Floorboard combinations

01b

Bed 3's feature floor has to meet the main floor level at its door: either the two come from one range, or Bed 3's slab is built up so two different floors finish flush (below). First, the original selection, with Bed 3 self-levelled: John's preferred route. Then three Solomons combinations from one range, each in the same four views, with a thin black flashing at Bed 3's doorway where the floors meet. Not decided. At the foot of the page, one that is not from Solomons, for reference only: what a matching herringbone and plank in one range would look like.

John's preferred route (23 Oct 2026): the original two floors, with Bed 3 built up to suit. Two different floors meeting under a trim at a doorway is normal. A floating floor needs an expansion gap at the doorway anyway, so the black cap is there whatever the floors are; the real issue is height. Here the herringbone sits about 4–5 mm lower than the laminate. Extra underlay is not the answer: it would have to go under the COREtec, which has its underlay built in, and makers generally do not allow a second soft layer under a click floor (the joints flex and the warranty can be lost). Self-levelling Bed 3's slab (about 16 m² in each dwelling, robe included) is the usual fix, and installers often level slabs under click floors anyway. Figures are from the makers' published thicknesses; the installer measures the real boards.

Our estimate of the credit (23 Oct 2026), to be confirmed by Mastacon. Areas from rev H's figured dimensions, the same in all three dwellings: main floor about 116 m² a dwelling, about 350 m² in all (Bed 2, the lower hall and entry, and the whole upper floor except the ensuite, the stair void and the joinery); Bed 3 about 16 m² a dwelling, 48 m² in all. Typical 2026 prices, supplied and installed, inc GST: engineered oak plank, direct stick, about $170/m² (range $140–205); engineered oak herringbone, direct stick, about $180/m² ($145–235); laminate with an acoustic underlay about $90/m² ($70–110); COREtec herringbone about $145/m² ($79/m² retail for the boards, plus waste and herringbone laying); self-levelling Bed 3 about $1,800 for the three. So the tendered floors come to about $68,000 and the original pair about $40,000: a difference of about $28,000. These are market prices from published sources, not Mastacon's rates; the tender shows flooring as included, with no separate figure, so Mastacon's own numbers decide it. How a credit like this is usually valued: the deleted floors are credited at the builder's cost, and the replacement is charged at cost plus margin (HIA's default margin is 20%). Even on that basis, with trade prices about 20% under the figures above, the credit comes to no less than about $16,000; our expectation is nearer the $28,000.

Every picture on this page is an AI-enhanced image, not a photograph. Each starts from the 3D model (the house to scale, the same camera for every combination), and the floors are coloured from the makers' own photos. Colours on screen are a guide only; the samples decide.

Why this page: at Solomons with Harriett (22 Oct 2026) the two floors shortlisted earlier, Elements Hydro laminate and the COREtec herringbone, turned out to be different brands and heights, so they would not meet level at Bed 3's door. Two products of the same range, or glued-down engineered boards of the same thickness, avoid that. John wants the herringbone if a pair can be found that works.

Outside in these pictures is as designed: the covered patio in Marshet limestone (the tender's paver), Surfmist Colorbond with timber-look posts, the grasses, the ornamental pear, the rainwater tank and the festoon line. Nothing here changes the design elsewhere in the book.

To confirm or price

Original pair, two products, Bed 3's slab self-levelled to suit: keep Elements Hydro Cedar Mist (10 mm laminate on a separate acoustic underlay, about 12–13 mm finished) and the COREtec Naturals Lumber herringbone (8 mm with its cork underlay attached), and build Bed 3's slab up with self-levelling compound, about 4–5 mm, so the two finish flush under the black flashing at the door. Can the installer measure the actual products, confirm the build-up, and price it for all three Bed 3s?
The credit for this swap: tender item 30 includes engineered timber to the green areas and direct-stick engineered herringbone to Bed 3, with floor preparation. Please give the credit for deleting item 30 as tendered, the price of the original pair above (Bed 3 self-levelled, a quality acoustic underlay under the laminate), and the net figure, with the m² you measure. Our estimate of the like-for-like difference is about $28,000 inc GST across the three dwellings (workings below).

AI-enhanced · Original selection · 1 of 4The original selection: Elements Hydro Cedar Mist, with the COREtec Lumber herringbone in Bed 3. From the hall into Bed 3, door open: the main floor in front, Bed 3's floor beyond, and the black flashing where they meet. **Main floor Cedar Mist DR6616** (Elements Hydro laminate, 1515 × 237 × 10, on an acoustic underlay); **Bed 3 in COREtec Naturals Lumber herringbone** (660 × 110 × 8). Two products at two heights, so **Bed 3's slab is self-levelled about 4–5 mm** to finish flush under the black flashing (see the notes). Both from Solomons. John's preferred option; priced against Combination 3 (26 Oct 2026).

AI-enhanced · Original selection · 2 of 4The original selection: Elements Hydro Cedar Mist, with the COREtec Lumber herringbone in Bed 3. Bed 3 from the bed, towards the slider and the covered patio.

AI-enhanced · Original selection · 3 of 4The original selection: Elements Hydro Cedar Mist, with the COREtec Lumber herringbone in Bed 3. Bed 3 across the bed, the slider on the left and the doorway on the right.

AI-enhanced · Original selection · 4 of 4The original selection: Elements Hydro Cedar Mist, with the COREtec Lumber herringbone in Bed 3. The kitchen and living with the main floor

AI-enhanced · Combination 1 · 1 of 4Combination 1: Solomons Elements Hydro laminate, no herringbone. From the hall into Bed 3, door open: the main floor in front, Bed 3's floor beyond, and the black flashing where they meet. **Main floor Cedar Mist DR6616** (the shortlisted laminate, 1515 × 237 × 10); **Bed 3 in Autumn Birch DR6602**, the same range laid as straight boards. The range has no herringbone.

AI-enhanced · Combination 1 · 2 of 4Combination 1: Solomons Elements Hydro laminate, no herringbone. Bed 3 from the bed, towards the slider and the covered patio.

AI-enhanced · Combination 1 · 3 of 4Combination 1: Solomons Elements Hydro laminate, no herringbone. Bed 3 across the bed, the slider on the left and the doorway on the right.

AI-enhanced · Combination 1 · 4 of 4Combination 1: Solomons Elements Hydro laminate, no herringbone. The kitchen and living with the main floor

AI-enhanced · Combination 2 · 1 of 4Combination 2: Solomons Fairhaven Premium Oak, no herringbone. From the hall into Bed 3, door open: the main floor in front, Bed 3's floor beyond, and the black flashing where they meet. **Main floor Wheatwood 825101**; **Bed 3 in Golden Haze 825108**, both engineered oak 1900 × 190 × 14 with a micro-bevel, laid as straight boards. The range has no herringbone.

AI-enhanced · Combination 2 · 2 of 4Combination 2: Solomons Fairhaven Premium Oak, no herringbone. Bed 3 from the bed, towards the slider and the covered patio.

AI-enhanced · Combination 2 · 3 of 4Combination 2: Solomons Fairhaven Premium Oak, no herringbone. Bed 3 across the bed, the slider on the left and the doorway on the right.

AI-enhanced · Combination 2 · 4 of 4Combination 2: Solomons Fairhaven Premium Oak, no herringbone. The kitchen and living with the main floor

AI-enhanced · Combination 3 · 1 of 4Combination 3: Solomons COREtec Naturals, keeping the original herringbone. From the hall into Bed 3, door open: the main floor in front, Bed 3's floor beyond, and the black flashing where they meet. **Bed 3 in COREtec Lumber herringbone** (the original pick, 660 × 110 × 8); **main floor COREtec Naturals 1800 Aurora**, the closest COREtec plank to Cedar Mist (1830 × 230 × 8). Same 8 mm build with an attached cork underlay, so the two meet level. A hybrid (vinyl) floor. Solomons. **Being priced (26 Oct 2026)** against the original selection: Aurora VV827 02756 368 and Lumber VV579 0H804 368. Not decided.

AI-enhanced · Combination 3 · 2 of 4Combination 3: Solomons COREtec Naturals, keeping the original herringbone. Bed 3 from the bed, towards the slider and the covered patio.

AI-enhanced · Combination 3 · 3 of 4Combination 3: Solomons COREtec Naturals, keeping the original herringbone. Bed 3 across the bed, the slider on the left and the doorway on the right.

AI-enhanced · Combination 3 · 4 of 4Combination 3: Solomons COREtec Naturals, keeping the original herringbone. The kitchen and living with the main floor

AI-enhanced · Not Solomons · reference · 1 of 4NOT FROM SOLOMONS, for reference only: Woodcut Premium engineered oak, with herringbone. From the hall into Bed 3, door open: the main floor in front, Bed 3's floor beyond, and the black flashing where they meet. **This one is not from Solomons.** It is here only to show what could be achieved if Solomons had a matching herringbone and standard plank in one range. **Main floor Linen** (plank 1900 × 190 × 15); **Bed 3 in Hazel herringbone** (900 × 150 × 15). Every Woodcut Premium colour comes as plank, herringbone and chevron at the same 15 mm, so the two meet level. Woodcut, 99 Unley Rd, Unley.

AI-enhanced · Not Solomons · reference · 2 of 4NOT FROM SOLOMONS, for reference only: Woodcut Premium engineered oak, with herringbone. Bed 3 from the bed, towards the slider and the covered patio.

AI-enhanced · Not Solomons · reference · 3 of 4NOT FROM SOLOMONS, for reference only: Woodcut Premium engineered oak, with herringbone. Bed 3 across the bed, the slider on the left and the doorway on the right.

AI-enhanced · Not Solomons · reference · 4 of 4NOT FROM SOLOMONS, for reference only: Woodcut Premium engineered oak, with herringbone. The kitchen and living with the main floor