Considering a timber floor?
posted: 22/Feb/2016
The warmth and natural beauty that a timber floor provides can transform a home. There are a myriad of timber species, grades and widths that you can choose from to deliver the exact look and feel you are creating in your new home or renovation.
Each of the following should be addressed by the owner or specifier before installation is considered.
Colour
Timber colour can vary considerably between species, ranging from very dark browns (ironbark), through reds (jarrah), golden browns (cypress), yellows (Tasmanian oak) to very pale browns (blackbutt). As timber is a natural product it is important to remember that colour variation also occurs within each timber species.
Visual Grades
Visual grades are applied to timber products as a way of grouping timber with varying degrees of visual features such as knots, gum veins and grain. Timber is graded into material with high feature content, through to timber with no features and a very consistent appearance. Grade names depend on the system the manufacturer has used, but often follow AS 2796.2 – 2006 ‘Timber – Hardwood – Sawn and milled products; Part 2: Grade description’ which uses grades Select (for little or no features) through Medium feature grade to High Feature grade (contains a lot of features).
Hardness
The hardness of timber varies from species to species. Generally it can be expected that floors will receive significant punishment from high heeled shoes, furniture loads and day to day wear. Considering this, the harder the timber, the better it will resist denting and marking from impact and loading.
Profiles
Timber flooring is generally cut to have a tongue and groove profile. The location and depth through the board of the tongue and groove can vary, as can other aspects of the profile. Floors designed to be secret nailed may have an offset tongue and groove, while overlay flooring may have a curved ‘clip’ style tongue and groove.
Cover widths
The cover width of the board is important as it can have impact on the stability and serviceability of the floor further down the process. Generally it can be said that the narrower the board the more stable its performance. Traditionally flooring was supplied as 80mm cover width. The market is now much more diverse with cover widths of 130mm or greater available.
Previous Articles
Choosing the right type of timber should ensure your fence will last longer than you own the home!
If you've got your hammer and nails ready but not sure what else to do, start here!
Cypress is a natural for all your building needs - particularly to avoid termites!