Oak Wood Flooring
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Oak Flooring Information
If you'd like to give your floor a more textured and homely feel, consider oak flooring. For commercial use, we recommend glossy, lacquered and oiled oak flooring for a more sophisticated feel. We also have matte types for traditional oak lovers. You can choose between dark oak flooring, or the medium and beige, even white oak types of oak flooring, also French oak Flooring is a popular, long lasting choice.
Oak Flooring Installation and Selection
This guide will provide some information and advice about selecting the correct oak flooring for your home. It will explain the differences between the types of oak flooring explain a little about fitting requirements and describe the styles and finishes that are available to ensure you choose exactly the right oak flooring for your property.
Types of Oak Flooring
Oak flooring is available as solid oak flooring or engineered oak flooring and there is a main key difference between the two options and that is engineered oak hardwood flooring can be fitted when under-floor heating is to be installed. Solid oak flooring tends to expand with heat and therefore it can cause a problem to the finish if fitted over under-floor heating. Engineered oak flooring however is not susceptible to expansion or shrinkage and can be supplied in click together form for ease of installation and of course removal should there be any problems with the heating system.
Solid Oak Flooring
Solid oak flooring is extremely hard wearing and can be installed in the property where there may be heavy traffic. Specifically solid oak floors can maintain good condition as it is fine to sand and restore the wood if it is showing signs of damage. Solid oak flooring looks amazing as the boards can be purchased as either prefinished or natural ready for the finish to be applied to individual specification. Solid oak flooring does however have limitations in terms of stability in areas of high moisture such as kitchens and bathrooms and areas of differing temperatures.
Engineered Oak Flooring
Engineered oak flooring is a great alternative to solid oak and is extremely popular as it is not affected by fluctuations in moisture or temperature. Engineered oak is very hardwearing and this is due to the manufacturing process. The boards are produced with a high density ply board base and a layer of 4mm oak forming the top layer. Engineered oak flooring can however only be sanded a couple of times but it is available in click form so heavily damaged boards can be easily replaced.
Fitting Oak Flooring
There are a couple of things to consider before fitting hardwood flooring and one of the main things to consider is the base or sub floor on which the wood floor will be fitted. It is important to make sure that the sub floor is in good condition and prepared correctly for your chosen fitting method.
Concrete Sub-floor
A self-levelling compound can be used for concrete floors but remember to ensure that time is allowed for the moisture content to reduce before fitting wood flooring.
Floorboard Sub-floor
An oak wood floor can also be fitted over existing floorboards but it is essential to make sure that all the sub-boards are in good condition, repair or replace any damaged boards and ensure the floor is level before fitting the new oak boards.
Underlay
Underlay can be fitted under oak flooring to add soundproofing or to provide insulation. Never use carpet underlay with wood flooring – it is far too thick. Wood floor underlay is much thinner so as not to affect the finish of the fitted floor. Underlay can also be used with under-floor heating but again it is essential to purchase the correct type for this usage – it has a lower tog rating to allow the heat to permeate. Note, when a wood floor is fitted over underlay it is referred to as a 'floating floor'.
Oak Flooring - Types of Fitting
Gluing
Using a wood floor adhesive is suitable for fitting both solid and engineered wood flooring, There are two methods, either full surface bond (requires a trowel and is similar to the method used when tiling) or alternatively the bead method. The bead method uses less adhesive and requires a glue gun. The lines (beads) of adhesive are applied to the substrate floor at right-angles to the direction of the boards being laid.
Secret Nailing
This method of installation requires a nailing gun (these can be purchased or hired) and requires nails to be inserted into the boards where they join at 30 degrees angles – so as to hide the nail from the surface of the finished wood-floor
Click Method
This is only available for engineered wood flooring and makes installation easy as each board simply, yet firmly clicks into the adjoining board.
Styles and Finishes for Oak Flooring
Grain
This is always a personal choice as it is based on visual preference. Bespoke oak flooring will usually have less knotting in the boards but it will be entirely your choice. Heavily grained and knotted oak can however add a lot of character to the finished floor.
Unfinished or Finished
It is possible to purchase solid and engineered oak flooring in unfinished form. Unfinished oak flooring allows for the wood to be oiled, stained or varnished once it has been laid. Finished oak flooring simply means that the oak is pre-finished in the factory with lacquer, varnish, oil or wax. Finished oak flooring will have a number of applications of the chosen finish and this helps to reduce the risk of scratches on the surface and of course that the floor can be walked upon as soon as it is laid. A lacquered or varnished oak floor repels spillages more so than oiled or waxed boards, but waxed or oiled boards can be sanded and finished easily.
Distressed Oak Flooring
This is now very popular and is available as a finished oak floor option. The wood can be wire brushed to enhance the grain and it has the appearance of an aged oak floor full of character.
Smoked Finish
Again this gives a particular finish to oak flooring – smoking the wood creates beautiful patterns in the boards – no two boards are alike and the finished laid floor has a wonderful character.
Finally a hint to help make installing hardwood flooring a success: oak flooring is delivered in batches – make sure you open all the batches and choose boards at random from each of them as you lay the floor. A single batch of oak flooring will be cut from a single piece of timber and therefore the pattern in the wood will be similar. If you open one batch and lay that and then open the next batch – the patterns in the finished floor will not blend as they will look uniform in blocks.
We have engineered oak flooring, oak flooring in pale or dark colours, varying thickness as well as unfinished oak flooring.Oak flooring has been known to set the ambience of a room. And when paired with suitable lighting, your room will come alive in a nice warm tone. Like your living room to have a rustic feel? A dark engineered oak flooring would be perfect to match with the furniture. Why not speak to us about oak flooring, stop by our showroom or give us a call.
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