Hello Stella In the flooring industry this type of flooring was called a floating floor, because it sits on an underlay. Now it is called an engineered floor (and stops the first question being about the noise underfoot).... but the noise remains depending on the level of the floor and the type of underlay. Engineered floors have a number of layers of timber/ply at right angles to allow the expansion/contraction of the grain to be controlled. The top layer is the prefinished or raw timber species that you want with the other layers in various ply. There are cheaper alternatives again that have particle board (chipboard) or mdf backing with a laminate printed pattern. These are, in my humble opinion not worth opening the box. A solid timber floor can be laid a multitude of ways. Over concrete, I waterproof the slab, level it and glue and nail a plywood sheet. The timber is then laid over it, sanded and flooded (gaps filled) then sealed with a finish being either oil or water/oil based polyurethane. It can also be stained before sealing. With the engineered floors, they come from all over the world. Some are made in China, some are made in Indonesia, some are made in Europe and so on. A major supplier to a lot of the flooring companies is a company called Premium Floors. They supply products to eg carpet shops inc Quick-step and have done for many many years. Their website is worth a look before you go out into retail outlets. As to your original question, when I built my first family home I installed a readyflor (premium floors as it happened) floating floor. The floor withstood some almighty parties (before kids) and still looks amazing 18 years later (it hasn't been sanded at all). Today, I only install solid timber floors in our work purely because of personal preference and the type of renovations we are doing, and when requested by a client we have sourced from Europe. Cheers

Ok here is a photo i just found...This is Queensland Spotted Gum, which is more varient than the NSW Spotted Gum. Friends that have seen it say how gorgeous and different it is...and so so glad we didn't end up going with blackbutt :)

Hello oklouise I am sorry not to be able to respond more promptly I have been uber busy. Wow I love the plan for the bathroom - thank you!!! But I am really going to have to wait on my master suite and change a few things as I have spoken to a Renovator Friend who has made me aware my budget is a problem.. to the point I am giving the existing house AS IS to my in-law and just focusing on the extension for my family. :-/ for now? Always wanted a Master Suite!!!! The bedroom will have to be my office for now and I will out a door in what would be my future bathroom. (Insert crying emoji) Reno Friend has suggested get rid of wall separating mud room/ stairs area. She suggests flip entrance to stairs to closer to door (thereby giving opportunity for full windows over west entrance door allowing western sun. Full height wall where stairs end and slider door there to the middle living/dining wall she suggests we keep. Effectively divides the space into 1/3-2/3. I will need a kitchen in my laundry now as I can't access toilet in extension. Upstairs study will now be my bedroom - so area over void will become my wardrobe. Reno Friend vetoed the fireplace under stairs and said it has to be on western external wall. All these ideas she has a budget reason for implementing .. so. My Feng Shui lady will be despairing. I am quite deflated but the budget is what it is, it's going to be a few years to finish I guess. Thank you and instead I am sending a virtual feast of your inclination!!! Xx

Hi monicafowler96 There are pros and cons for either a solid hardwood timber flooring or a quality engineered flooring. Solid will give you a longer life span with more times it can be sanded and refinished but ususally more expensive to lay and finish in the desired finish. A roasted solid timber is a good option if you want a dark floor- also makes it harder and colour penetrates right through. Make sure the timber is acclimatised before laying to minimise movement (shrinkage and expansion) or cupping can occur. A quality engineered flooring with a thick wear layer is often chosen because it still gives you 2-3 sands. It comes prefinished so it's cost effective. Some are smoked so any scratches are minimal in appearance. Check out the Venture plank range from Havwoods for a product with a thick wear layer. https://www.havwoods.com.au/flooringsearch/engineered-timber-flooring/venture-plank Stay away from any of the thin or mdf backed products. Arena Venture plank pictured above Just a further thought- make sure you have alot of natural light if you want a very dark floor and they do require more cleaning as they show the dust. Best wishes