A guide to buying solid oak flooring

Oak floors are durable, hardwood floors thanks to the denseness of its wood. Historic homes in Europe have oak floors, and with proper care, these floors can last a long time. Oak wood is beautiful due to its richness of colour and grain. Maintaining them requires a little more than sweeping, vacuuming, or the occasional wash. When buying solid oak floors, there are some details that will help.

Colour and area of origin

Oak flooring comes in three shades of colour European oak comes from former Soviet States as well as from Europe. Its rich colour makes it suited for both modern and historic buildings. This natural wood has a range of colours from a deep shade of brown to tan. The grain is wild with pin knots and burs that add character to it. White oak comes from parts of the American south. Thanks to a wider species range, it has a wider range of colours than European oak. It is dense, and can be medium brown shades, greyish and a range of tan. Red oak originates in the Northern United States. The shades range from pinkish to light tan and dark brown.

Board size

This natural wood flooring comes in three main styles: - Strip - Wide plank - Parquet Parquet Parquet refers to a style of flooring that has been used for centuries. Parquet floors are known for the geometric patterns in which they are laid out. These flooring boards are also tongue and groove. Strip Strip refers to wood that is cut in 1 1/2 inch and 2 1/4 inch widths and 3/4 inches thick. The boards are tongue and groove. This means that along one edge of the flooring is a groove and on the other is a tongue. This allows the wood to create a durable floor.
Wide plank Wide plank refers to flooring boards that are at least a foot wide. The can be short, but not less than three inches. The width means that they can be challenging to install, and that they may require a professional.

Finishes

Oak flooring can be finished in different fashions, from oiled and brushed, pre-finished, unfinished to hand-dressed, distressed and hand-scraped (to give it an age that it does not possess).