Class
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Bfl-s1
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Cfl-s1
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Dfl-s1
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Efl
Specification & Compliance Guide
Specifying Commercial Wood Flooring
A plain-language guide to specifying commercial and contract wood flooring — the seven things that turn a residential-looking floor into a compliant contract specification: fire class, wear layer, finish, slip, sourcing, construction and documentation.
Written for contractors, developers, architects and interior designers who need a wood floor to survive both heavy traffic and tender review. Trivaro supplies contract-grade engineered, solid and bespoke wood across Europe with full documentation as standard.
Cfl/Bfl-s1
Reaction-to-fire class
3–6 mm
Commercial wear layer
FSC/PEFC
Certified sourcing
EN 13501-1FSC / PEFC3–6 mm wear
Specify it right the first time.
What to Define
The Seven-Point Specification Checklist
A complete commercial wood flooring specification defines seven things. Get these on the drawing and the tender, and the floor that arrives is the floor you designed.
Species & grade
Oak, walnut, ash; Select / Natural / Rustic grade to control knots and character.
Construction & thickness
Engineered (default) or solid; total thickness 10–22 mm.
Wear layer
3–6 mm for commercial; enables re-coat and resand cycles.
Finish & sheen
UV oil / lacquer / hardwax; matte for slip and glare control.
Reaction-to-fire class
Cfl-s1 standard, Bfl-s1 treated — per EN 13501-1.
Slip & sourcing
Slip characteristic for the use, plus FSC/PEFC chain-of-custody.
Installation method
Glue-down for traffic and rolling loads; floating click for fast refurb.
Documentation
Datasheet, DoP, fire report, EPD and certificates at handover.
Engineered vs Solid for Contract Work
Both are real wood. For commercial projects the choice usually comes down to stability, format and underfloor heating — and engineered wins most contract briefs.
Engineered Wood (the default)
- Best for: wide planks, herringbone, chevron, underfloor heating, large open areas.
- Why: the multi-layer core resists cupping and gapping under humidity and temperature swings.
- Wear layer: specify 3–6 mm for re-coat and resand cycles.
- Install: glue-down for traffic; floating click for fast refurb.
Solid Wood (heritage & refinish-led)
- Best for: heritage interiors, projects prioritising multiple deep resands over decades.
- Why: full-thickness hardwood allows repeated sanding.
- Watch: more movement — not ideal for very wide planks, large formats or UFH.
- Install: secret-nail or glue-down to a suitable subfloor.
Reaction-to-Fire Classes for Wood Flooring (EN 13501-1)
Wood flooring is classified as a floor covering — note the 'fl' suffix. This is what a specifier writes and a Declaration of Performance proves. Confirm the exact class required by your national building regulations.
What it means
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Very limited contribution to fire, low smoke
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Limited contribution to fire, low smoke
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Acceptable contribution to fire
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Reaction satisfactory only to a small flame
Typical wood flooring
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Fire-retardant-treated engineered/solid
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Most standard engineered & solid wood
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Some thinner or softwood products
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Rarely specified for commercial use
Where it is asked for
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Escape routes, high-rise, demanding specs
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General commercial interiors
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Lower-risk areas (verify regs)
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Not for regulated commercial floors
How to Write the Wood Flooring Spec
From a blank specification clause to a tender-ready package. Four steps that prevent the most common contract disputes — wrong fire class, thin wear layer, missing certificates.
01
Define performance, not just looks
Start with the non-negotiables: reaction-to-fire class required by the building regs, wear-layer minimum (3–6 mm), slip characteristic for the space, and sourcing certification if the project targets BREEAM/LEED. These are the clauses an assessor checks.
02
Choose construction, format and finish
Engineered for stability and UFH; wide plank, herringbone or chevron for the design intent; UV-oil or lacquer in a sheen that controls slip and glare. Specify species and grade to fix the appearance.
03
Set installation and subfloor requirements
Glue-down for traffic and rolling loads, floating click for fast refurb. Require a moisture test, a flatness tolerance and acclimatisation to manufacturer protocol — most wood-floor failures trace back to a skipped subfloor step.
04
List the documentation package
Require the datasheet, DoP with fire class, fire test report and — where relevant — EPD and FSC/PEFC certificates at handover. Trivaro provides draft specification text and quantity take-offs to drop straight into the tender.
The Documentation Package to Require at Handover
A floor that performs but cannot prove it will fail a tender or a building-control review. This is the package a serious commercial wood flooring supplier provides.
Technical datasheet (TDS)
Species, construction, dimensions, wear layer, finish, fire class, slip and installation requirements in one document.
Declaration of Performance (DoP)
The CE/UKCA document stating the reaction-to-fire class (EN 13501-1) and other declared characteristics — the proof behind the spec.
Fire test report
The underlying EN 13501-1 / EN ISO 9239-1 test report from an accredited laboratory backing the declared class.
FSC / PEFC chain-of-custody
Certificate number proving responsible sourcing — required for BREEAM, LEED and public-sector tenders. Supplied on request.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Lifecycle environmental data for green-building credits and ESG reporting. Available on request for many lines.
Specification text & take-offs
Draft clause wording and quantity take-offs to drop into tender documents — provided by Trivaro to support the bid.
Standard documentation
Wood Flooring Cluster
Related Reading
Continue with the product pages and the design-patterns guide for the full picture of commercial wood flooring.
Wood Flooring range
Commercial Wood Flooring — engineered, solid and bespoke for hospitality, workspace and retail across Europe.
Engineered Wood
Engineered Wood — multi-layer stability, UFH compatibility, 3–6 mm wear layers and commercial finishes.
Patterns guide
Herringbone vs Chevron vs Parquet — the design patterns explained and when each reads best.
Commercial Wood Flooring Specification — FAQ
The questions we hear most often from contractors, developers and architects writing a wood flooring specification. See also the Wood Flooring range.
01 What makes wood flooring commercial-grade rather than residential?
Commercial-grade wood is specified for traffic, durability and compliance, not just appearance. The defining factors are a 3–6 mm wear layer, a commercial UV-oil or lacquer finish, a verified reaction-to-fire class (EN 13501-1), a documented slip characteristic and certified sourcing. Residential product can look identical but lacks the wear layer, documentation and finish durability a contract spec requires.
02 What reaction-to-fire class does commercial wood flooring need?
Under EN 13501-1, wood flooring is classified as a floor covering (the ‘fl’ suffix). Most untreated engineered and solid wood achieves Cfl-s1; fire-retardant-treated lines reach Bfl-s1. The required class depends on national building regulations, building type and whether the floor is on an escape route. The specifier sets it; the supplier proves it with a DoP.
03 What wear layer should I specify for a commercial wood floor?
Specify a 3–6 mm wear layer — the solid hardwood top above the engineered core, not total thickness. A 3 mm+ layer allows re-coating and at least one light resand, giving a 20–30 year service life. A 2–2.5 mm layer is residential-grade and should not be used for high-traffic contract work.
04 Do I need FSC or PEFC certified wood flooring?
If your project targets BREEAM, LEED, a public-sector tender or corporate ESG goals — yes, and you should specify it explicitly. FSC or PEFC chain-of-custody proves responsible sourcing with a certificate number. A generic “sustainably sourced” claim without a certificate will not satisfy an assessor. Request the chain-of-custody certificate with delivery.
05 Engineered or solid wood for a commercial specification?
Engineered is the default: its multi-layer core delivers stability for wide planks, herringbone, chevron and underfloor heating, and installs faster. Solid suits heritage interiors and projects prioritising multiple deep resands over decades. For most hospitality, workspace and retail projects, engineered with a 3–6 mm wear layer is correct. See Engineered Wood.
06 Glue-down or floating installation for commercial wood?
Glue-down for high-traffic and rolling-load areas — best acoustics, stability and resistance to trolley and castor-chair traffic. Floating click is faster for refurbishments and occupied spaces but not for continuous rolling point loads. Match method to traffic and subfloor, and always require a moisture test before adhesive is opened.
07 What documentation should a commercial wood flooring supplier provide?
A technical datasheet, a DoP with the reaction-to-fire class, a fire test report, and on request an EPD and the FSC/PEFC chain-of-custody certificate. For tenders, also specification text and quantity take-offs. Trivaro supplies the datasheet, DoP and fire report as standard, with EPD and chain-of-custody on request.
08 How do I write the wood flooring section of a specification?
Define seven things: species and grade; construction and total thickness; wear-layer thickness; finish type and sheen; reaction-to-fire class; slip characteristic; and sourcing certification. Add installation method, subfloor moisture limits and the documentation required at handover. Trivaro can provide draft specification text and take-offs for your tender.
Specifying Wood Flooring for a Real Project?
Beyond the explainer — Trivaro is a B2B supplier of contract-grade wood flooring for distributors, contractors, developers and architects across Europe. Engineered, solid and bespoke parquet with full documentation included as standard.
Send us your project type, area estimate, target fire class and sourcing requirements. We will respond with specification text, product recommendations, samples and a B2B quotation.
