Red beech and silver beech are both New Zealand beech, and both make a hard-wearing solid timber floor. The main differences are colour and hardness: red beech is warmer and a little harder, silver beech is paler with a fine, even texture. Laid together, they have a very similar look, which is why our West Coast beech flooring combines the two.

Colour

Red beech is the warmer of the two, pink to red-brown.

Silver beech is paler, pinkish to light brown, with a fine, even texture.

Both have a straight grain. Colour varies from board to board and tree to tree, which is why we send free samples.

Hardness

	Red beech	Silver beech
Janka side hardness	5.4 kN	4.5 kN
Colour	Warmer, pink to red-brown	Paler, pinkish to light brown
Texture	Fine and even	Fine and even

The Janka test measures how hard the surface of a timber is: the higher the number, the harder it is to dent. For comparison, typical 35 year old radiata pine is about 4.2 kN. Janka hardness compares resistance to denting. It doesn't on its own decide suitability for a particular room, traffic level or finish. Like any timber floor, both beeches can scuff or dent under furniture legs and pet claws. Felt pads help, and a solid floor can be sanded back.

Source: hardness figures from the NZ Farm Forestry Association's Specialty Timber Market species profiles for red beech and silver beech.

Red and silver beech in our flooring

Our beech is a combination of red and silver beech, two New Zealand beech species with a very similar look. Your floor can include both, so its hardness sits between silver beech at 4.5 kN and red beech at 5.4 kN. If you'd like a particular species, get in touch and we'll confirm what stock is available.

All three of our floors use this combination. What changes between them is the grade and the board width:

• Natural grade, 85 x 19 mm: clean and even, with soft colour from board to board.
• Heritage grade, 85 x 19 mm: pinhole character and darker markings, so no two boards look the same.
• Heritage grade, 105 x 19 mm: Heritage in our wider board, with fewer board joints across the room.

Not sure about Natural or Heritage? See Natural or Heritage? Beech flooring grades.

Uses

Red beech is used for flooring and joinery. Silver beech is used for flooring, furniture and panelling (same NZFFA profiles). As a floor, we don't sell either as waterproof: for a kitchen, agree the floor build-up, finish and spill care with your installer. We don't recommend either for wet bathrooms.

If you have an older native floor, Heritage grade has the warm, varied look many older native floors have. Order a free sample pair to compare it with your floor.

See the colour for yourself

From $139 per m² incl GST. Get a free sample pair · Work out my order

More about our beech flooring

• Beech flooring: prices, stock and order request
• How much does tongue and groove flooring cost?
• Laying, finishing and caring for your beech floor
• Download the beech flooring data sheet (PDF)