# Forum Home Renovation Flooring  Timber type for Victorian Era House Floorboards

## vGolfer

I have been looking around at various types of timbers to replace the floorboards in part of my house. I have an old Victorian era house in Hawthorn, Melbourne and want to replace the boards in the main hallway and two back rooms. 
I was just wondering what types of timber are considered in period for this type of house. I really love Red Gum and Jarrah floors but wasn't sure whether this would be in keeping with the house itself. The front part of the house is quite traditional with period features etc while the back part of the house is more modern. I know the Red Gum would look fantastic in the more modern part of the house, but not as certain in the front part. 
Are there any do's and dont's with respect to timber type for this type of house or is it purely on personal preference? 
Thanks in advance.

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## Ashore

> I have been looking around at various types of timbers to replace the floorboards in part of my house. I have an old Victorian era house in Hawthorn, Melbourne and want to replace the boards in the main hallway and two back rooms. 
> I was just wondering what types of timber are considered in period for this type of house. I really love Red Gum and Jarrah floors but wasn't sure whether this would be in keeping with the house itself. .

  The best is to match to original boards if you can.
Flooring was often diffrent on the second floor cause they needed more duriable timber closer to the ground
Jarrah was primarrly used in W.A. and what was imported was to expensive for flooring, Red Gum was of two types in victorian period Forrest Red Gum used in heavy construction work and Murry or river red gum and this was used for flooring as was ash varities.
Most of the original houses had boards covered with carpet or runners with eth exposed sides Japanned ( a black stain like coating) , but if exposed were stained and waxed.
Getting boards of the original width is the hardest, up to 1890's boards were usually 150mm wideand not tongue and grooved, after then 112mm t&g boards came in and these are available in cypress pine . If you lay narrow modern boards espically in the main hallway they will always look wrong.
If you are going for the authentic look take special care to get the skirtings right , even if you need to get some run the cost is worth the look no matter what flooring you have.
It comes back to how authentic you want to look and how much you want to spend 
So we get back to personal taste I like polished cypress but this house is federation not victorian   
Rgds
Russell    The trouble with life is there's no background music.

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## vGolfer

Thanks Russell, 
The house is completely carpeted at the moment apart from the back area which is Slate on a concrete slab. 
I have pulled up some of the carpet and the floors are a mixture of floorboards and chipboard - I imagine the chipboard was put in patches where the floorboards may have caved in. 
I don't particularly want to keep any of the existing boards. It's a fairly small house so replacing the whole lot won't be too expensive - relatively. We are putting carpet in the bedrooms so we'll just lay new chipboard after fixing up the sub-floor. 
So we are looking at the hallway, lounge room and family room. Probably 65sqm. 
My question really is, if I put in Red Gum floorboards, will it be out of character for the period?

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## Ashore

> I have pulled up some of the carpet and the floors are a mixture of floorboards and chipboard - I imagine the chipboard was put in patches where the floorboards may have caved in. 
> I don't particularly want to keep any of the existing boards. It's a fairly small house so replacing the whole lot won't be too expensive - relatively. We are putting carpet in the bedrooms so we'll just lay new chipboard after fixing up the sub-floor. 
> My question really is, if I put in Red Gum floorboards, will it be out of character for the period?

  G'day Golfer
Personally I wouldn't put any chipboard back . Murry River Red gum was used in victorian houses in victoria for flooring
If some of the flooring has rotted/caved in do a very careful inspection of the bearers underneath
And as I said before get the skirting boards correct , they make all the diffrence  
Rgds

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## ian

> I have been looking around at various types of timbers to replace the floorboards in part of my house. I have an old Victorian era house in Hawthorn, Melbourne and want to replace the boards in the main hallway and two back rooms. 
> I was just wondering what types of timber are considered in period for this type of house. I really love Red Gum and Jarrah floors but wasn't sure whether this would be in keeping with the house itself. The front part of the house is quite traditional with period features etc while the back part of the house is more modern. I know the Red Gum would look fantastic in the more modern part of the house, but not as certain in the front part. 
> Are there any do's and dont's with respect to timber type for this type of house or is it purely on personal preference?

  I live in Sydney so the commonly used Aussie species will differ from yours.
However, I know that Baltic Pine was very common at one time, but I'm not sure when.   
However, for what I think you want to do the actual species is a minor, if not an irrelevant consideration.
Old houses have *wide* floor boards, so for an authentic look you will want to use wide boards.  There's place in Sydney (called Ironwood) which can supply floor boards up to 250mm wide.  There's bound to be a similar supplier in Melbourne. 
I'd go for a 180mm T&G boards mainly because there about twice the width of "normal" floor boards.  
Ian

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## echnidna

Most of the Victorian houses I've seen around Melbourne have Balitic flooring.
Have seen a stunning restoration using Redgum flooring

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## elphingirl

We pulled up the carpet in our 1930's flat and found areas of chipboard cut into the floor.   This was to upgrade the electricals - so maybe the chipboard doesn't mean your subfloor is stuffed.
Cheers

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## Ashore

I sacked a lecco in sydney once after he smashed two wide floor boards to do some rewireing on a second floor after I had carefully told him I would remove any boards that he needed removed, I suppose sacked is a little mild
 Fortunately about 3 months before a house further up the hill was demolished and a six pack got me a good selection of timber destined for the tip.
But to replace with chipboard      The trouble with life is there's no background music.

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## Dusty

To the original question....   
Go with the Jarrah. I've sanded and polished the floors in many a house in your neighbourhood. Several have been jarrah. It was used back then and it can be used now. 
Most have been Baltic, some have been Kauri, quite a few have been Rimu, many have been Vic Ash and a small minority unfortunately have been a mix of all of them  :eek:  
If it's dark red you like, then it's dark red you should have.

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## Bella

My house is 1927 Edwardian in Melbourne and has Baltic Pine flooring.

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## seriph1

Depending on the region and precise period, the flooring could be Baltic or Kauri. It is unlikely to be any of the darker timbers, though as mentioned it does depend where the house is. A suburb would help but only if you wanted to remain true to period. I can recommend speaking to Greg Snow of Whelan's Warehouse regarding flooring - they have it all basically. I feel a darker, red-brown species will be OK. If you could supply a couple fo pics of the place, it might be a help 
Have FUN!!!!!

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