There is nothing quite like hardwood flooring. We’re often asked what we would choose for our own home, and every time it is hardwood timber floors. Aesthetics are important, of course, but the durability and environmental credentials of hardwood are unbeatable in comparison to any other product on the market.
Image: Squires Landing, The Rocks – NSW Spotted Gum, finished in Bona Traffic HD
Colour and grains
There are many products on the market that do a great job of providing natural looking timber colours and grains, but they don’t compare to the original. The beauty of hardwood lies in the naturally occurring colour, variation and grains. Different coatings can be applied to the finished hardwood to enhance the colour and grain, or achieve a specific look with a custom stain.
Australian hardwood
Australian timbers are unique, harder timbers and are adapted specifically to our climate. These floors perform better over time due to their natural acclimatisation. Tough and durable, Australian hardwoods will last 100+ years and have a strong fire rating capacity. Our favourites are Spotted Gum, Blackbutt, Southern Beech, Tallowwood and Blue Gum.
Image: Standard grade Blackbutt
Eco-friendly
Using Australian timber in construction is the most sustainable and energy efficient product to use in building. Australian timbers have 100% sustainable harvesting practices and timber stores carbon for life.
The construction industry have long been aware of the environmental credentials of timber in comparison to resource heavy materials such as steel and concrete. This is reflected through recent projects that are using as many timber products in construction as possible. We’ve recently installed hardwood floors in the WeWork Brisbane project which is Australia’s tallest building made entirely from timber.
Increased wellbeing
We all know the benefits of being in nature for our mental health, but what you may not be aware of is the benefits of natural products used in housing. A report by Planet Ark (Wood – Housing, Health, Humanity) found that timber provides:
- Improvements to a person’s emotional state and level of self-expression
- Reduced blood pressure, heart rate and stress levels
- Improved air quality through humidity moderation
Image: Tallowwood, finished in Bona Traffic HD
Premium and popular
Hardwood flooring is considered the most premium choice by most customers and this translates in the home, giving a feeling of superior quality when hardwood flooring is used. Over 50% of flooring projects in Australia use hardwood flooring which reflects it’s popularity.
If you’re interested in learning more about Australian hardwood visit the Mint Floors + Shutters showroom today and speak to our team of experts.
