Timber floors vary in hardness/durability. Choosing a harder, denser timber will give you more scratch resistance. See the attached Janka Hardness Chart. This chart rates how hard timber species are against each other. Engineered timber floors may even increase the hardness of a timber surface. Our customers often specify European and American Oak engineered floors, and we have not heard negative comments about them. My advice would be to talk with a flooring expert, check the hardness rating and see/test the product first hand.

Hi Lainie No Problems! Getting a floor transition off the shelf or made up is no big deal. Most flooring companies will be able to supply this or a good chippy can knock it up for you without a lot of fuss. Essentially you just match the timber species and apply a little floor polish. If you contact hardwood flooring distributors in your area such as Launstein , you will see what they have (or can make up for you) quite simply. If you scroll down the page in the link you will see a sample of exactly what the builder needs. Often flooring companies are best equipped to make up something like this in eg a special size as they do it all the time. As to it being 'another work scope item', any decent general contractor would have been doing this in the first place as it is an off the shelf item. Even if they couldn't get the right width, it should have been a conversation with you as to what other solutions were available ie having one made up. Regarding how it should be done to fix it now, I would be pulling up the tiles in the doorway and replacing them as they won't be able to cut it down neatly. I would then cut back the screed and reinstall properly cut tiles with a trim edge like below. Images courtesy of Great Lakes Tile products Rochester MI Then the transition would be installed up to the edge. What you make the transition out of is up to you, but either way once the tiles in the doorway are properly finished you can decide what you like. Personally I would do the matching timber as it then disappears altogether. Good luck! Cheers

yep agree, what you are liking is going to cost way more, what your allowance for is for budget/flagfall/basic detail. Maybe 30K suggestion a little inflated for this but certainly 10-15K min Depends upon who, material chosen and extent of finish...possibly you may be able to get away with some quality carpentry to tackle a similar balustrade idea rather than getting a (more expensive) joinery shop to do it, because if it was joinery w' clear 2 pac'd timber screens then arguably yes the number would get pretty scary pretty quickly. You can achieve the screen effect in various ways, but expect to tip in 3-4 times the number allowed at this stage............costs aside though, if it's a U shape set-up, (without knowing how it's planned/positioned etc,) unless you have a fully exposed side (in a significant aspect of the residence), it's questionable whether you'll get the effect you're after and hence if it's the best way to spend money on the screen balustrade - they're a great detail, lovely internal textural element, but arguably best/most striking when implemented on single runs like in the images......

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