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

just put over a km of spotted gum decking into our new house near the beach. Architect and builder recommended and used Cutek oil. The oil seeps deep into the timber without putting a coat on the surface with will peel or fail. Would definitely not use any product that puts coat on the top of the timber. I have used other finishes on our decking at our main house (Cabots, inter grain etc) and all ended up looking terrible after being punished by the harsh Queensland sun. My advise is research your choice thoroughly, as undoing a mistake is very time-consuming and costly. I guess only time will tell if I got it right this time?? Photos below.

yvonne.. re sanding cupboards I had mine professionally sanded because they were looking worn. timber is American Oak and it really didn't lighten very much by sanding. so depending on your timber you might not achieve much. i would change a few upper cabinets with glass doors, white perspex or remove a few doors, paint the back of shelving and hang wine glasses or whetever and break the load that way. I replaced my range hood with a pull out chrome one and that in itself made a difference nt tying in with the chrome handles. see pictures. maybe you could paint the legs or reupholster the stools to white...all part of the kitchen.

You just can't beat timber. It's real and isn't trying to be something else. The timber look tiles do look quite ok but they could be unfashionable in 10 years time. Bit like tiles laid in the diamond pattern at the moment, just out of trend.... Tiling isn't cheap, mine charged just under $100 per sqm. It is pretty good though and was sandstone theres a bit work involved when compared to ceramic. Go with the real deal if you can afford it, will look great for decade's.