Solid Timber Flooring

Pre-finished Timber Flooring – more convenient option, where the floors have already been sanded, treated and sealed during manufacture. They’re faster to install because they don’t require acclimatisation before installation, or polishing afterwards. Prefinished floors are also more durable because the protective top coat can be applied more thoroughly and consistently with professional machinery in the factory.

Raw Timber Flooring – raw solid timber floors need to be finished (i.e. coated with a lacquer, mostly to increase durability) after installation, which provides more flexibility to choose the colour and finish of your floors. You get more customisation and less noticeable “joints” between boards with raw timber flooring.

Both types of timber floors can be re-sanded and re-polished many times to revitalise the look of your floors.

The cost of timber flooring depends on three key factors; species of timber, raw or prefinished; and grade of timber. The general prices in NSW Australia as of 2023 are shown below for your reference.

Raw timber flooring (select grade):

• Supply Price: $90 – $140 per square metre
• Installation: $50 per square metre
• Sand and Polish: $50 – $60 per square metre
• Timber Staining: $15 – $30 per square metre

Prefinished timber flooring:

• Supply Price: $130 – $150 per square metre
• Installation: $50 per square metre

Feel free to contact us for a price consultation or get a free quote.

Solid timber can be sanded and polished multiple times, which makes it a reliable wood floor that can last a lifetime. Generally, 19mm thick timber boards can be resanded up to 5 times.

Benefits of sanding and polishing:

• Removes all the wear and tear which accumulates over the years of life’s rough and tumble.
• Allows for customisation as you can stain the timber floors any colour after sanding.
• More affordable than buying and installing new flooring.

Engineered timber is a type of hardwood flooring that’s considered the more affordable and apartment-friendly version of solid timber. The difference is that an engineered timber floor has a thin veneer of real timber surface fused to a (usually) plywood core, whereas solid timber flooring is made of real wood all the way throughout the plank.

Benefits of Solid Timber:

• Solid Timber can be sanded and polished multiple times over to get rid of scratches and dents that may accumulate over time.
• Solid Timber floors are slightly more water resistant and can be installed in slightly wetter areas like kitchens.
• Solid Timber is more premium and increases the property resale value the most out of all flooring types.
• Solid Timber is made of 100% natural wood material which means zero volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.

Benefits of Engineered Timber Flooring:

• Engineered timber flooring is a floating floor that uses a click-lock system for installation rather than nails and glue. This makes it faster, cheaper and less noisy to install.
• Engineered timber flooring is a way to get real wood floors into apartments that have strict noise policies, as there is no loud nail banging in the installation.
• Engineered timber flooring is more dimensionally stable (resistant to warping and cupping) against moisture or temperature changes. We even have waterproof hardwood and waterproof oak flooring!
• Engineered timber flooring is a little more affordable than solid timber.

If you want to learn more, feel free to reach out or check out our Solid Timber vs Engineered Flooring article!

The durability of solid timber wood flooring depends on the species of timber and the number/quality of coatings. The Janka Rating system is designed to measure the hardness of natural timber materials, including hardwoods, softwoods, engineered timber and bamboo used for hardwood flooring.

Janka Rating of popular Australian hardwood timbers:

• Ironbark – Janka Rating: 14.0
• Spotted Gum – Janka Rating: 10.0
• Blackbutt – Janka Rating: 9.25
• Blue Gum – Janka Rating: 9.0
• Cypress Pine – Janka Rating: 6.5

Note that harder timbers are more dense, which makes them more susceptible to warping, expanding and contracting from moisture or temperature fluctuations. It’s a trade-off between abrasion resistance and dimensional stability. It is advisable to select timber for your hardwood flooring with an optimal Janka Rating between 6.5 – 15.0 for this reason.

Studies show that solid timber increases property resale value more than any other type of flooring. This is likely because solid timber flooring can last decades and you can refresh the look every few years with a good sand and polish. Its natural beauty can really add a warmer and more comfortable vibe to a home or commercial space. Plus, its reputation as a quality, luxury material and its natural design adds a lot of style.

This is reflected by research which suggests that installing hardwood flooring has a return on investment between 70% to 80% according to Realtor. Additionally, home remodelling expert Alex Biyevetskiy claims that hardwood flooring increases the resale value of housing by 2.5% when done right.

If you are looking for Australian hardwood timber flooring or any other flooring products as a property developer or investor, we have an entire article all about maximising property resale value through flooring.

And if you need professional installation services in Sydney, let FloorVenue take care of your needs. Contact us now to discuss any concerns or questions you might have about Australian hardwood timber flooring, engineered timber, installation, flooring products, sanding, polishing or any other inquiries you might have. Whether you live in rural NSW or in the metro area of Sydney, get in touch with us now for all of your installation needs.

Solid timber flooring is particularly renowned for its longevity as it can last up to 100 years when maintained properly. Although it will need sanding along the way, you can expect your timber floors to last up to 100 years!

Hardwood timber flooring is extremely durable, but one weakness of timber floors is that they are not waterproof. That’s why they must be treated in order to resist water. If untreated, the wood floors can swell.

We have engineered wood options that are waterproof – waterproof hardwood and waterproof oak flooring!