Most Australians prefer timber flooring. This is a short guide to hardwood flooring by FLOOR. Timber floors come in many shapes, sizes, forms, and colours. Natural Australian hardwoods are available to buy as are imported wood. If you’re also into getting these beautiful and lasting floors, here is a guide to help you.
How to install
Solid hardwood installations can be done over a subfloor on a concrete base or on supporting solid wood joists. Thick boards are the better choice though they’re more costly. Thicker boards can be sanded and refinished more and will most likely last more than a lifetime.
Timber choices
It is up to you to choose the board that will go on your floors. There are so many great species to choose from with very attractive grades, so it is really up to you to decide how you want your floors to look. Whatever suits your tastes and decor is best. Unlike school, grades in wood are usually based on looks rather than performance. Most hardwood species are great to have on floors, the only difference is how they look. If you like the look that low-grade hardwoods bring like maybe some with more knots or differing patterns, choose that. Higher grades have more of a uniform pattern in the wood grain. Choosing online or on catalogues are good for comparisons in product price or performance but if you want to see what it will really look like, it’s better to look at real hardwood samples in real light so that you know what you’re really getting. Sometimes stores will have sample showrooms to show what the wood will look like in a room. You might be surprised to see that imperfections that show on a small sample might actually look really good and add charm in the long run when put together in a room.
Engineered Timber
If you can’t afford the real thing but still want the real thing, one option is engineered hardwood. Engineered wood is made from several layers of cheaper and more sustainable wood with real solid hardwood on top. No one will ever know unless you tell them. What’s great about this type of wood is that it’s just as strong or maybe even stronger than real hardwood. Because of the way they’ve been engineered, temperature changes don’t seem to affect them as much as real solid wood floors. The only thing about them is that some cannot be refinished or some can only be sanded a few times depending on the thickness of the layer of real hardwood on top. They have already been initially finished by the manufacturer so you won’t have to sand and apply a finish at first.
Recycled Timber
To wrap up our guide to hardwood flooring, we mustn’t forget one trend that is on the rise. The use of recycled timber for hardwood flooring. These can come from old buildings that were made with good timber and have been torn down. Instead of of buying newly cut trees, you can use already aged wood great for the antique look that is now becoming more popular. If you’re looking to go green and looking for a good match for your already antique floors, this is the perfect timber for you.
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Buyer’s guide to hardwood flooring
Guide to Hardwood Flooring
Most Australians prefer timber flooring. This is a short guide to hardwood flooring by FLOOR. Timber floors come in many shapes, sizes, forms, and colours. Natural Australian hardwoods are available to buy as are imported wood. If you’re also into getting these beautiful and lasting floors, here is a guide to help you.
How to install
Solid hardwood installations can be done over a subfloor on a concrete base or on supporting solid wood joists. Thick boards are the better choice though they’re more costly. Thicker boards can be sanded and refinished more and will most likely last more than a lifetime.
Timber choices
It is up to you to choose the board that will go on your floors. There are so many great species to choose from with very attractive grades, so it is really up to you to decide how you want your floors to look. Whatever suits your tastes and decor is best. Unlike school, grades in wood are usually based on looks rather than performance. Most hardwood species are great to have on floors, the only difference is how they look. If you like the look that low-grade hardwoods bring like maybe some with more knots or differing patterns, choose that. Higher grades have more of a uniform pattern in the wood grain. Choosing online or on catalogues are good for comparisons in product price or performance but if you want to see what it will really look like, it’s better to look at real hardwood samples in real light so that you know what you’re really getting. Sometimes stores will have sample showrooms to show what the wood will look like in a room. You might be surprised to see that imperfections that show on a small sample might actually look really good and add charm in the long run when put together in a room.
Engineered Timber
If you can’t afford the real thing but still want the real thing, one option is engineered hardwood. Engineered wood is made from several layers of cheaper and more sustainable wood with real solid hardwood on top. No one will ever know unless you tell them. What’s great about this type of wood is that it’s just as strong or maybe even stronger than real hardwood. Because of the way they’ve been engineered, temperature changes don’t seem to affect them as much as real solid wood floors. The only thing about them is that some cannot be refinished or some can only be sanded a few times depending on the thickness of the layer of real hardwood on top. They have already been initially finished by the manufacturer so you won’t have to sand and apply a finish at first.
Recycled Timber
To wrap up our guide to hardwood flooring, we mustn’t forget one trend that is on the rise. The use of recycled timber for hardwood flooring. These can come from old buildings that were made with good timber and have been torn down. Instead of of buying newly cut trees, you can use already aged wood great for the antique look that is now becoming more popular. If you’re looking to go green and looking for a good match for your already antique floors, this is the perfect timber for you.
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