Traditional solid timber flooring is sometimes considered a more expensive option than other floor finishes. However, there is a number of other timber flooring products at different price points and which enable consumers to have multiple options when seeking out more economical timber flooring. Such products include engineered flooring and laminate flooring. That said, solid timber flooring has many long term and intrinsic benefits which outweigh the initial additional cost and need to be carefully considered when deciding which type of flooring will best suit your needs:

• Good quality solid timber floors last for decades. A timber floor of standard thickness (19mm) can have a service life of approaching 100 years. The largest competitor to timber flooring – carpet – is regarded as having a service life of approximately 10 - 15 years due to the accumulation of stains and high wear in trafficable areas. By comparison, and often with a minimal maintenance program, solid timber floors will not only last longer but actually look better as the years go by.

• Timber floors are easier to clean than carpets. A simple brush or light vacuum keeps timber floors looking great. If household pets or children have dragged mud through the house, a damp mop removes the grime with ease. At a comparable age, carpets will typically exhibit more wear and tear, and take progressively longer to maintain.

• Timber floors are more hygienic than carpets. Nearly 100,000 dust mites can live in one square yard of carpet according to US research. Allergen producing dust mites, fleas or dust can adversely affect allergy and asthma sufferers, a problem which timber floors eliminate. Carpets can also trap unpleasant odours from domestic animals or spilt substances.

• If after a few years a timber floor has become scratched or been subject to heavy wear, a re-sand and seal can bring it back to new again – and at a lot less than the cost of new carpet.

• One of the most important advantages of a solid hardwood floor is the timeless character of timber. Carpet, linoleum, tile patterns and colours go in and out of fashion – just consider what was in vogue in the 70s and 80s. Timber has an enduring appeal that has lasted centuries and is more popular now than ever – it will run alongside personal shifts in taste and furnishings, be they classic, retro or contemporary.

• Timber floors are often considered to be an option only available to those with large budgets. Modern production methods now mean that cost effective engineered timber flooring can be produced. While not solid all the way through, the face layer being timber makes these floors, at times indistinguishable to their solid counterparts, and is also available to all budgets. Use of a decorative face layer of a specific timber species also ensures much greater resource recovery of the decorative face timber.

• Stone and tile floors although as hygienic and easy to maintain as wood, do not have the same warmth and feel of timber floors. Nor do they hold the same attractiveness if it comes to resale of a home. A study by ATFA of Real Estate agents established that houses with timber floors sell more easily and at a better price compared to houses with other floor finishes.

• Despite many misconceptions, solid timber floors also carry superior environmental credentials over the rest. Timber actually stores carbon and will continue to do so for its life as a floor. Timber flooring produces five times less carbon emissions than ceramic tiles (source: CRC for Greenhouse Accounting). While some timber flooring options may be more expensive upfront, they carry more additional benefits than the other options, and with minimal maintenance will look better for longer and be more economical in the long term. Carefully weigh up the benefits of the various flooring options before you make a final choice as not only is it a big investment.

If at the end of reading this you have additional questions, feel free to contact Rural Timber Flooring on (08) 9754 2038 or email us and we’ll be happy to help you further.