In old settlers days, when you needed to have a wooden floor, you went to the forest and made one.
Today this would be illegal and time consuming.
Nowadays, you go to the local timber floor specialist to order the required set.
What's more, you can assemble the timber floor yourself or ask floor specialist to do it for you.
The timber floors are sold as the flat-pack options or as the full installation packages (labour and material).
The first option runs at $35 per square meter (e.g. Tasmanian oak).
The full installation is much dearer. About $60-$70 per square meter is not uncommon for the average quality timber floor.
There are about 6 main types of the timber floor.
Most of the timber floors come in the tongue and groove strip flooring.
This setup allows for an easy assembly and direct installation.
In many cases the setup does not need any glue and planks can fit tightly.
Most tongue and groove assemblies can be laid directly onto joists and battens.
Alternatively these can be nailed to the old timber flooring.
The following are popular types of a timber floor:
Hardwood is the best product for a timber floor. It is also the most expensive. Most hardwood floors are available in select, natural and standard designs. There are many species of trees available for the product:
This type of flooring is an excellent option for those who want an already polished product. At the same time, the material is cheaper than the hardwood because individual components are fused together into one structure. The timber floor made of pre-finished flooring is ideal for commercial premises. There, you need an inexpensive material which is still highly presentable.
The parquetry is made up of individual timber pieces arranged into a pre-defined pattern. Parquetry can be made of hardwood or softer grades. Most parquetry timber flooring is made of Alpine Ash, Tasmanian Oak and Jarrah. Parquet floors are very popular because of the pre-assembled patterns and the stunning look.
Laminate is not a timber. It is a composite product on which a picture of timber is fused as a laminate material. Laminates are much cheaper than the timber. They are also more durable, reliable and do not need polishing. What's more, the laminate floors do look very good (maybe short from stunning) and need very little maintenance.
The timber flooring made of bamboo is a fantastic product. Bamboo flooring is hard, light and stable for all weather conditions. Bamboo does not rot easily. However, the material is not as glamorous as the hardwood timber.
The timber floor made of cork is very practical and cost effective. The material is ideal for passive heating and cooling. Cork has also an outstanding durability. It is not a dazzling product but sufficiently presentable for residential applications.