Help with timber floor timber type and colour

9 years ago

Hi We have just purchased an old home and plan to have hardwood timber floors. The layer has suggested spotted gum as it is hard and he likes the colour. We prefer the dark stained timber look but after visited a friend with spotted gum that had been laid 10 years ago I am concerned as to how hard it will be with scratches etc. Any advice??

Featured Answer

portpiro

9 years ago

Dark timber floors are a nightmare. They show every speck of dust and every crumb. Any floor with a variation in colour and grain is much more forgiving than a dark or light all over colour.

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Comments (13)

hayley
9 years ago
I used to have brushbox floors that looked like this - could that be a compromise?
Mullaloo Residence · More Info
gleontjew
9 years ago
I have had brush box floors for fifteen years, they have a few light scratches, but no pitting or marks from wear or tear. I wash them with just boiling water and a string type mop and they are still shinny.
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Hi why don't you install the spotted gum floor on the staircase? you can just order a plain staircase from the stair company, and the flooring installer is able to lay spotted gum floor on the staircase. The stair nosing can be customized by using the same spotted gum floorboards. That way you will have a flush finish through the house space.
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If you are after a durable and stable timber floor then Spotted Gum is superior to an engineered floor. But there are many others like Turpentine, Blackbutt, Brush Box, Mahogany to name a few. Having said that the installation process for both are completely different. The longest lasting timber flooring system is Australian Hardwoods installed over Hardwood Battens. Having been in timber flooring in Sydney for over 57 years our experience with trying different products always brings us back to Australian Hardwoods. Selecting a grade of timber does not translate into colours it is merely the quality of the timber board ie in the imperfections of nature - Select Grade has less gum vein and grub marks than say Standard Grade - however if you choose a commercial named grade then you get whatever the suppliers offers in their own grading. Oh and by the way be aware that many imported products are products with Formaldehyde which is toxic. But I agree with Paul if you are after uniformity then you need to go with an engineered product, the beauty of hardwoods lies in the variation so that no two timber floors will be exactly the same. Hope this helps a little more - being a tradesman we do not necessarily base our choices on colours but rather performance of the timbers which varies from species to species.
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I agree, it looks like Blackbutt tongue and groove timber, like I had in a house I once owned. Blackbutt is one of the hardest wearing timbers. The photo shows how it looked when the house was on the market for sale. It had not been re-sanded or re-polished since it was built 16 years prior. It still looked as good as new. The timber looks lighter than in your photo as all the lights were on when my photo was taken. If your house was built earlier, it could be one of the gum species, eg spotted gum.
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Comments (5)
The sample in the pics does look a bit yellow. I’d stay well away from anything with a red or yellow tone. I love your ceiling and it’s a feature to try and keep but as it is domineering you need to be careful of your other choices. Is the sample board a pre-finished board? On one hand that’s good because you can see the final colour but on the other hand it’s bad because the final colour is lot quite right.
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glendaguest
9 years ago
I have had Jarrah floors several times and love the rich colour and hardness, and the timber is beautifully suited to old houses as it was used in early days. Water-based polyurethane works fine, but I like hard wax finish. This is not as high-shine and takes a little more upkeep - wash with Peerless floor wash, and a buff up every few months - and is suitable for most family life, except if you have animal inside, with their little claws grabbing ta the floor. Always found jarrah worth the cost,
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Di Doyle thanked glendaguest
newgardener
9 years ago
I got spotted gum this year and am so happy with them. Love the look. Must say, I notice my feet ache if I'm home all day, so have to wear slippers inside, which is no big deal, but shows you they are a hard hardwood!
Are you saying your friends floors are a problem or good?
Di Doyle thanked newgardener
Di Doyle
Original Author
9 years ago
I was concerned with the scratches but it was laid 10 years ago.
margomelb
9 years ago
Had a Queensland spotted gum timber floor laid last year, it's great, love the warmth and the maturing colour. Beautiful red tones and just wipe with damp microfibre mop to keep clean.
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Di Doyle thanked margomelb
Jo
9 years ago
We have existing brush box timber floor boards. As we are doing an extension on the house, we are wondering what other type of timber would come close to matching it?
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vasandbru
9 years ago
I have dark floors and they are a nightmare to keep clean. You see every single spec of dust. The salesman was actually trying to talk me out of buying these floors but I didn't listen, and now I wish I did. They look beautiful- but be prepared to mop and vacuum twice a day :)
jmm1837
9 years ago
Spotted gum is actually a very hard timber. We had it for ten years, and what scratches there were were mostly in the polyurethane surface. It was easy on the feet too, but it was laid on plywood, not a slab.
PRO
Landscape And Architectural Design Products PL
8 years ago
Hi, I had a Spotted Gum Timber Floor ( 10mm Real Solid Timber Single Planks ) in a penthouse apartment for 8 years . It was pre-coated in high gloss clear from the factory .

When it was laid it was necessary to have a noise reduction 3mm foam under layer ( apartments underneath building noise requirement) . This method of installation actually made the floor very quiet and it also made it a little softer to walk over .

When it got any scuff marks, they just easily wiped off with a damp cloth. When I sold the penthouse, the floor was in exactly the same condition as the day it was first laid - first class. It was only ever cleaned with a steam cleaner , no chemicals whatsoever .

I would certainly recommend the pre-coated polyurethane gloss finish on the real timber planks to anyone, it was great !

You can just see a glimpse of the kitchen floor in the attached two images.

Good luck with your specifying . High quality surface finishes normally stand the test of time .

I have added a couple of extra images of the penthouse for interest. We did the interior design fit out after buying the shell from the developer. It was a stunning sky home .

Cheers

LAADP
PRO
Colour Confidence Interiors
8 years ago
Hi Dianne,

Bad news is that ALL timber floors will scratch and mark over time but you can definitely chose well to help minimize this.

The suggestions you've been given of Brush-box and Spotted gum are very good ones, as is the remark re dark timber floors showing up every bit of dust and dirt - all true!

A waxed finish gives a softer appearance (more like the soft natural patina of a good aged and well cared for timber) and will not show up all the dust reflections like a gloss poly coating would.

Good luck with making a decision.

Michelle
PRO
Budget Floor Sanding Brisbane
8 years ago
Timber floor hardness is predominately set by what type of timber species you select. If you don't want to be constantly cleaning the darker hardwood floors that show every spec of dust, Blackbutt Timber is one of the hardest paler coloured timber flooring. Polyurethane finishes will also add durability to the floor. For more information on Timber Floor Finishes, installing new timber floors and sanding and polishing take a wander around our website. The first large sliding image with the bed has spotted gum flooring.

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Help with timber floor timber type and colour

portpiro

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hayley

gleontjew

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Help with timber floor timber type and colour

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