Oak Flooring
Most people associate oak wood with furniture making but oak has many uses and became increasingly popular for flooring in the recent years. Oak flooring is nothing new but with the advent of cheaper and easy to maintain manmade flooring options in the second half of the 20th century its use started to decline. However, the number of people who are returning to natural materials when building as well as when furnishing their home is rising for two reasons. Firstly, natural materials such as wood give their home a touch of nature and prestige and secondly, they are environmentally friendly.
Oak flooring is not inexpensive but it offers several advantages over other flooring options that significantly outweigh its higher costs. Firstly, oak flooring reflects an unique sense of warmth and charm that just is not there in manmade flooring. Secondly, oak is extremely durable which means that it does not have to be replaced as frequently as other types of flooring which in turn makes it more cost efficient in long term than the cheapest types of flooring. And the third reason why oak flooring is an excellent choice is the fact that oak is an excellent insulator which means that it will help you reduce your bills for heating.
There are many different styles and types of oak flooring to choose from which is why you will have any difficulties finding the one that matches with your furniture and the existing décor. Sure, you could go for cheaper imitation of wood such as laminate flooring but knowing that you have the real thing rather than just a copy is a completely different feeling and makes you appreciate your home even more. Oak flooring does not only look real, it is real.
With proper maintenance, oak flooring will keep your feet warm for many years to come. However, oak flooring requires a bit more care than other types of flooring and for that reason there are several things you should keep in mind before installing oak flooring. Oak is famous for being extremely hard and resistant to wear and tear but oak flooring is not insusceptible to scratches nor to moisture which is why it is not particularly good idea to have it on a hallway without a carpet or in bathroom and other places with high moisture levels.
There are two main types of oak flooring to choose from. The first one is solid oak flooring, while the second one is engineered oak flooring. The former is made of solid oak, while the latter consists of oak veneer and plywood. It looks just like solid oak and has its advantages but it is less authentic than the “real thing”. However, it is an excellent solution for kitchen, bathroom and other rooms with varying levels of moisture and there is no way to distinguish it from solid oak flooring. If you decide for solid oak, you can choose between treated and untreated boards but you are highly recommended to leave over the installing or/and finishing to an expert whichever kind of oak flooring you choose.