Briar

Nyatoh has the mid red brown that Malaysian furniture makers have used for decades, and Briar's merlot colour sits in the same family. The satin texture is lightly worked, close to sanded board underfoot, so it reads as timber without being hard to clean. Five random faces is a middling count. Across a dining area or a dry kitchen it holds up fine, but mix two or three boxes as you go rather than laying straight from one. Solid timber in this climate cups and gaps through the year and termites find it. Glazed ceramic does neither. Boxes hold five 200 x 1200 mm planks, 1.20 m2, 25 kg.

• Will Briar swell in a humid climate?

  No. Briar is glazed ceramic with 6 to 8 percent water absorption, so humid months do not make it swell, cup or warp the way timber and laminate can.

• How many boxes of Briar for a 4 x 5 m living room?

  A 4 x 5 m room is 20 m². With 10 percent extra for cutting, that is 19 boxes, since each box of 5 planks (20 x 120 cm) covers 1.20 m² and weighs about 25 kg.

• Which rooms in a condo or landed house suit Briar?

  Briar works on floors and walls in family halls, bedrooms, shoplots and offices. It is rated for interior use.

• How do I clean Briar?

  Sweep, then mop with a mild floor cleaner. The glazed satin textured face needs no oiling, sanding or polish.