How to Choose the Best Timber Variety for Your Home's Flooring

Construction & Contractors Blog

Timber floors are very stylish and durable, and they work well with just about any style of home or décor. This is why they're a favourite choice when a homeowner needs new flooring or when a new home is constructed. If you're in the market for timber floors, a residential carpenter can help you decide the right type of timber to use, but note a few tips for making your selection.

1. Replacing slats yourself

If you're handy with a saw and hammer, you might be able to replace some damaged slats yourself over time. However, note that woods like bamboo and teak are so dense that they're very difficult to cut with standard table saws or handsaws, and it may take some skill and know-how to cut them without splitting the wood. A softer wood like pine can be a better option if you want to manage your own replacement of damaged sections of the floor.

2. Adding value

If you're thinking of ever selling your home in the future, wood floors may increase its value, but potential buyers may know more about different wood species than you realise. A cheaper variety like pine might not appeal to them, as they may know it may chip and dent more easily than mahogany or cherry. A more sustainable variety like bamboo, which grows very quickly, can appeal to eco-conscious homebuyers. You can ask a real estate agent about what is the best choice for homes in your area when it comes to wood floors and varieties and what would actually add value to your home.

3. Colour

You can paint or stain a wood floor, but this takes a lot of work as you usually need to sand down the surface and then let the paint or stain dry for several days before you can walk on it again. This is why it's good to think about the natural colour of wood and choose accordingly. A lighter pine can be a good choice for a home without much natural light, especially a white pine variety which is very light and almost white in colour. A dark mahogany may make a small space seem very cave-like, but it may make a larger home seem more traditional and give it a 'handsome' look. A species with a lot of colour variations such as bamboo can add visual interest to the floor, and the red tone in cherry wood can be a nice accent against plain white walls.

If you have specific questions about using timber throughout your home, both inside and out, make sure to look into residential carpentry services.

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22 November 2016

Colin's Construction Blog

Hello, my name is Colin and this is my construction blog. When people think of the construction industry, they often just imagine guys in hard hats building brick walls. While this is a popular image of the industry, it doesn't reflect the true diversity of different contractors and tradesmen who are involved in a construction project. Lasy year, my wife and I decided to construct our dream home. I had to arrange visits of plumbers, roofers, electricians, surveyors and home builders in order to get the job done. I learnt a lot during that experience, so I decided to start this blog.