Why you should buy timber flooring from Fowles? Fowles has a wide range of timber trim, framing and flooring available for sale and by auction. Some of it is imported and some of it’s grown right here in Australia. Have you ever wondered which timber species grow natively in Victoria and elsewhere down under? This blog post will focus on some of Australia’s native timber species, their characteristics and their most common uses. Some of the most sought after Australian hardwoods are ash, blackbutt, bushbox and ironbark.
Ash (Australian Oak or Tasmanian Oak)
The native wood that is sometimes called “oak” in Australia is really ash. Alpine, mountain and silver top ash trees all grow in Victoria, so the wood can be locally sourced. It’s a hardwood with medium strength and toughness, and it’s used in all kinds of applications, including as framing timber, as flooring, as trim and in furniture and cabinetry. The unfinished wood is pale, sometimes pinkish brown in colour with a fairly straight grain. Silvertop ash is more durable than the other varieties.
Blackbutt
Blackbutt trees are very common along the coast of New South Wales. Their wood is generally stronger and more durable than ash, and it ranges from pale yellow to light brown in colour. It has a straight grain that’s sometimes punctuated by gum veins. The two most common varieties are “coastal” and “New England.” Coastal blackbutt is more durable than New England blackbutt, however, it’s difficult to tell the two apart by appearance. Blackbutt is used for flooring, framing, furniture and even exterior decking.
BrushBox
Brushbox trees love to grow at the edges of rain forests and can be found in northern New South Wales and Queensland. This distinctive-looking hardwood has an interlocking grain and a rich colour that ranges from medium reddish brown to light greyish brown. It’s very popular for floors, furniture and cabinetry but it’s not durable enough to be a good choice for outdoor use. It’s also waxy, so it won’t hold some types of finishes well. If you buy unfinished brushbox, ask us about the best ways to finish it.
Ironbark
Both grey and red ironwood are native to Australia. Red ironwood grows in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, while the grey variety is found mostly in more northerly areas. As you can probably guess from its name, ironwood is dense, stable and very strong. It can be used in most applications, either indoors or out. It’s only disadvantage it that it’s hard to work with because of its weight and strength. Ironbark ranges from medium brown to reddish brown to dark brown, and the grain patterns vary. It’s a handsome and distinctive-looking wood.
If you’d like to know what kind of native timber we have in our inventory right now, then just ask. We should be able to point you to some locally sourced Australian timber that’s been milled for use as flooring, trim or structural timber.
