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.

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

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

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.

Timber Floor Species and Finishes