Stabilised Solid®

Stabilised Solid® is Lifewood's patented timber flooring, invented in Perth by founder Mark Hutchison (Australian patent AU2011200418). Each board has a 4–5mm hardwood wear layer over a cross-laminated hardwood core of the same species, running through the full thickness of the board. Because the layers run in alternating directions, the board moves less than solid timber of the same width.

It is hardwood all the way through, but it isn't cut from a single piece. A typical engineered board is about 70% plywood under a thin hardwood top layer. A Stabilised Solid® board is hardwood top to bottom: the face, the cross-laminated core and the back, with the core the same species as the surface. You get the look of solid timber in wider, longer boards that move less, and the floor can be sanded three to four times.

No. They are three different products and the distinction matters. Engineered timber has a genuine hardwood wear layer that can be sanded and refinished. Hybrid flooring uses a rigid core with a photographic print layer, no real timber and no sanding. Laminate is a printed image of timber on a fibreboard core. Ask any supplier to show you a cross-section and it will be immediately obvious what the product actually is.

Stabilised Solid® starts from $209/m² supply only, or $329/m² supplied and installed, including GST. Marri, Jarrah and French Oak Vintage start from $239/m² supply, American Black Walnut from $249/m², and the 320mm Grandeur Range from $399/m² supply only. These are indicative starting points. A written quote is itemised room by room.

Stabilised Solid® carries a lifetime structural warranty, held directly by Lifewood. It holds as long as the floor is installed to Lifewood's installation guidelines and the home is kept within our temperature guidelines, whether Lifewood lays the floor or your own installer does. Nature's Steel® carries a 25-year warranty. Full terms are in our warranty terms.

Yes. Every floor in the Lifewood range, Stabilised Solid® and Nature's Steel® in every species, can be laid over underfloor heating, provided the concrete slab never runs above 27°C. Above that, the timber surface dries faster and fine surface checking becomes more likely. The system should be commissioned and brought up to temperature gradually, and controlled by a floor-probe thermostat rather than an air sensor alone. Our warranty covers underfloor heating where Lifewood has approved your system in writing before installation.

Yes. Lifewood floors are direct-stick: every board is glued straight to the slab rather than floated on an underlay, which also avoids the hollow sound of a floating floor. Before any board goes down, the slab must be moisture tested. Slab moisture is the single biggest cause of timber floor failure in Australian homes.

It depends on the wear layer. The Australian Timber Collection carries a 5mm hardwood wear layer and can be sanded three to four times. French Oak Premium, French Oak Vintage, the Grandeur Range and American Black Walnut carry a 4mm wear layer and can also be sanded three to four times. Nature's Steel® carries a 3mm wear layer and is realistically a one to two sand floor. A floating laminate or hybrid floor cannot be sanded at all.

No. Engineered timber is moisture-resistant, not waterproof. It cannot tolerate sustained pooled water or flooding. Wipe spills immediately. Do not use steam mops, as the pressurised steam forces moisture into board joints regardless of any claims on the packaging. Do not install in shower recesses or wet areas.

Stabilised Solid® was invented in Perth by Lifewood founder Mark Hutchison. The boards are made in Lifewood's own purpose-built factory in Vietnam and at other locations around the world. Our Osborne Park showroom and warehouse is where you can see the full range.

Yes. Supply-only orders are delivered to every state and territory, and your own installer or builder lays the floor to Lifewood's written installation guidelines. Lifewood installs across Western Australia.