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

My first instinct was tile exactly because of how labor intensive this would be but then I began looking at all the color variations. I would think tiles would have more consistent coloring so this could definitely be timber. It seems too "imperfect" to be man-made material. As someone else said, "tricky."

There's a pre finished product called DecoWood, aluminium substrate with a wood look finish. This is from the web... The advantages of using DecoWood™ cladding instead of timber include: Easy installation: aluminium is lighter than timber and therefore easier to manoeuvre in the installation process Low Maintenance: aluminium never requires painting or staining like timber does, saving time and money Durability: DecoWood™ aluminium is more durable and dimensionally stable than timber meaning no warping, twisting, splitting or rotting like timber. Plus, it won’t need to be replaced as often. DecoWood™ is a powder coated wood grain finish based on photographic images of real timber. It has been tested for its durability in international extreme exposure locations where intense UV radiation, salt spray and industrial pollutants combine to create the worst possible conditions, and complies with all relevant Australian and international standards.

Yes, our harsh Australian environment does hammer our external finishes but if exposed timber is coated with a good quality finish initially ( i recommend 4 coats minimum ) then an ongoing maintenance coat every couple of years, your timber can still look great many years down the track. People just need to understand if you want that beautiful natural timber look you have to put time in to maintain it.