The feel: “Wood floors add warmth,” says Anne Plumb, general manager
at Royal Oak Floors (royaloakfloors.com.au). “They’re hypoallergenic, too.”
The options: Wood floors come in either solid or engineered timber.
“Solid timber is more prone to contraction and expansion than
engineered boards,” says Anne. “Engineered timber minimises
movement as the timber is cross-laminated, then the grain is laid in
diferent directions so it doesn’t contract or expand. It allows wider
boards [than solid timber] and is cheaper.” Both can be cleaned
with an electrostatic mop or vacuum with a soft-bristle head.
Installation: Solid timber is traditionally laid over timber joists,
but both solid and engineered boards can be nailed and glued
to the substrate, says Anne. Laying these boards over ply gives
a smooth finish. “Some engineered boards can be laid as a ‘floating’
floor over a concrete slab,” she adds. “This is often required in
apartment blocks for acoustic reasons.”Need to know: “The harder the wood, the higher the rating on the
Janka Hardness Rating scale,” says Anne. “A rating of six or seven
will give a good versatile floor. Pine dents easily and rates low on
the scale. Grey box and ironbark are very hard Australian species.”
Grade describes the appearance of knots and general look of
the grain, says Anne. “A board with no visible markings is considered
A-grade, and at the other end of the scale is D-grade. Sometimes
an A-grade timber can be so perfect it looks like laminate, so the
grade you choose comes down to personal preference.”
There are plenty of colour options, too. “Beech and oak are
popular light woods, tallowwood and spotted gum are medium
in colour, and jarrah and walnut are darker,” says Anne.
Look for PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest
Certification) or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) endorsed timbers.
These are sustainably harvested and manufactured.timber
ENGINEERED
SOLID
124 / Inside Out