Not all timber flooring is created equal. Austim guides you through the options.
Timber comes in many different species, tones and widths that there is certainly one that will suit your home. Putting aside primary aesthetic factors, there are many other points to consider before choosing a timber for flooring in your home.
Durability
When comparing your timber flooring options consider the foot traffic the timber floor will receive; areas around the front door, main hallway and kitchen tend to take the brunt of traffic.
Humidity
Timber is a natural product and will react to its environment. If a room has a high humidity level, it can cause the flooring to take up extra moisture. This should be discussed with your installer.
Heating and Cooling
If your home has underfloor heating, in-slab heating, refrigerated or evaporative air conditioning, it may impact the performance of timber flooring in those particular rooms or throughout the house.
Subfloor
The build of your home will determine what preparation needs to occur before installation of the timber flooring products.
Sunlight
If your home has areas that are exposed to the sun for extended periods, it may cause unwanted shrinkage, cupping or dis-colouration in some timber flooring products.
Species
Many different species of timber can be used for flooring, providing a broad range of colours, textures, and patterns. When you are choosing a species, it’s important to note whether it is the species itself or the colour you find the most valuable trait. Colours can cross species, but often species are quite distinctive.
If the colour is the principal factor, make sure you understand the range of variation you may see within the species you have chosen. Depending on harvesting and milling, not all species are readily available so check with your supplier.
Check out our Flooring Gallery for the different kinds of timber flooring Austim carries.
Colour
Colours range from light wood like Victorian Ash, Light to medium like American white oak, Eastern States Blackbutt, and medium to dark like Jarrah and Marri.
Choose a colour that will match your room furnishing, fabrics, and accessories. Some modern timber flooring styles include products in lighter colours for contemporary settings like Victorian Ash, medium colours for traditional settings like American white oak, Eastern States Blackbutt and dark timbers like Jarrah and Marri which are classic and complement all styles.
Grade
Grade refers to the level of natural features in the timber flooring; you can use the following to see how Austim grades the timber:
- Natural or feature grade—Eastern States blackbutt, jarrah, marri
- Standard / better grade—Eastern States blackbutt, jarrah,
- Select grade—American white oak, eastern states blackbutt, jarrah
All timbers contain natural features which add to the character of the floor and do not affect performance so, when choosing a grade, you are only deciding on how much character detail will be in your floor.
Grain
Timber also varies in its grain appearance:
- Straight grain—Victorian ash
- Mixed grain—American white oak, eastern states blackbutt, jarrah, marri.
Widths
In recent years wider profile products have increased in popularity, although standards widths of 80 to 85mm remain popular.
Eco-awareness
Although timber is regarded as a sound environmental building material choice, if you’re concerned, purchasing certified products is a great way of ensuring that they are sourced from responsibly managed forests.
Austim’s vision is clear: the world’s forests are precious—we need them preserved for future generations to enjoy.
View our Environmental Certifications
At Austim, we have all the answers when it comes to timber flooring. That’s because we’re specialists in solid timber flooring supply. Note we supply only, we can recommend trusted installers to help bring your project to life.
You’ll benefit from our attention to detail and quality control systems that ensure you’ll always get the very best timber for your project.
