Installing
an oak floor can be a simple process but requires a substantial investment in
time, effort and materials.
When
the correct procedures are followed and the basics qualities of oak flooring
appreciated, the finished floor’s natural warmth and beauty will be unmatched
by any other available product, and can last for a century or more.
Unfortunately
though, oak flooring is often installed badly and the process is rushed, which can
create a situation where the finished oak floor initially appears beautiful, but
it can fail prematurely.
Not
only does this mean that the cost of installation is wasted but the required
remedial work can cost as much again, whilst also making the property sometimes
totally unusable during the repair work.
The
shame about all this potential hassle is that 99.9% of floor failures can be
avoided with a basic understanding of how oak flooring performs and behaves
under different external conditions.
Most
oak flooring challenges are caused by moisture… either too much or usually here
in the UK… too little.
Even
though this fact has been proven time and time again, when experiencing
challenges with their oak flooring, most people blame the product itself. They find
it hard to understand and accept that kiln dried oak flooring can be affected
so much by changes in its moisture content, whether that moisture is in the
form of liquid water (spillages or floods) or vapour within the ait itself
(humidity).
It
doesn’t matter where the moisture comes from; when available your oak flooring
(solid or engineered oak flooring) will soak it up like a sponge (before,
during or after installation).
Oak
flooring has been known to expand so much because of moisture absorption that concrete
walls have actually been pushed out from its strength.
When
the opposite happens (when your oak flooring is forced to ‘give off’ moisture),
your beautiful oak flooring will shrink and sometimes ‘cup’ or ‘crown’ so much
that each oak floor board within requires replacing.
This
is especially relevant when engineered oak flooring is installed because it
usually means that the wear layer of oak will pull away from the underside,
usually resulting in the owner blaming the flooring itself of delaminating,
which is not the fault of the oak flooring but a fault of the actual owner for
failing to maintain surrounding moisture and humidity conditions.
You
can read lots more about acclimatisation, maintenance and installation
requirements at these links;
Oak flooring acclimatisation: http://www.oakfloorsonline.co.uk/?template=acclimatisationInfo.html
Oak flooring care and
maintenance:
http://www.oakfloorsonline.co.uk/?template=careAndMaintenance.html
Oak flooring fitting
guidelines:
http://www.oakfloorsonline.co.uk/?template=fittingGuidlines.html
