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

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