Timber flooring has been a popular choice for centuries, offering a timeless appeal that complements any home or business. But what makes it so special? In this blog post, we’ll delve into the world of timber flooring, exploring its many aspects, and offering tips on selecting and maintaining the perfect timber floor for your home or business.
Benefits of Timber Flooring
There’s no denying the charm and elegance that timber flooring brings to a room. Its natural warmth, distinct grain patterns and wide variety of colours make it a highly sought-after flooring material, showcasing the natural beauty of wood.
Timber flooring has several advantages that make it an ideal choice for modern homes, including its durability, versatility and aesthetic appeal. It’s obviously low in carbon footprint and is insulative against heat loss.
Aesthetic Appeal
One of the main reasons homeowners and business owners choose timber flooring is its aesthetic appeal. The unique grain patterns and rich, natural colours of hardwood can transform any space and add a touch of luxury to your interior design.
With a wide selection of styles and colours available, there’s a quality timber floor to suit every home or business decor.
Durability
Timber floors are well-known for their durability, and this trait is exceptionally prominent in dense Australian hardwood options, like those offered at Coach House. These floors can resist heavy foot traffic and daily wear and tear, making them an ideal choice for busy households. With proper care and maintenance, Australian hardwood flooring can last for decades, offering long-term value and a solid return on investment. Australian timber species, are renowned for their strength and durability, making them perfect for high-traffic areas.
Versatility
Timber flooring can easily adapt to a variety of interior design trends and styles, making it a popular choice for homeowners. As a hypoallergenic flooring option, timber floors also contribute to a healthier indoor environment, improving air quality and reducing allergens. Timber flooring also enhances the value of a property, ensuring a wise investment for the future.
Drawbacks of Timber Flooring
Despite the many advantages of timber flooring, keep in mind the cost, maintenance required and potential noise challenges posed by its use.
Cost
While timber flooring offers long-term value due to its durability and longevity, it can be more expensive than other flooring options such as carpet. However, the initial investment in a quality timber floor can be justified by the increased market value it adds to your house and the long-term benefits it provides. Ultimately, timber flooring is a great choice for those looking for a flooring option that will last.
Maintenance
Timber floors require regular maintenance. This includes re-sanding & polishing, which involves removing the existing layer by sanding and re-applying a protective coating to preserve the timber flooring from moisture damage, and to maintain its optimal appearance. Depending on wear from foot traffic, this may be every 3-4 years.
Noise
Timber flooring can produce more noise when walked on compared to other flooring surfaces. However, this issue can be mitigated by using sound-absorbing underlay materials and floor rugs reduce noise levels.
Comparing Timber Flooring Options: Solid vs. Engineered
When it comes to timber flooring, there are two main types to consider: solid timber flooring and engineered timber flooring. Each type offers its own set of features and benefits, making it essential to understand the differences between them before making a purchase.
Solid Timber Flooring
Solid timber flooring, also known as wooden flooring, is made from a single piece of wood, offering a classic, luxurious look that many homeowners and business owners desire. Known for its durability, reliability and minimal upkeep, solid timber flooring showcases the natural characteristics of the wood, such as sapwood, knots and colour variations. Whilst most species are cut backsawn, others are vertical grain, or quartersawn, thereby giving extra stability.
Solid timber floors are highly valued for their strength and stability, making them an excellent choice for areas with high foot traffic.
You can explore different solid timber flooring options via our Speciality Timber Species page to find the perfect fit for your home.
Engineered Timber Flooring
Engineered timber flooring consists of multiple layers of wood bonded together, offering increased stability, moisture resistance and affordability. The top layer is constructed out of solid timber. The lower layers, made of high-quality plywood, complete this sturdy construction.
Engineered timber flooring provides a wider range of design possibilities, uniformity and cost-efficiency compared to solid hardwood flooring and can be prefinished or sealed for clean and efficient installation.
Visit Genesis Oak to explore a range of engineered timber flooring options.
Sustainability and Environmental Impact
Timber flooring is an eco-friendly choice due to its renewable nature, low carbon footprint and sustainable sourcing practices. This makes it an ideal option for environmentally conscious homeowners and business owners.
Renewable Resource
Timber is a renewable resource, which means it can be replenished or replaced in a relatively short period. This makes it an environmentally responsible choice for flooring, as it ensures a sustainable supply of wood for a longer time.
Low Carbon Footprint
Timber flooring has a much lower environmental impact compared to other flooring options. Solid wood flooring is highly energy-efficient during processing and production, and trees used for timber flooring absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during their lifetime, reducing carbon footprints.
This makes timber flooring an excellent choice for those looking to reduce their environmental impact.
Sustainable Sourcing
Many timber flooring options are sourced from timber forests and plantations managed sustainably, ensuring minimal environmental impact. The sustainability of timber flooring is achieved through:
- Optimal use of resources
- Control over raw material sources
- Utilisation of recycled materials
- Compliance with sustainability regulations
These practices contribute to the overall sustainability of timber flooring. Ask for sustainable forestry certification for peace of mind.
Health and Wellbeing Benefits
Timber flooring offers various health and well-being benefits, such as allergen reduction and improved air quality. These benefits make it an attractive option for homeowners seeking a healthier indoor environment for their families.
Allergen Reduction
Hardwood floors eliminate a breeding ground for dust mites, pet allergens, and mould spores, making it easier to clean and remove allergens from the hardwood floor. Timber flooring does not trap allergens, dust or other particles that can lead to poor indoor air quality, thereby reducing the overall allergen load in the home. This makes timber flooring an ideal choice for allergy sufferers and pet owners.
Improved Air Quality
Timber flooring contributes to better indoor air quality by not holding on to and emitting harmful chemicals or trapping pollutants. This helps improve the air quality in the home, creating a healthier environment for those with allergies or asthma. Additionally, timber flooring can help moderate humidity levels, further contributing to a healthier indoor environment.
Tips for Choosing and Maintaining Timber Flooring
To fully enjoy the benefits of timber flooring, it’s essential to choose the right type and maintain it properly. In this section, we’ll provide some guidance on selecting the perfect timber floor for your home or business and tips on keeping it in optimal condition for years to come. When selecting timber flooring, consider the type of wood, the finish and the installation of the flooring materials.
Choosing the Right Type
When selecting timber flooring, consider the budget, the desired aesthetic and the environmental impact of the flooring material. Each type of timber flooring has its own set of features and benefits, so it’s crucial to understand the differences between solid and engineered timber flooring before making a decision. Solid timber flooring is made from a single piece of timber, while engineered timber flooring consists of multiple layers of wood bonded together.
Installation and Care
Proper installation and regular maintenance are essential for ensuring the longevity and beauty of timber flooring. To keep your timber floor looking its best, sweep or vacuum regularly to remove dust and dirt. Use a damp mop with water and a pH-neutral cleaning solution to clean the floor and remove dirt and footprints. Avoid using harsh detergents and abrasive cleaners, as they can damage the floor’s finish. Always refer to factory recommendations – waxed or oiled finishes have their own maintenance guides.
Summary
Timber flooring offers a timeless appeal, durability and versatility that make it a popular choice for homeowners and business owners. Though it presents some drawbacks, such as cost and maintenance, its long-term value, sustainability and health benefits make it an attractive option for those seeking a beautiful and eco-friendly flooring solution. Get in contact with a member of our team to help find the best timber flooring solution for your home or business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the advantages of timber flooring?
Timber flooring, especially when crafted by Coach House, offers a variety of advantages such as improved indoor air quality, durability, and aesthetic elegance. Australian hardwood is a premium material known for its extreme strength, making it highly resistant to damage and ensuring it will last for decades. Additionally, timber flooring is eco-friendly and offers design versatility, making it a worthwhile investment for any home. However, we offer a range of imported species as well! Ask about our solid genuine French Oak range.
What is a drawback of using wood as flooring?
Wood flooring is prone to water damage, scratches and dents, requires more maintenance than other materials, and is more expensive, making it a less suitable choice for areas of high moisture or humidity.
Are wood floors worth the money?
Wood floors, particularly those made from Australian hardwood, are a great addition to any home or business. Offering unparalleled beauty, versatility, and longevity, they are definitely worth the investment in both time and money. The strength and durability of hardwood, as featured in Coach House flooring, ensures your floors will provide timeless value to your property for years to come.
Are wooden floors better than laminate?
Overall, solid hardwood flooring is better for appearance, lifespan, resale value and comfort, while laminate flooring is more affordable and easier to install. Solid timber is the best choice for property value and durability but is more expensive and difficult to maintain.
How can I reduce the noise produced by timber flooring?
Commercial grade rubber underlays may be specified to reduce noise levels between highrise apartments. However use of rugs or other sound-absorbing materials can help minimise the noise.
Why is Australian hardwood a prime choice for flooring?
Australian hardwood, like the kind used in Coach House flooring, is a top-tier choice for those looking to invest in long-lasting and robust floors. Known for its exceptional strength and resilience, Australian hardwood not only elevates the aesthetics of your space but also offers a higher degree of durability compared to other wood types. This makes it a fantastic choice for those who want both luxury and longevity in their flooring options.