An introduction to solid and engineered Oak flooring 

For centuries Oak has been used, and admired, as flooring. Whilst hardwood flooring can be produced from a variety of different tree species, for many a beautiful wooden floor is synonymous with Oak.  Oak flooring remains an enduringly popular choice with our customers.

Here are some of the benefits and considerations for anybody thinking about having real Oak flooring installed in their property.

Attractive and versatile

Whether you are envisioning a traditional or contemporary wood floor for your property, a real Oak floor is attractive, versatile and rises to any occasion.

For a fresh, natural look, Oak can be enhanced with a clear or lightly tinted protective finish. At the other end of the continuum, a rich, dramatic floor can be achieved with darker finishes and by introducing texture.

Different cuts of Oak can be used to display its beautiful figure. Quartersawn Oak enables the medullary rays to be featured, creating light streaks in the flooring (the rays are comprised of specialist cells through which sap travelled, enabling the tree to grow).

Another interesting option is Pippy Oak, with its distinctive paw like patterns of fine knots.

It’s practical

Oak is a highly practical choice for flooring. Dense, stable, durable and hard wearing, it is receptive to finishes, ages well (often looking better over time) and is pretty forgiving. A quality Oak floor is straightforward to look after and with a little care and maintenance, should look beautiful and last a lifetime.

Using tints and adding texture

Oak is very receptive to colour tinting and specialist finishes: light white tones help create a modern, minimalist look, while darker tones and finishes can be combined with special techniques to create texture and produce an aged, historic look. Methods include using steel brushes to remove the softer grain, leaving a smooth but tactile finish and antiquing, where boards can be tumbled with hard objects to create the sense of an aged floor with history.

Floorboard widths and grades

The choice of floorboard width and grade will influence the overall appearance and impact of an Oak floor. At one end of the continuum, strip flooring (the narrowest boards) can produce a funkier look, especially when a variety of tones are used together, whilst wide board flooring can look dramatic and opulent and is often suited to larger spaces. As a general guide, we offer widths from 50mm to over 300mm wide, dependent on flooring product. We supply grades from rustic (more knots and colour variation) through to prime (virtually knot free and typically more consistent in colour). Sometimes a finish will work well with a particular grade of wood. Width and grade form part of the considerations we discuss with customers to come up with the perfect wooden floor for their installation.

Solid or engineered Oak flooring?

This is a practical choice and often a matter of personal preference. Engineered Oak flooring is cleverly constructed, using a wear layer of Oak mounted on layers of ply, arranged diagonally to each other to provide a product with strong dimensional stability, making it the ideal choice over underfloor heating. Although some clients prefer the idea of solid Oak flooring, once laid, it can be difficult to tell the difference between the two formats.

Bevelled edge or square shoulder?

Square shouldered flooring (where boards have right angled edges and are laid flush with no dip in between) are associated with traditional solid Oak floors and allow for a smooth, almost seamless look to the floor whilst bevels or microbevels (a slightly rounded edge to the sides of each board) provide a more defined look between boards. Bevelled edges are commonly used with engineered flooring, which is often pre-finished. There are advantages to both formats and no hard and fast rules. Again, it is often dependent on how the customer would like their flooring to look and perform.

Contemporary or heritage?

Often associated with a Scandinavian look, a light white Oak floor (sometimes known as a limed or whitewashed Oak floor) creates a contemporary feel and enhances light, airy open plan spaces. It is also a popular choice for bedrooms.  Traditional Oak floors, such as Versailles panels, or aged Oak boards (dark, tumbled, antiqued) look magnificent and contribute to the impact of older, characterful properties.