Which Timber to Choose.
Choosing the right floor for your home will probably be the most difficult step, only because of the huge selection from which you can choose.
The following information will assist you to understand the alternatives and help you ask the right questions when discussing the various options with your supplier.
Timber Colour.
This is a personal, aesthetic choice. The timber species will determine the general color, however, even within one species there will be natural variations. Some species exhibit only small variations while others vary greatly in color and feature.
Remember timber is a natural product and no matter how big a sample you have seen your floor will be different from the sample and completely unique. The true colour of the floor will only become evident after it has been sanded and coated with your chosen finish.
Darker timber could make the room appear darker, and may therefore require more available daylight and/or artificial light sources. Appearance of coated floors will mature with age.
Timber Hardness.
You may also consider the hardness of the timber if you expect exceptionally heavy traffic or stiletto heels. Australian species vary from 3.5 to 14 on the scale.
Timber characteristics and density vary. Refer to Janka Rating for Autralian Timbers.
The hardness of a timber is measured by the Janka hardness test. This test measures the force required to embed an 11.28mm (0.444 in) steel ball to half its depth into wood. The Janka hardness test is the industry standard for determining the ability of a particular timber species to withstand denting and wear.
Species Janka Rating (kN)
American Oak 6.0
Australian Beech 7.5
Bamboo (horizontal) 5.87
Bamboo (vertical) 6.58
Bamboo (strand woven) 16.10
Blackbutt 9.1
Brazilian Walnut 16.37
Brushbox 9.5
Cypress Pine 6.1
Flooded / Rose Gum 7.5
Forest Reds 9.1
Ironbark 14.0
Grey Box 15.0
Jarrah 8.5
Karri 9.0
Merbau 8.56
Messmate 7.1
New England Oak 6.1
Northern Beech 7.5
Red Mahogany 12.0
Ribbon Gum 6.1
Spotted Gum 11.0
Stringybark 8.1
Sydney Blue Gum 9.01
Tallowwood 8.6
Tasmanian Oak 5.5
Turpentine 12.0
Victorian Ash 4.49
Remember the durability of your surface coating will determine the wear expectancy of your floor.
Timber Features and Grades.
Depending upon the species chosen, various grades may be available. You may prefer a grade which exhibits the maximum variety of natural features including colour, knots, gum vein (generally dark lines) and insect markings to provide a unique visual impact. In our kiln dried species this is Feature or Rustic Grade, or you may prefer a mix, which offers maximum achievable consistency, this is described as “Select” grade.
Be sure to discuss the natural feature variation encountered in your chosen species and also the available options with your supplier.
The Australian Standard refers to grades as Select – Standard – Cover. Clarification must be sought when purchasing timber from a supplier that uses marketing names for various mixing of grades.
There can be considerable price variation between the grades.
Board Width and Length.
Tongue and Groove flooring is generally supplied in random lengths from about 1m to 5.4m. Universal profile of 60mm, 80mm, 85mm or 130mm (actual cover width). The width of boards and the direction they are laid will affect the look of a room. Generally boards laid along a room will make the room look longer while the boards laid across a room will make it look wider.
Other factors such as the sub-floor materials may control the direction the boards must be laid. The wider the floor board the greater the natural shrinkage / expansion across the face. Therefore, during dry periods, wider boards may exhibit slightly wider gaps between the boards and cupping may also be more apparent. Both of these conditions may generally disappear after a reasonable period of normal humidity / weather conditions.