Oak flooring: what to know beforehand

When it comes to interior decor, oak flooring is one of the most desirable traits that homeowners vie for. It’s held in extremely high regard and typically results in a soaring market value.

So, let us delve into it and see what all the fuss is about.

The term Oak flooring has become popular since Oak is the King of hardwoods, and generally considered to be one of the only worthy options by most homeowners for a wooden floor, regardless of whether it’s solid timber or an engineered product.

Those that cannot afford wood flooring might simply opt for tiled chips or a terrazzo rather than throwing money on a cheaper form of wood.

Two types of Oak are employed for this purpose: White Oak and Red Oak.

White Oak is lighter in color and weighs marginally more. Both types have an incredible tendency to shrink which is why they must be properly seasoned beforehand.

However, Oak is not the only hardwood which homeowners can use. Maple, Walnut and Ash are also pretty popular, each having their own unique color.

A lot of people prefer Walnut over Oak because of its darker color which makes it ideal for a darker finish.

The reason being that most people prefer the wood to exhibit its natural color rather than altering it to fit their taste.

The assigned grade of the wood product is helpful in determining the quality of the wood. The higher the grade, the better the quality although that does not necessarily mean that it’s better for your particular needs.

What is the purpose of engineered flooring, you might ask? The reason is that wood is prone to natural changes. As the weather changes and the climate takes its toll, wood can either expand or contract.

This often creates problems, whereas engineered wood planks, on the other hand, are bonded to other layers underneath the top most hardwood layer which prevent any undesirable movement.

This also allows engineered flooring to be bonded directly to concrete unlike solid wood which needs a plywood foundation beneath it.

If you’re the kind of person that likes to tinker with items according to your own unique tastes, obsessing over getting it “just right” then you should order raw planks that can be finished on site.

This allows you to customize the flooring according to your will with regards to the sheen and sanding the topcoat.

A lot also depends on the skills of the flooring contractor you have hired and how coordinated they are with your mental picture and…
 
 
Continue reading and learn more about oak flooring on Mike Myers’ blog