

Also called: hard wax oil, oil finish

Herringbone

A pattern of rectangular blocks laid so the end of each block meets the side of the next at a right angle, forming a zigzag of staggered rows.

Also called: bâton rompu (French), herringbone parquet

Honed

A smooth, matt stone surface produced by grinding without taking it to a gloss polish.

Also called: matt finish, honed finish

Hungarian point

A variant of the angled-cut V pattern; in trade usage it is often a synonym for chevron, though some makers distinguish it by block proportions or end cut.

Also called: point de Hongrie, Hungarian point parquet

Hygrometer test

Measuring the relative humidity within a screed or slab with a sealed probe to decide whether a moisture-sensitive floor can be laid.

Also called: in-situ RH test, relative humidity test

Impregnator

A liquid that soaks into stone pores to reduce staining without forming a surface film, as distinct from a topical coating.

Also called: stone sealer, penetrating sealer

Inlay

A decorative material set into a groove or recess cut in a solid surface so that it sits flush, such as brass strip let into timber or stone.

Also called: inlaid line, metal inlay, stringing

Intarsia

A technique of fitting shaped pieces of wood (or other materials) closely together in a solid ground to form a picture or pattern; the pieces are usually thicker than marquetry veneers.

Also called: wood intarsia

Janka hardness

A measure of the force needed to press a steel ball into a timber surface; used to compare species for denting, although Brinell (BS EN 1534) is the European method.

Also called: Brinell hardness (EN 1534)

L'nT,w

The weighted, standardised impact sound level measured in the room below a floor; lower is better, and Approved Document E sets a maximum of 62 dB for new-build floors and 64 dB for conversions.

Also called: impact sound insulation, impact sound level

Laitance

A weak, dusty surface skin on cementitious or calcium sulphate screeds that must be removed before adhesive is applied.

Lamparquet

Thin solid timber strips, generally narrower and thinner than a plank, used to lay small-scale parquet patterns on a bonded substrate.

Also called: lamparquet strips, mosaic parquet strips

Leathered

A softly textured, low-sheen finish created by diamond brushes that follow the stone's natural undulations.

Also called: leather finish

Light reflectance value (LRV)

The percentage of visible light a surface reflects, used to compare how well adjacent surfaces contrast for people with sight impairment.

Also called: LRV

Marquetry

The craft of cutting thin pieces of veneer (or other thin materials) and assembling them into a picture or pattern, then laying them on a backing; it is a surface decoration, not a structural floor.

Also called: marqueterie, veneer picture work

Medallion

A feature motif set into the centre or a focal point of a floor, usually a circular or star design in contrasting timbers or metal.

Also called: floor medallion, compass rose, rosette

Micro-bevel

A small chamfer or rounded edge along the board or block that makes each element read as a separate unit and hides small differences in height between neighbours.

Also called: bevelled edge, bombé edge, pillowed edge

Micro-cement

A thin, trowel-applied cementitious finish used on floors and walls to create a seamless look; it is a coating system and needs a sound, stable base.

Also called: microcement

Moisture content (MC)

The weight of water in timber expressed as a percentage of its dry weight; a floor should be close to the moisture content it will reach in the finished building.

Also called: wood moisture content

Movement joint

A deliberate break or flexible joint in a floor finish that allows thermal or moisture movement without cracking or lifting.

Also called: expansion joint, control joint

Panel parquet

Parquet delivered as ready-assembled square or rectangular panels rather than loose blocks, so the pattern is made in the workshop and the fitter lays the panels.

Also called: parquet panels, tapis

Parquet

Flooring made from many small, regularly shaped pieces of timber laid in a repeating geometric pattern, rather than in long continuous boards.

Also called: parquet flooring, wood block flooring

Parquet de Versailles

A traditional panel design of large diagonal squares containing interlaced strips, made as pre-assembled panels; the form is associated with the Château de Versailles from the 1680s.

Also called: Versailles parquet, Versailles panel

Parquetry

The craft of assembling pieces of wood into geometric patterns, used for floors and also for furniture surfaces; the geometry is regular and repeated, unlike picture-making marquetry.

Also called: parquetry work, geometric veneer work

Pendulum test value (PTV)

The result of a swinging-rubber-foot test (BS 7976) used to rate how slippery a floor is; UKSRG bands are 0-24 high, 25-35 moderate and 36 or more low slip potential.

Also called: slip resistance value (SRV), BS 7976 value

Petrographic name

The geologically correct name of a stone (for example a limestone from a named bed), used in specifications alongside the trade name to avoid substitution.

Also called: geological name, EN 12407 name

Polished

A stone finish ground and buffed to a reflective gloss; it is smooth, shows scratches and etching clearly, and is usually slipperier when wet.

Also called: high-gloss finish

Quarter-sawn

Timber cut so the growth rings meet the face at roughly 60-90 degrees, producing straighter grain, ray fleck in oak, and generally better dimensional stability.

Also called: quartersawn, radial cut

Quartzite

A natural metamorphic rock formed from sandstone, very hard and dense; the trade also sells some softer stones as 'quartzite', so ask for test data.

Also called: true quartzite, soft quartzite (trade term)

R-rating

A German ramp-test classification (R9 to R13) for shod slip resistance with oil contamination; it does not translate directly to a pendulum value.

Also called: R9, R10, R11, DIN 51130

Respirable crystalline silica (RCS)

Very fine dust containing crystalline silica that, when breathed in, can cause silicosis and other lung disease; cutting stone dry creates large amounts.

Also called: silica dust

Room for residential purposes

A building-regulations category, which includes hotel bedrooms and hostels, that is subject to Part E sound insulation targets.

Sapwood

The pale outer wood of a tree beneath the bark; in floors it shows as lighter streaks next to the darker heartwood and is controlled or excluded by grading.

Also called: sap, heartwood (contrast)

Screed

A layer of cement, calcium sulphate or similar laid over a slab to level it, carry underfloor heating pipes and take the final floor finish.

Also called: sand and cement screed, anhydrite screed, levelling screed

Silicosis

An incurable lung disease caused by breathing silica dust, now a key issue in engineered stone fabrication.

Sintered stone

A very dense slab made by compressing and firing mineral powders; low porosity and heat resistant, but needs fabricators who are experienced with it.

Also called: ultra-compact surface, large-format porcelain slab

Slab (stone)

A large flat piece of stone, thicker and larger than a tile; BS EN 12058 covers slabs for floors and stairs and BS EN 12057 covers modular tiles.

Also called: stone slab, gauged slab

Solid surface

A non-porous acrylic or polyester material that can be thermoformed and joined invisibly; softer and less heat-tolerant than stone.

Also called: Corian-type

SR1

A flatness class for floors defined by the largest gap under a 2 m straight edge; installers quote 3 mm for SR1, 5 mm for SR2 and 10 mm for SR3.

Also called: SR1 flatness, SR2, straight-edge test

Terrazzo

A composite of marble or other chips set in a cement or resin matrix, ground and polished, available as poured in-situ floors or as precast tiles and slabs.

Also called: cementitious terrazzo, resin terrazzo, Venetian terrazzo

Threshold

The profile or junction at a doorway where two floor finishes or levels meet; in public entrances AD M limits a raised threshold to 15 mm with chamfered upstands.

Also called: door threshold, transition strip

Tongue and groove

A joint where a projecting tongue on one board fits a matching groove on the next, locking edges together and keeping the surface level.

Also called: T&G, T&G joint

Travertine

A sedimentary limestone formed by mineral springs, with natural voids and banding that are often filled; widely used for floors and walls.

Also called: Roman travertine

Tumbled

A softened, weathered-looking finish produced by tumbling stone with abrasives so edges and faces look worn; 'antiqued' is a style, not a single process.

Also called: antiqued, aged finish

Uncoupling membrane

A thin sheet under stone or tile that lets the covering move independently of the substrate to reduce cracking.

Also called: decoupling membrane, crack-isolation membrane

Underfloor heating (UFH)

Heating pipes or cables built into or under the floor; with timber and stone floors the surface temperature is capped, commonly at 27 C for timber per WFA.

Also called: wet UFH, electric UFH

Wear layer

The visible layer of real timber on an engineered board; its thickness limits how many times the floor can be sanded and refinished.

Also called: top layer, veneer layer, lamella (top)

Wood moisture equivalent (WME)

A moisture-meter reading for wood-based subfloors, calibrated to timber, used to judge whether a timber subfloor is dry enough; WFA quotes under 14% for subfloors.

Also called: WME