Hardwood flooring is solid timber from top to bottom, so it can be sanded and resealed again and again over decades. In South Africa buyers choose between imported oak, kiaat, Rhodesian teak and saligna, each with its own colour, hardness and price. Prices differ a lot by species and by the state of your subfloor. Send one request with your room sizes and the look you want, and independent suppliers and fitters in your area quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation.
Which hardwood suits your floor?
Species decides colour, hardness and cost, so compare a few before you commit:
- Kiaat: golden to mid brown, stable and easy to work, a popular local choice.
- Rhodesian teak: very hard and dark, with a rich figure that deepens with age.
- Saligna: a plantation eucalyptus, pale pink to brown, often the most affordable solid option.
- Oak: imported, pale to honey, with a clean grain that takes stain and oil well.
Ask to see a sample board in daylight, because timber looks different under showroom lights.
Subfloor, moisture and fixing
Solid boards are nailed to battens, secret-nailed to a timber subfloor or glued to a dry screed. Each method suits a different base. A fitter should test the slab with a moisture meter before quoting a start date, because damp screed makes boards cup and open at the joints.
Boards need a few days to acclimatise in the room. Fitters leave an expansion gap at every wall, hidden later by skirting. Solid hardwood is a poor match for underfloor heating, so if you have it, compare with engineered wood flooring.
What drives the cost
Species is the biggest factor, then board width and grade. Clear grades with few knots cost more than rustic grades. Add the cost of preparing the subfloor, skirting, trims at doorways and removing the old floor. Sanding and sealing on site is usually part of a hardwood job, so check whether it is included. Pre-finished boards save time on site but cannot be levelled as finely as a floor sanded after laying. Read more on wooden floor installation and the sanding that follows.
Comparing quotes and caring for the floor
Give every supplier the same room sizes, the species and grade you want, and the finish. Ask each one for the board thickness, the waste allowance, the fixing method, the number of coats and the lead time. A cheap price per square metre that leaves out sanding or skirting is not a saving.
Once laid, keep the floor out of standing water, use felt pads under furniture and sweep grit away. A hardwood floor should last through many resealing cycles if the boards are thick enough to sand.
What to include in your request
- The rooms and their size in square metres
- The species or colour you have in mind
- What is under the floor: slab, battens, tiles
- Supply only, or supplied, fitted and sealed
- The suburb and when the rooms will be empty
Hardwood Flooring for different clients
- Homeowners: solid kiaat or oak boards through lounges and bedrooms that last for generations of resealing
- Flats and townhouses: thin solid or glued boards on acoustic backing that meet the body corporate's noise rules
- Builders, developers and renovators: solid boards priced per square metre and laid once the screed has fully dried
- Landlords and letting agents: a tough hardwood that can be sanded back between tenants instead of replaced
- Offices, practices and showrooms: dark hardwood floors in boardrooms and reception that carry heavy foot traffic
- Guesthouses, lodges and restaurants: warm teak or kiaat floors in lodge lounges and restaurants, sealed for heavy use
- Shops, salons and cafés: hard-wearing hardwood shop floors that look better as they age
- Schools, halls, gyms and studios: thick hardwood boards for halls and churches that are resealed in the holidays
Frequently asked questions
How much does hardwood flooring cost in South Africa?
Is solid hardwood better than engineered wood?
Can I fit hardwood over an old floor?
Do you supply or fit hardwood floors yourselves?
Hardwood Flooring by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg