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

@mon_graham, You mention that you are building and that currently specified in the plan is spotted gum as oposed to the oak floor boards that you would prefer, well if it's a current build, can't you simply put in a change to the builder??? If you can't change the plan then try to incorporate some spotted gum in the room by adding some hardwood furniture, and then the stairs would tie in with that room. Cheers, Barbara

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 :)

Hi gailgratland we have blackbutt engineered floor from woodpecker flooring - satin finish and we love it. We have a crazy dog that dashes all over it and the scratches wipe off. No dents so far but the floor has only been down a year. Our last floor was also blackbutt and that was down for 15 years, it probably had 2 or 3 noticeable dents. That one had 2 teenagers galloping across it for years. The only reason it was replaced instead of re-finished was it had water damage from the dishwasher. Hope these pics help with your decision.