Oak flooring is a traditional flooring option that is sturdy, cute and has a timeless appearance. It boasts of an aesthetic appeal than many floors lack. It has a strong, sturdy grain pattern whose appearance can be enhanced by staining. Experts use lighter color stains because such stains allow the appearance of the grains to be more pronounced. The floor is also hygienic, non-allergenic, resistant to wear and tear, plus it’s easy to clean.
Oak Hardwood floor construction
When flooring using this option, you should have two options to choose from. These are solid hardwood and engineered hardwood construction.
Just like the name suggest, the first option (solid hardwood flooring) is rock-solid from top to bottom. In most cases, they are available in 3/4” thickness. Most retailers offer them in pre-finished form, meaning they come sanded or coated a number of times from the factory. The finish layer applied above the hardwood is important because it prevents the flooring from wearing or staining once installed. However, they cannot be installed in concrete, so they are not a good option for basement flooring.
Engineered hardwood
In this design, multiple layers of the wood are compressed together to create a unique engineered piece. They feature a top finish layer, core layer, oak wood layer and a base layer. This oak layer included in the design offers the same solid look and feel as in real oak flooring.
The core layer may consist of criss-crossing layers of fiber or wood, which offers better dimensional stability once installed in place. On the other hand, the base layer creates a unique locking mechanism which ensures joint integrity once glued down.
The Appearance
The overall look of your flooring will be dependent on many factors. So you must specify what you want so your contractor knows upfront what is needed. However, the most basic things to consider include the plank width, the scrapped nature, finish and whether or not the wood is beveled or square-edged.
The size of width you choose lends a distinct feel to your floor once put in place. Widths are generally available from 2 to 5 inches, though you can still get smaller widths, which offer more traditional look. Larger widths deliver distinct feel.
Secondly, you may decide to go with the hand-scrapped floor planks instead. In fact, before modern sanding was discovered, floor planks were scrapped using hand. However, today, this type of hand-scrapping can also be done in a factory, thus making your flooring look older than its actual age. This will give you a nostalgic feel.
You might also want to go for a smooth finish instead. Smooth finishes can be achieved out of a variety of gloss materials, thus making them traditional, clean and up to style.
Lastly, with the beveled design, the spacing between the planks will form a V-shape. Again, the depth of this V shape varies from deep to shallow. But on the other hand, square edges are cut to precision so all sides will match evenly. This results in a flat surface flooring.
Conclusion
Oak flooring can be a great option for those who want to be creative with their homes. It’s warm to bare feet too, meaning you won’t have to use a carpet that covers the floor from corner to corner. It also has an interesting grain pattern, colour as well as character.