Why standards and perceptions are discouraging sustainable access of low-density timber for flooring?

The anecdotal circumstances observed in the timber flooring industry make the introduction of
new timber resources and products to the consumers challenging. This study explores the challenges of
introducing new timber resources and products to the consumers when standards reflect resources that
are informed/based on the availability of high-density, mature timbers. Extensive research exists to
determine the timber properties specified in standards as important for flooring applications. However,
the lack of consensus in methodologies and boundary conditions employed to differentiate end-user
performance requirements restrict the comparison of these studies and standards. This is further
complicated by end consumers selecting traditionally accepted species with divergent properties; species
used in flooring defies the standards and are informed by aesthetics and cultural attachment. This paper
evaluates the commonly used standard tests used for timber flooring and compares them with the
feedback received from interviews conducted with several Australian timber industry stakeholders,
architects/interior designers, and experts in the field, with the view of designing and developing new
flooring products from plantation hardwood timber – a resource that is constrained by the standards that
are widely used yet is growing in popularity because of its natural aesthetics and performance as a
flooring alternative.