How to match timber flooring?

BenN1

Hi All

Hope everyone is staying safe and well.

I’m going to replace carpets in our bedrooms with timber. 

Except the bedrooms, the house is timber through (I was told it’s blackbutt, see photo below). (130x19mm).

My understanding it is not practical to match the colour or pattern even I go with blackbutt for the bedrooms due to the differences in ages and batches of the wood. 

I was trying to source the similar solid blackbutt, 130X19mm but it appears stock ia low at the moment due to Covid 19.

My handyman told me I could go with other types of hardwood like Spotted gum or Task Oak. He will be able to polish the flooring using colours that would look similar to the flooring of the living and kitchen.

Wondering if the solution proposed by my handyman is ok. I’m not quite sure if the patterns of the other type of wood would look very different to the existing one and would that be an issue?

Appreciate your advice. 

Thanks

Ben

MitchellMc

Hi Ben (@BenN1),

Since the new and old timber floorboards will be right next to each other, I suspect you'll be able to notice the difference. How big a difference will come down to the batch of timber and the skill of your handyman. For instance, you have some reasonably straight grain to your Blackbutt. If the only available Spotted Gum has knots, or figure to the grain which is not straight down the length of the board, you'll see a difference. Even if the coating and stain match the colour exactly of the Blackbutt, the difference might be apparent. In saying this, even if you were to source Blackbutt, there will be a certain amount of difference between the new and old.

Is this going to be an issue? It's hard to tell. A close match would be adequate for most in this situation, but it really comes down to how much the difference affects you. The skill of your handyman will determine how close the available timber can be finished to match the existing timber. What isn't controllable is the stock that is available to you. Spotted gum or Tas Oak would be good choices if looking to match your Blackbutt with another timber. Personally, my choice would be the Spotted Gum, with no knots and as straight grain as your handyman can source.

I'd advise phoning your local store's Special Orders desk and our team will check to see if we can source any Blackbutt from Boral timber for you. If you need any assistance in this process, let me know.

Mitchell