Why invest in solid oak flooring?
Solid oak flooring is a trusted trademark of quality and durability. When sourced from reputable distributors, oak wooden flooring is a superior brand in itself.
Equal to its visual charm, oak floors are hard-wearing and aren’t easily marked by everyday spills. Solid oak flooring is ideal for those who suffer from allergies, and is easy to clean and maintain. The strength of oak floors makes it a practical choice for flooring, and when properly cared for oak flooring will last decades. Oak wooden flooring is renowned for retaining warmth and sparks a distinct welcoming feeling.
Over the centuries oak wood has been crafted into various forms, mostly furniture, building frames and flooring. For decades oak wooden flooring has been known for its resolute strength and beautiful rustic characteristics.
As the years roll by oak floors tend to grow in character and richness. The knots and grains in oak flooring intensify and the hues deepen to reveal a charming and attractive map of natural history.
Tones and hues of modern solid oak flooring
Oak wooden flooring is used widely in both residential and commercial sectors. Oak flooring is also the most common choice in America and the majority of Europe.
Over the years solid oak flooring has kept up with the trends equally in the home and in the office. These days the shades and tones of oak floors can be specifically adapted according to your chosen taste and style.
Oak floors are available in a variety of finishes, which include non-stained oak, brushed and oiled oak, unfinished oak, and oak-stained (including distressed ranges). Non-stained oak wooden flooring creates the ultimate country allure, and allows the wood to attractively distress and wear over time – becoming a much sought-after style.
Bushed and oiled oak floors present a slight seamless sheen and the colour can vary from deep rich browns to golden hues. These wooden oak floors still retain a distinct rustic charm coupled with an air of superiority.
The essence of the wood’s raw history is unmasked in unfinished oak flooring, and as it matures over the years its beauty is even further enhanced. Unfinished solid oak flooring darkens with age from a light sandy colour to a deeper brown tone.
There’s a variety of stains available for solid oak flooring, allowing you to create an ambience to compliment the colours and style of a room. Choices are plenty when choosing a tone and finish for oak wooden flooring. Added to the tones and finish, a distressed-look across oak flooring can be created, giving you an instant appeal of maturity that takes many years to naturally achieve.
The versatility of oak floors is abundant. Oak wooden flooring is a sensible choice if you’re aiming for durability and high-quality aesthetics.
The basics of installing solid oak flooring
A solid oak wood plank is milled straight from the tree and not engineered into a constructed board. This gives a true feeling of natural floor.
The depth of planks used for oak wooden flooring usually starts from 18mm up to 20mm. The width of the planks can range from 110mm through to 150mm.
There are two methods to install solid oak flooring. One is to nail it onto the wooden sub-floor, or two, is to glue it onto the wooden or concrete sub-floor.
All solid wood floors react to changes. In winter when the air is dry the wood contracts, leaving slight gaps between the planks. In summer, when it’s humid, the wood expands and the gaps disappear. When installing oak floors, it’s important to allow a sufficient expansion gap to accommodate this cycle.
Generally you will want the oak flooring to run the length of the room towards a natural source of light for aesthetic reasons. Before installing oak wooden flooring always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.
These days the cost of solid oak flooring is now much more affordable. You’ll find oak flooring to suit your budget as it’s available in various qualities and finishes.
Oak floors mean little fuss and a lifetime of value
Whether your solid oak flooring is stained, laquered, oiled or unfinished always be careful to protect it from excess water. Water that’s left exposed on oak wooden flooring can damage the wood. Serious damage can result in your oak flooring becoming less resiliant and it could become warped - plus the colour may lose its vibrancy.
Oak wooden flooring is relatively easy to care for and requires minimal maintenance. Of the solid woods used for flooring, [oak floors] are tough and hard-wearing, and aren’t easily spoiled or marked. The durability of oak flooring and its rich characteristics makes it a highly popular choice in floor coverings.
Caring for oak floors
Solid oak flooring is generally easy to keep clean. Your main cleaning tools for oak flooring are a soft-bristled broom and a vacuum cleaner. Instead of using detergents on oak wooden flooring, mop them clean with a very slightly damp mop or cloth. Make sure it’s tightly wrung so that it’s virtually dry. The oak floor’s surface should be almost dry to the touch straight after wiping or mopping.
Maintenance of solid oak flooring can be divided into three categories:
- Preventative maintenance
- Minor, regular maintenance
- Major maintenance
Preventative maintenance is nothing more than taking measures to prevent your oak flooring from scratches, general wearing, and warping.
Minor, regular maintenance of oak floors includes vacuuming, sweeping or dust-mopping the floors once a week. Treat oak wooden flooring with maintenance-oil once to twice a year. Areas that have frequent foot-traffic and dry spots need to be treated more often. Always consult a flooring specialist or product distributor for expert advice on treatments before applying them to your oak floors.
Major maintenance of solid oak flooring (or wood engineered floors) entails sanding and re-oiling. Sanding will smooth out rough or weathered surfaces across oak wooden flooring.
Do's and don’ts to remember
Do – always keep a non-abrasive cloth handy for wiping any accidental spills.
Do – wipe away any leaks or spills on your oak wooden flooring as soon as possible. Try to soak up as much of the liquid as possible to prevent dulling of the oak flooring.
Do – always check if a steam-cleaner you intend to use on solid oak flooring is designed to be used on oak floors. Not all steam-cleaners are wood-friendly and you could damage your oak floors.
Do – place mats at the entrance points of rooms and busy traffic areas. This will eliminate generate wear and tear to solid oak flooring.
Do – use a soft-bristled broom to sweep oak floors. Unlike carpets, dust and dirt cannot penetrate solid oak flooring.
Do – vacuum solid oak floors regularly to reduce dust and grit. Various vacuum cleaners on the market today have attachments specifically for solid wood floors. The vacuum-head should be brush or felt, and a wand attachment is ideal for use on oak flooring.
Do – ensure your oak wooden flooring is not frequently exposed to direct sunlight. Frequent exposure to sunlight will dull the wood’s colour. Thick curtaining and blinds is a simple solution.
Do – check the manufacturer’s guidelines when applying any treatments to oak flooring.
Do – have tumble dryers connected to an outside vent to reduce extreme humidity. Frequent moisture can dull the natural colour of oak floors.
Don’t – leave water spills to soak into oak flooring, wipe it up quickly to avoid possible damage.
Don’t – leave moist mats or rugs on oak flooring, this can cause the wood to lighten.
Don’t – place the legs of furniture directly on oak wooden flooring. Rather insert a small felt pad beneath the legs of furniture like sofas, tables and chairs. This helps prevent the oak flooring from being marked.
Don’t – drag furniture across oak wooden flooring, it may scratch the surface finish or the wood itself.
Don’t – place porous flower pots or vases directly onto oak wooden flooring.
Don’t – use the following products on solid oak flooring: ammonia-based cleaners, acrylic finishes, wax-based products, detergents, bleaches, polishers, abrasive cleaning soaps, or acidic materials such as vinegar.
All solid oak flooring is manufactured from natural products, so heeled or spiked shoes should be removed before walking over the floor. They can very easily pierce small dents into oak floors.
Solid oak flooring is a lifetime investment. Routine maintenance should include protecting the surface finish of your oak wooden flooring from moisture and heavy wear, which leads to scratches and marks.
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