This document has been scanned from hard-copy archives for research and study purposes. Please note not all information may be current. We have tried, in preparing this copy, to make the content accessible to the widest possible audience but in some cases we recognise that the automatic text recognition maybe inadequate and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. STATE FORESTS OF NEW SOUTH WALES TECHNICALPUBLICATION RESEARCH DIVISION SERIES NUM B E R 10 ISSN:0155-754BISBN:073102205X FLOORING TIMBERS OF SPECIES AVAILABLE NEW SOUTH WALES The Table on page 2 identifies the species most suitable for flooring. However, it is unlikely that a For morethantwo hundredyears, timberfrom New complete range would be stocked by more than a South Wales forests have provided an efficient, FORESTTS very few suppliers. Buyers, therefore, are advised economical and aesthetically pleasing flooring ",.."".u""."",,,,,, that before specifying and if they require anything solution in all manner of private, commercial and outofthe ordinary,they shouldcontact their supplier public buildings throughout Australia. From the most and ensure their orders are placedwellin advance. basic of early bush huts, to tens of thousands of homes and, more recently, as a major feature of Australia's The names given to these timbers are the Standard Parliament House and other important monumental Trade/Common Names listed in Australian Standard projects, New South Wales timbers with their huge AS 2543 "Nomenclature of Australian Timbers". range of colours, unique properties and unequalled natural beauty, have been re-discovered as a valuable While there may, from time to time, be otherNew South and desirable feature in many homes and commercial Wales hardwoods available, their occurrenceisso limited premises. as to be inconsequential. In new or renovated buildings, just a few of the benefits The timber species in the Table are intended to refer of timber flooring are: principally to tongue and grooved strip flooring, however, a number of them are also commonly used • Appearance: an infinitevarietyofcolours andpatterns species for mosaic and block parquetry flooring. • Comfort: a long term natural resilience only possible In addition, tongue and grooved particleboard and with timber plywood sheet flooring are available from most timber suppliers and are utilised extensively throughout • Ease of maintenance: regular and long term Australia in all manner of construction, from domestic, maintenance is considerably less than with many commercial andindustrialsubstrates for other overlays, alternatives to floor coverings in their own right. In the main, these productgroupsare manufacturedfrom plantationgrown • Health: does not harbour potentially harmful dust softwood species although for special purposes, suchas i, and is easily cleaned when particularly high strength or impact resistance is required, native hardwoodveneers maybe used as core • Highstrength to weight ratio: compared with many or face material for the construction of plywoods. alternatives GUIDE TO SELECTION • Lower costs: no need for the regular expensive Factors worth considering when deciding on the right cleaningandreplacementcosts associated withsome species for your requirements include colour, resistance floor coverings. to wear, ease of maintenance and of course, availability. Species or Strength Density Colour Availability: species group group 12%mc • readily Seasoned (kg/m') A limited X not normally Mixed open forest hardwood SD3 770-1170 Pale straw to dark brown (excluding ash types) • Ash, alpine (1) SD4 663 White to light brown • Ash, silvertop SD3 862 White to pale straw X Blackbutt SD2 884-930 Pale to light brown • Blackbutt, New England SD3 880 Pale to light brown A Box, brush SD3 880 Pink to red brown • Gum, blue, Sydney SD3 843 Light red to red brown • Gum, red, river SD5 900 Light red to red brown A Gum, rose (flooded gum) SD4 750 Light to red brown A Gum, spotted SD2 1010 Brown to dark brown • Ironbark, grey SDI 1100 Light brown to dark brown X Ironbark, red SD3 1090 Light red to red brown X Messmate (1) SD3 770 Pale straw to light brown X Pine, cypress, white SD6 675 Pale straw to dark brown (knotty) • Pine, radiata SD6 545 Pale straw to yellow (knotty) • Stringybark, yellow SD3 884 Yellow brown X Tallowwood SD2 1010 Pale straw to dark brown A (greenish tinge) Turpentine SD3 945 Pink to red brown A Note: Species marked (1) are usually availableonly in mixed parcelsas Victorianash or Tasmanian oak. Colour household dust, and will soon show foot marks; so if maintenance is an important consideration, as in Part of the appeal of wood is its infinite variety of grain, commercial premises, it would be advisable to choose a appearance and colour, not only between species but also withinthespecies and within individualboards. It mid range colour such as one of the pink species. is advisablebeforepurchasingthatbuyersexamineactual samples of the species required. However, it must be Softer timbers,naturally,will be moredifficulttomaintain appreciated that as timber is a natural material, than the hard, virtually impervious species. considerable variation can, and probably will, occur between anysamples andthe materialfinally delivered. Resistance to wear Itmust also be understood that the appearance of a raw If it is intended to protect the floor from wear in high or uncoated boardwill vary considerablyin appearance traffic areas with carpets or some other material, soft from one with a coat of finish. To get some idea of what timbers may be suitable and can look magnificent when the dressed surface will look like when coated with a polished. However, if a feature floor is to be laid in a clear finish, wet a small portion of it with water. building where the foot traffic is heavy, the hardness of the timber must be a prime consideration. Ease of maintenance Pale colours will highlightbruises andingrained dirtfar Of the timbers listed earlier, an approximate order of more readily than dark ones which will reveal lint, fine hardness is as follows, the hardest being listed first: 2 ironbark, turpentine, spotted gum, brushbox, The Australian Standards applicable to flooring from tallowwood, blackbutt, Sydney blue gum, messmate, New South Wales species are: rose gum, cypress pine, radiata pine. AS 1261-1972 Wood mosaic parquetry Because of the infinite variability within species, and (bound with AS 1262). becausethe hardnessvaluesfor manyhardwoodspecies AS 1262-1972 Code of practice for the installation of are verysimilar, the abovelist is intendedonly as a guide wood mosaic parquet flooring. andpurchasersshouldnotbe overlyswayedby hardness values. Just as important is the timber's resistance to AS 1492-1973 Flooring milled from radiata pine edge splintering and it is in this respect that close­ (boundtogetherwithAS1783to 1498). grained species, like brushbox and turpentine, are AS 1810-1975 Flooring milled from cypress pine. outstanding. AS 1860-1991 Installation of particleboard flooring. General recommendations AS 2796-1985 Timber-seasoned hardwood-milled If a floor is to be covered, there is obviously no need to products. specify a select grade timber, nor is the hardness of the AS 2796 Pt 1­ Wall chart-summaryofsurfacefinishes species likely to be of major importance. In these cases it 1986 for all seasoned hardwood milled is quite acceptable to use a 'standard' or lower grade products (in accordance withAS 2796, (common,carpetgrade) ofundefinedhardwoodspecies. complete set). Wherea floor has to withstandexceptionallyheavywear or point loads such as in factories, warehouses and AS 2796 Pt 2­ Wall chart-summary of permissible sporting complexes, the close textured timbers such as 1986 machiningimperfections for seasoned brushboxandturpentineare consideredtobe outstanding hardwood milled products (in because of their general resistance to this type of abuse. accordance with AS 2796, complete set). The conditionsexperiencedby afloor completelyexposed AS 2796 Pt 3­ Wall chart-summary of permissible to the weather (a sun deck, for example) are particularly 1986 natural imperfections for seasoned severe. It has not yet been possible to develop a clear hardwood milled products (in finish that will guarantee long-term protection under accordance with AS 2796, complete these circumstances, so it is important to use a timber set). witha highnaturaldurabilitythatalso has goodwearing qualities, or a preservative treated softwood species. AS 071-1960 Wood blocks for parquetry flooring Tallowwood andblackbuttare two timbers favoured for (bound with CA31). external use but the use of tongue and grooved flooring CA39-1963 Code of practice for the sanding of is notrecommended. Rather, a speciallymilled decking interior wooden floors. profileshouldbe specified. However,wheretongueand grooved (T&G) flooring is to be used, for instance on a In the Australian Standards, where both a select and a coveredverandahthatmaystill be subjectto weathering, standard grade are given, the standard grade materialis care shouldbe taken to provide sufficient 'fall' to ensure normally intended for covered floors and the select water run off away from the building. grade for clear-finished decorative use. However, in recentyears,becauseofthe addedcharacterin the boards, QUALITY STANDARDS standard grades are finding considerable favour among As described earlier, timber is a natural material and designersanddecorators lookingfor somethingdifferent or unusual. cannotbe expected to be uniformin appearance andfree