Browse Forums Flooring & Floor Covering 1 Sep 03, 2009 8:17 pm Hi guys, Just planning to put down some floorboards in my house after it gets built and I've been looking around the forum to see what types i should get, but theres so much i'm all confused! What is the difference with the laminate floorboards? Are there any other types of floorboards I should be looking into? Advantages/disadvantages? I'm kind of looking for floorboards that would be good throughout the house. I'd like them to be somewhat resistive to holes that appear when items accidentally get dropped on the floor. They'd also need to work pretty well in the kitchen where water might be a problem. Any suggestions? Cheers! Re: New floorboards 2Sep 03, 2009 9:10 pm Starting at the top of the pile, there's real solid timber flooring (Boral Australian hardwood varieties). This is the real deal - no need for me to comment. Then there's daylight, then there's engineered timber - which is often made of plywood and a much thinner layer of timber material at the surface. Can look good, will be good for a couple of sanding and re-polishings. Then there's lots more daylight, then there's laminate timber flooring (i.e. not real wood - but a look-alike). Will be hard wearing, but at the end of the day it's not real. You need to decide how far your budget extends into each of these categories and what features are most important to you. Re: New floorboards 3Sep 03, 2009 9:23 pm There are more timber floor options than the "Boral varieties" Re: New floorboards 5Sep 11, 2009 12:21 pm I haven't really set down a proper 'budget' yet, since I'm unsure how much all these types of flooring would cost, so it's hard to say... What are the general price differences between bamboo/real timber/laminate etc.? I can't seem to find any websites where these flooring types are compared against one another, as that's the main thing I'm after at this stage, was hoping you guys could help Cheers Re: New floorboards 6Sep 11, 2009 1:34 pm We are getting overlay timber flooring. Overlay is real solid wood except it can go over existing flooring Eg. chipboard. So you can get this laid after the house is completed. But I would recommend to try and get it laid while you are building preferably before the kitchen and skirting boards. Now the cost varies depending on the type of wood you choose the boral website has a list of the different types and how hard they are. Re: New floorboards 7Sep 13, 2009 11:24 am I also have a question in this area. Most builders (or the volume ones at least) rarely let floors laid before handover or leave the skirting off. Raises the risk of 'who damaged what' etc. So, we are also looking at floors and wanted to know 1) Assuming an Ok budget for Solid Timber, what is the best option if laying directly on cement? Do we just use a std underlay and thrown the boards on top so to speak? 2) Unfinished or pre finished? Is there a big enough price difference to warrant a bit of DIY with finishing? Reason for all this is, we could save some $ and just lay a 'good' laminate' Maybe for a a few thousand extra we could get solid and roll our sleeves up to finish it off. Thx Re: New floorboards 8Sep 13, 2009 12:27 pm JJ305 Now the cost varies depending on the type of wood you choose the boral website has a list of the different types and how hard they are. Thanks for that! That's exactly what I was looking for. Do you have any other websites with laminate timber flooring? I can't seem to find Boral's price list for the different types of flooring, do you guys know where I can find that? Re: New floorboards 10Sep 16, 2009 5:56 pm Go to the Boral website and find your local distributor. You can get a price from them. Ring around though. We are getting NSW Spotted Gum for $77/sqm. Prices ranged from that up to $119. If they have it as permanent warehouse stock and dont have to order it in then they sell it cheaper. Re: New floorboards 11Sep 17, 2009 11:25 am Xpire JJ305 Now the cost varies depending on the type of wood you choose the boral website has a list of the different types and how hard they are. Thanks for that! That's exactly what I was looking for. Do you have any other websites with laminate timber flooring? I can't seem to find Boral's price list for the different types of flooring, do you guys know where I can find that? What we did is search for timber distributors in our area. It all depends on the way you wish to do the flooring. We looked at a few ways such as calling the sawmill itself and then get a price from a floor layer (cutting out the middle man ). Or you can always just get the wood through the floor layer themselves as sometimes it works out the same price and its easier. If you do get the wood through the floor layer its probably safer as if there is something wrong with the wood(eg. not cut square or warped) you can always put it on the floor layer to fix it. Re: New floorboards 12Sep 17, 2009 1:27 pm Quote: I also have a question in this area. Most builders (or the volume ones at least) rarely let floors laid before handover or leave the skirting off. Raises the risk of 'who damaged what' etc. So, we are also looking at floors and wanted to know 1) Assuming an Ok budget for Solid Timber, what is the best option if laying directly on cement? Do we just use a std underlay and thrown the boards on top so to speak? 2) Unfinished or pre finished? Is there a big enough price difference to warrant a bit of DIY with finishing? Reason for all this is, we could save some $ and just lay a 'good' laminate' Maybe for a a few thousand extra we could get solid and roll our sleeves up to finish it off. Thx The biggest problem is to lay a solid timber floor over concrete you need to lay it on on a plywood base, or battens. This will create a floor up to 27mm thick (using 12mm timber and 15mm plywood at a minimum). This will then create problems when the floor runs into tiles or carpet. THe best way to avoid this is to set the slab down in the areas where the timber is going, but it may be too late for this. THe Engineered floor you can buy (someone mentioned it earlier) is real timber layed onto a plywood base. It comes unfinished or pre-finished, and is good for a couple of future sands. The advantage is that it is only 15mm thick. In my current home I have real timber boards. In my new home I will be using the engineered floor. It looks like real timber (well it is real timber !) and looks a heap better than the laminated "floating" floors that are now quite common. I've seen it installed in some upmarket homes and it looks great. Blog is now up - http://www.jbdave.blogspot.com/ Re: New floorboards 15Sep 17, 2009 10:06 pm Got a quote for $11k ($136m2 installed) for the Tas Oak. Goes up a lot for the other wood types below (this in Adelaide) Supply solid direct stick flooring from Boral Timber Slimwood - Tasmanian Oak 85x13mm Classic Grade $3,635.00 - Sydney Blue Gum 80x13mm Classic Grade $5,656.00 +GST - Blackbutt 80x13mm Classic Grade $5,800.00 +GST - Spotted Gum 80x13mm Classic Grade $6,104.00 +GST Install flooring on to sub floor using polyurethane adhesives $2,835.00 Sand and polish with 3 coats of water based coating - residential grade $2,592.00 Apply moisture barrier to sub floor (as required) $972.00 Allowing for 81m2 inc waste. Does not include beads, trims, skirting's, steps or sub floor preparation.eg grinding,levelling. Re: New floorboards 16Sep 17, 2009 10:25 pm wombat Got a quote for $11k ($136m2 installed) for the Tas Oak. Goes up a lot for the other wood types below (this in Adelaide) Those numbers seems about right. It looks best if you can pop the skirting off and let them lay it as close as possible to the walls then cut back and re-install the skirting boards. (Easier said than done - I know) Ring around for at least 3-4 quotes. Prices vary dramatically. I've had Tas Oak boral slimwood laid in Adelaide and am about to lay some more in the reno section - PM me if you want to know who I've used and am about to use. Re: New floorboards 17Jan 21, 2010 7:22 pm It is not suitable to install laminate flooring in kitchen as it is not water resistant. But laminate flooring is strong abrasion resistant. And it is difficult for holes to appear on the flooring unless you drop some metal & sharp things on it.
Re: New floorboards 18Jan 21, 2010 8:23 pm we are going for parquetry flooring ,its a lot more dearer than tongue and groove overlay floors . We have decided to go for blackbutt on jarrah .How will I know what timber Iam getting . I might pay for Blackbutt and jarrah and could get Tassie oak and kempas instead when its delivered or they could hide kempas with the jarrah bits ..its 107sq mtrs of it just a thought !! Re: New floorboards 19Jan 21, 2010 10:23 pm We laid 100m2 solid wood spotted gum 'direct stick' around a year ago in our new home. The builder left the skirtings off and our installer laid the flooring, then the tradies came back and fit the skirtings. Then the installer finished the sanding/polishing after handover. Most builders will do it if you ask. Looks better IMO. HOWEVER, we had a concealed leak under our kitchen cupboard and the floorboards lifted, buckled and warped. Meant we had to replace a heap of them and resand and polish again. Thank you insurance but what a *)((&*(&*& mess. We wish we had lowered the slab and laid them over battons but you live and learn .. next house. For interest we preferred the original solvent based polyeurethene to the waterbased version which is soft and shows up scratches - particularly in a light filled home. Re: New floorboards 20Jan 22, 2010 9:37 am andy we are going for parquetry flooring ,its a lot more dearer than tongue and groove overlay floors . We have decided to go for blackbutt on jarrah .How will I know what timber Iam getting . I might pay for Blackbutt and jarrah and could get Tassie oak and kempas instead when its delivered or they could hide kempas with the jarrah bits ..its 107sq mtrs of it just a thought !! Make sure check the Janka rating on that type of wood. I'm pretty sure that Tassie oak is on the soft side. But mind you my inlaws have it on there floor and they haven't had any concerns. The only thing is that they have only had it installed for 6 months. I'm not sure when you start noticing the effects of the softer timber. Blackbutt is nice and has a reasonable Janka rating. Jarrah is excellent but you will be paying top dollar for it. Hi All New to the forum and looking for some advice, has anyone else renovated an old miners cottage in or around Ballarat and been able to identify the flooring? We… 0 8771 Hi there, looking to have a gym in a new build. Planning to install some sort of rubber mat flooring (on concrete) i.e. Asking the builder to not do floorboards in the gym… 0 928 |