Materials

Timbers

Timber is a natural, reusable, recyclable and sustainable product. S&A Stairs acquire timbers from accredited and responsible contractors and mills which follow the strictest of private forest management practices to sustain a viable industry without placing unrealistic demands on our resources. A hardness rating is provided for all timbers as a measure of their resistance. Hardness is an important consideration when deciding on a timber for your stair.

Below is a more detailed breakdown of our timber varieties and their hardness ratings...

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Victorian Ash

Alpine and Mountain Ash are tall trees found in cooler, high altitudes. This wood is a pale pink to yellow brown in colour. Both species are fast growing and often show clearly distinguishable growth rings. The grain is generally straight with occasional waviness.

(Hardness Rating - 4.5)

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Blackbutt

One of the most important hardwoods of Australia. It is a tree of striking appearance and can grow to 75 metres in height with its straight trunk rising to at least half its height. The wood is renowned for both its strength and versatility of application, with attractive colouring from cream to pale brown.

(Hardness Rating - 9.1)

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Brushbox

Brushbox is a large hardwood that tends to be found on the edge of rainforests. The heartwood ranges from rich reddish brown through lighter browns to pinkish greys. The texture is fine and even, with the grain usually showing an interlocking characteristic. This is an attractive feature, particularly in exposed/polished situations.

(Hardness Rating - 9.5)
*Not recommended for all applications

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American Oak

American Oak is a hard and heavy wood. It has medium crushing and bending strength and low stiffness. American Oak has excellent steam bending properties. It is almost waterproof and has an exceptional resistance to wear. It can vary in colour from light tan or pale yellow-brown to dark pale brown and can have a pinkish tint.

(Hardness Rating - 6)

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Spotted Gum

Spotted Gum is a large hardwood that can grow up to 50 metres in height. It is known for is shredding elliptical strips of bark and it weathers. The heartwood colour ranges from pale browns to very dark browns. The grain is often interlocked and generally features some 'fiddle-back' figure. The wavy grain type may be quite distinctive.

(Hardness Rating - 11)
*Not recommended for all applications

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Sydney Blue Gum

This tree can grow to more than 60 metres in height and is found along the New South Wales coastline. The timber is usually straight grained, showing some interlocking grain. The texture is moderately coarse. The heartwood colour ranges from dark pink to reddish brown and has moderate durability.

(Hardness Rating - 9)

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Grey Ironbark

The wood is heavy, hard and compact - therefore can be difficult to work with. The heartwood ranges from light grey or light chocolate brown with some darker reds and browns sometimes occurring. The heartwood is highly durable (class 1) and so is also used for external applications.

(Hardness Rating - 14)
*Not recommended for all applications

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Jarrah

A large sized hardwood only found in Western Australia. The bark is rough, covering the whole trunk. The heartwood varies from rich reds to deep browns, with sapwood being a clearly distinguishable pale yellow. The texture is coarse and generally straight grained, although some interlocked grain may feature. The rich red colour deepens over time into a soft burgundy. Renowned worldwide for its density and resistance to insects.

(Hardness Rating - 8.5)

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Tasmanian Oak

The name Tasmanian Oak is used to describe three species of Eucalypt commonly found in Tasmania. This oak produces a blend of colouring from pale cream to pink and reddish brown. Tasmanian Oak logs are cut in a way that produces an extremely straight and even grain.

(Hardness Rating - 5.5)