When it comes
to selecting your new flooring, there are not many materials (especially natural
materials) that withstand the test of time as well as oak.
Natural oak
provides warmth and character, whilst being able to ‘fit in’ with just about any
surrounding décor.
Not just that
but it can last for many, many years… even decades, and in some situations a century
or more. For proof of this, simply visit some of the stately homes in the UK
that date back hundreds of years, and have a look at the oak floors within
them… still hardwearing and looking beautiful.
But at Oak
Floors Online we understand that choosing a new oak floor is not as simple as
just ordering one from a supplier. You need to consider the colour, the
construction, the site conditions, its future use and surroundings, the best
installation method, and also your budget.
All these
important questions and resulting decisions will ultimately determine the
overall appearance of your rooms after installation.
You can’t
simply choose your oak flooring without many other considerations because if
you don’t like the end result after installation, it will cost you as much
again and more to replace it for something you do like.
There are so
many different finishes available these days that it can be very difficult to
choose between them, all being suitable to use and walk on virtually
immediately after installation has been completed.
On the other
hand there’s also unfinished oak available, which allows you to match up the
floor finish with other things in the room like staircases or furniture, or
even create something completely unique just to be different.
It’s not just
the finished appearance of your oak flooring that’s important either… you need
to consider whether solid or engineered oak is better for your personal
situation.
As a general
guide, engineered oak provides much more flexibility than solid oak in most
situations, being constructed in a way that provides better stability and yet
appearing as solid oak when installed. You can read more information on this by
clicking on this link: Solid v Engineered
Other
considerations include the length and width of the actual boards themselves,
most solid oak being made up of shorter random lengths and engineered being
mostly longer, around 1800mm usually with some shorter lengths to enable easy
staggering of joints within the floor.
Oak flooring
also allows you to change the appearance of your rooms quite easily during the
different seasons of the year… warm rugs and mats can be easily positioned
during the cold winter months to give a nice warm feel and then stored away
during spring and summer to provide a clean, fresh look.
So to sum up what oak flooring can provide you as your choice of flooring cover;
-
It’s durable
and long lasting
- It’s warm and inviting
- It’s unique and personal to you
- It can suit any décor
- It can save you money
- It can reduce
the effects of dust-related allergies
