By Tom Kalliber
German-engineered timber flooring is creating a natural touch for signature homes and commercial buildings across New Zealand, based out of a barn near Queenstown’s historic Lower Shotover Bridge. Queenstown couple, Graeme and Vicky Rodwell are the exclusive nationwide importers and distributors of HARO. Their local showroom located at Spence Road is also the headquarters for their national sales and marketing operation.
“HARO is a premium product and we offer a personal service to help guide people through the various options. Customers can drive off the main highway down to the bridge and view the range at our showroom in a very relaxed setting,” says Graeme.
New Zealanders’ love for the natural environment means timber flooring has always been popular but he says the local climate is not always favourable for untested products.
“We have been selling HARO here for many years and know what works best. Solid wood can crack and bend over time in the extreme high and low temperatures we experience, especially in an alpine environment like Queenstown. Our engineered timber flooring is a lot more stable and can even handle underfloor heating up to 29 degrees which is unique to HARO.”
“Its multi-layer construction is built around a solid spruce core which secures the top layer of selected wood. There’s a locking system on all four sides for easy installation and zero movement. Every plank arrives pre-finished so once it’s down the floor is ready to walk on.”
The flooring is manufactured by the market leader in Germany, Hamberger Industries. The company is built on an environmental model and the timber comes from sustainably managed German forests, four of which the company owns.
Graeme says they also have a laminated flooring choice and have recently introduced a dedicated wall panelling range – a lighter, more fit-forpurpose option than applying flooring to walls.
All the company’s timber floors come with a 30-year warranty.
“We offer so many timber options that we actually select a handpicked range for New Zealand customers. Of course, we can also order anything from over 400 options from Germany,” says Graeme.”
Fantastic Flooring
HARO Floorings’ environmental credentials fitted perfectly with Annabelle Numaguchi’s vision for her new energy efficient home built by Evolution in Shotover Country three years ago. “We chose the company’s engineered timber flooring because it looks fantastic and is sustainable, backed by recognised eco labels,” she says. “The flooring gives the living area a warm, honey glow and feels so good under our feet – we absolutely love it.”
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