Is flooring and decking from auctions OK?

[Chandler]

I need to cover a large area with eucalypt T&G hardwood - end matched flooring and a deck area - again with euc. hardwood. Can anyone advise whether the quality of flooring from auction rooms around Brisbane is OK? Some is advertised as "remilled". I am happy to have a "rustic look", but do not want a installer/tradesmen to walk off because they cannot work with it. Is moisture content of flooring OK? Anything problems to particularly look for? Thanks

[sol381]

I have bought quite a bit of timber from the auctions. All of the 80mm flooring has been quite good with hardly any unuseable boards. But i bought quite a bit of 130mm and had to get rid of about 25%. Still at the price i was still way ahead.You shoud be able to get 80mm for between 80c and $1.50 and 130mm under $3.00. They also have delivery drivers if you cant pick up, sunshine coast may be about $200 so factor that in as well.

[123]

You really have to do a lot of research. I hear way too many stories about timber from auctions, either milled very poorly, selling the timber classed as the incorrect grading (meaning it is actually costing you more) and not kiln dried correctly. I believe you are safer to buy it from someone who can back it up.

But i cant speak for all of them.

[MrFixIt]

Hi

Yes, I agree with 123.

I bought some flooring for a reno I was doing. The quality was questionable to say the least.

What really annoyed me was the fact that the crappy flooring was HIDDEN in the centre of GOOD timber. IMO this WAS deliberate as each pack was the same, the wood looked great on the outside of the pack, but when you take off the strapping to use the flooring all the "holey", knotted and veined timber was inside.

Instead of having some timber left over, I ended up having to "hunt around" and fit what would have been scrap pieces, into lengths of flooring. Even then I had to use some of the really crap stuff. I was able to hide the worst of it inside the wardrobe area.

So please BEWARE! You know the saying "caveat emptor" buyer beware.

[glock40sw]

You really have to do a lot of research. I hear way too many stories about timber from auctions, either milled very poorly, selling the timber classed as the incorrect grading (meaning it is actually costing you more) and not kiln dried correctly. I believe you are safer to buy it from someone who can back it up.

But i cant speak for all of them.

G'day.
We stopped sending low grade material to the auctions. Poor prices and whinging buyers after the fact.
We now re-machine any reject T&G into 14mm block parquetry after checking moisture content.

[peter_sm]

I had a friend who bought auction T&G and the widths varied by a few mm, so they all had to be sorted into widths, so the ends would all match up when used.

[namtrak]

Check out some of Studleys threads on here regarding reject timber, feature grade etc

[Gaza]

G'day.
We stopped sending low grade material to the auctions. Poor prices and whinging buyers after the fact.
We now re-machine any reject T&G into 14mm block parquetry after checking moisture content.

thats a lot of effort why you give it away to forum members intead.

what you are doing is making use of a resource 100% good work.