Timber Flooring

Engineered Timber

A real timber wear layer bonded to a stable plywood core. The layered construction makes engineered timber dimensionally stable, it handles humidity variation well, can be installed over concrete or particle board, and is compatible with underfloor heating in most cases. The wear layer can typically be sanded and recoated once or twice depending on its thickness, giving the floor a meaningful lifespan. Engineered timber is the standard choice for Melbourne homes and the format we work with across our entire timber range.

Engineered Parquet (Herringbone and Chevron)

Parquet formats, herringbone and chevron being the most common, use short engineered boards laid in a geometric pattern rather than straight runs. The visual result is architectural and distinctive, commanding a room in a way that straight lay flooring simply doesn't. Installation requires only an adhesive fix and a high level of trade skill, and the format suits rooms where the floor is intended to be the design centrepiece, e.g. open plan living areas, dining rooms, hallways, and feature spaces.

Hybrid (Timber Look)

Not a timber floor in the traditional sense, but worth understanding as a category. Hybrid flooring uses a rigid composite core with a printed timber look layer and a protective wear coat. It is waterproof, dimensionally stable, and requires no acclimatisation. For areas where engineered timber is impractical, bathrooms, laundries, kitchens, or below grade rooms. Hybrid offers the appearance of timber with very low moisture risk. Domain Flooring stocks hybrid flooring across a separate range.

Oak

The dominant species in Australian engineered timber. Oak is a Mid-hard, stable, machines well, and takes stain exceptionally, it's the reason most factory finished and raw engineered floors are built with a Oak wear layer. The grain is open and linear, with a subtle ray fleck that reads differently depending on how the boards are cut. Oak suits contemporary, Scandinavian, coastal, and transitional interiors. It is the most versatile species in the collection.

Australian Hardwoods

Australian native species bring a distinctly different character: wider, more dramatic grain, natural colour variation from pale blond through to deep honey and chocolate tones, and a hardness that exceeds European Oak. Spotted Gum and Blackbutt are among the most popular domestically. They suit homes where a warm, robust, unmistakably Australian aesthetic is the intent.

Board Grade — What It Means in Practice

Grades describe how consistent or varied the boards are within a pack. The terminology varies from manufacturer but the principle is consistent:

Understanding Engineered European Oak Grades

European Oak flooring is graded on appearance only — things like knots, colour variation, and grain pattern. The grade has no impact on the durability or quality of the floor. As a simple rule: fewer letters means a cleaner look, more letters means more character.

• AB Grade: The cleanest, most uniform grade available. AB boards have minimal knots, consistent colour, and fine even grain.
• ABC Grade: A premium grade with just a touch more warmth. ABC introduces subtle colour variation and the occasional small knot, making it a popular choice for those who want a clean look with a hint of natural character.
• ABCD Grade: The most widely used grade and the great all-rounder. ABCD blends clear sections with natural features like knots, colour shifts, and grain movement, characterful but cohesive, and works beautifully in both residential and commercial spaces.
• CD Grade: A rustic grade with genuine personality. CD boards feature prominent knots, stronger colour variation, and expressive grain, making them a natural fit for farmhouse, coastal, and heritage-style interiors that embrace natural imperfection.
• DD Grade - Rustic: The most natural and characterful grade available. DD boards are rich with knots, colour contrast, and grain movement where no two boards look the same, perfect for rustic, industrial, or bold design-led spaces that celebrate timber in its most honest form.

Understanding Australian Timber Floor Grades

Australian hardwood flooring uses descriptive grade names rather than a letter system, governed by Australian standard AS 2796. Like European Oak, grading refers to appearance only, not structural integrity or hardness.

• Standard and Better: The premium end of the Australian hardwood scale. Standard and Better boards are selected for a clean, consistent appearance with tight grain, minimal knots, and little colour variation, looking particularly refined in species like Blackbutt, Spotted Gum, and Tasmanian Oak.
• Rustic: Where Australian timber really shows its personality. Rustic grade embraces prominent knots, gum veins, strong colour variation, and expressive grain, particularly stunning in species like Spotted Gum and Ironbark, and perfectly suited to coastal, country, and heritage interiors.

Neither grade is better than another, the right choice depends entirely on the interior direction. We'll always show you samples of each in the showroom before you decide.