Wooden Flooring in Perth – What You Should Look For
Many homes use wood flooring in Perth. Hard wood floors are durable and aesthetically appealing. They are not as susceptible to damage as other materials. This is very important, especially with the harsh Western Australia climate. More and more homeowners choose this material, whether they are buying a new home or renovating their existing one.
There are many options for timber flooring Perth contractors and flooring specialists offer. You can choose a classic, deep shade which fits every household. Go for a lighter wash and matte finish if you want floors with a country feel. Select darker floors in deep shades of brown or red to suit modern houses.
You will have a number of considerations when choosing flooring in Perth. Perth suppliers offer a wide range of wood materials for your flooring. Make sure you establish what you want for your house in terms of these considerations. Don’t settle for anything less than the best timber flooring Perth can offer.
Here are the things you need to keep in mind when selecting wooden flooring materials:
Colour. Start with what colour floor you want. You don’t have to state anything specific at the beginning of your search. Consider the three major colour groups of timber: browns, creams and reds. You’ll find it easier to choose a shade after you decide which category you want to go with.
Grade. The timber’s grade tells you how many natural features of the wooden material you can see with your naked eye. Australian standards categorise timber under three main grades: character grade, standard grade and select grade.
Materials with character grade show frequent and dominant natural features. This includes branch markings, knots, insect trails and gum veins. Those falling under standard grade contain more subtle features. They look clearer and more uniform than character-grade timber. Select grade wood flooring has relatively small natural features on the surface. This makes materials falling under this category look blemish-free.
Board size. Each house requires different board dimensions. This will depend on what subflooring you have, as well as what look you want to achieve. The typical size is 12mm thick and 85mm wide. Solid timber floors also come in 105 x 12mm and 138 x 14mm sizes. These dimensions are perfect for the solid concrete subfloor of most Western Australian homes.
Hardness. You will want to find the hardest wood flooring you can get. The flooring industry uses the Janka Hardness Scale to determine a wooden material’s ability to withstand daily abuse. Floors with higher Janka scores can withstand denting and wear more than those with lower scores. Timber with high Janka is therefore harder.
Finish. The coating you choose for your timber flooring changes its look dramatically. Select a more matte finish if you want to preserve the natural look of wood. Go with a semi-gloss or a satin finish if you want a little bit of shine without overpowering the features of your wooden floor. Choose materials with a high-gloss finish for a more modern effect. Timber coatings come in more resistant polyutherane and non-toxic water-based finishes. Remember that the final look of these finishes will vary depending on the wooden material you choose.
Jean Jordan helps home owners choose from a selection of the besttimber flooring Perth has to offer and discusses other options for flooring Perth floor specialists provide.