Deep in the forest of Schneegattern, Austria, Mafi has spent more than a century refining a philosophy of unadulterated wood processing. They manufacture high-performance wide-plank flooring, wall cladding, and stair components that prioritize the physical integrity of the timber over chemical shortcuts.
Why Mafi?
In the extreme temperature swings and humidity fluctuations of the Lake Superior region, wood movement is the primary threat to a lasting installation. We brought Mafi into our portfolio because they solved this engineering challenge through mechanical symmetry. While most manufacturers rely on synthetic seals to "lock" wood in place, Mafi uses structural balance to ensure their planks remain flat and stable in environments where standard engineered products often fail.
Application
Mafi’s stability is engineered through a symmetrical three-layer construction. Unlike standard engineered products, Mafi utilizes the same wood species and identical thermal treatment for both the wear layer and the backing. This creates a balanced counter-pull that mitigates the internal tension responsible for cupping or gapping in our volatile continental climate. A softwood middle layer, glued at a 90-degree angle to the surface grain, provides the flexibility required to maintain structural integrity in planks reaching five meters in length and 30 centimeters in width.
This mechanical rigidity makes Mafi a reliable specification for installation over radiant hydronic heating systems. Rather than sealing the wood under a plasticized UV-cured film, Mafi uses air-dried linseed oils that penetrate deep into the fibers. This keeps the pores open and the wood hygroscopic, allowing the floor to regulate indoor humidity and remain warm to the body. For darker aesthetics, the "Vulcano" thermal treatment uses only heat and water to alter the wood’s cellular structure, offering a chemically neutral alternative to stains. The resulting open-pored surface is easily spot-repaired, making it suitable for high-traffic medical, commercial, and residential environments where material longevity and indoor air quality are paramount.
