sales@oakfloorsonline.co.uk

Choosing And Buying An Oak Floor

Firstly, some important advice about how to select the best supplier and the best product for your installation...

Re: Solid Oak Flooring

It’s very difficult to visualise your finished floor from a small sample and you can’t always define the true quality from a piece that’s only about 100mm long.

You see, as pointless as it may seem, some companies who send out samples actually choose and select the samples they send out in an effort to make the product appear better.

I call this pointless because when it arrives on site and you the paying customer is not happy, it simply costs everyone involved time and money, and the only person happy at the end of it is the haulage contractor or courier who’s been paid for delivering it and then returning it. Worst of all, you’re now back at square 1 again, without a supplier.

Some advice on selecting a good product and a good, reliable supplier;

	If a free sample is available, always take advantage of this service so you can actually touch and feel what you’re about to spend your hard earned money on. A picture on a website really isn’t enough because that picture could be of someone else’s product.
	Always remember that oak is a natural product and that it will show some marks and scratches, so don’t discount a supplier just because the sample they’ve sent has a little scratch on it. Your floor will become scratched when it’s installed anyway.
	Ask the supplier for a photo of the product when installed to see what it looks like when fitted because this will enable you to get an idea of what it will look like when installed in your room. If they don’t have one available online, ask them to post you one.
	Ask the supplier for a full SPEC SHEET for the product and if they don’ have one, beware. If they do have one, MAKE SURE YOU TAKE NOTE OF THE DIMENSION TOLERANCE allowed. This is vital because the small sample that you’re holding may look and feel beautiful but if when it arrives the planks are varying in width by 2 or 3mm or tapering at the ends by sometimes as much as 4mm, your floor will not only end up looking second rate but it will also end up costing you a lot more to put it right.
	All in all, you can usually tell what the company is like by the way they start dealing with you. If they make it difficult for you to get information from them before you’ve ordered, what will they be like if something goes wrong after they have your money in their bank?
	Oak is a beautiful natural product and ideally you really want to be dealing with people who have a passion for it. If someone has a passion for their product or service, they’ll usually do everything they can to make sure that it’s of good quality and the finished appearance is something that both buyer and seller can be proud of.

Re: Engineered Oak Flooring

Always make sure you know what thickness the wear layer of oak is on any board you enquire about. Some companies will keep emphasising that their 10mm board is much cheaper than another company’s 15mm board and yet “both have the same grade of oak on the face”.

Well yes, both boards may well have the same grade of oak on the face but the thickness is most likely to be less than half! If you can avoid it budget wise, try to buy nothing less than a 4mm wear layer.

Another important point to be aware of about the engineered construction is the softwood backed board shown below. Again, if your budget allows you to do so, avoid this and always go for the plywood backed product.

The softwood core board is not as strong as the plywood backed version and is certainly not of structural grade, so not suitable for spanning and fixing directly to floor joists. Nor is it suitable for secret nailing because the core simply isn’t strong enough.

Some companies will try to impress upon you that this construction is every bit as good as the plywood version, but let’s face it... it’s not.

And always remember... biggest is not always best...

Many of the big named companies increase their prices simply because they’re well known. Some like B&Q, Floors2Go and Next have a captive market of customers, so they ‘up’ their prices by massive margins, just because they can get away with it.

For an example, the exact same 18 x 120 Solid Lacquered product that we sell for under £25.00 per M2, B&Q sell for £48.00 per M2.

Most of the major retailers do not supply flooring that’s any better quality than the smaller company that imports far less flooring every year. In fact in most cases, it’s the other way around. Don’t be fooled by these big names and end up paying more for exactly the same product as you could buy down the road from a smaller company, and with the same guarantee. Buy from us and you get a Lifetime Guarantee!

Remember, just because it costs more doesn’t always mean it’s better quality.

Some general advice...

When buying a home or renovating a house, usually the last thing on our minds is the flooring. After all, we’re much more worried about the size of our backyard and how much room we’ll have to put our giant flat screen TV’s in each room.

However, when it is time to worry about the floor covering, there’s a lot to think about. Surprisingly, there are dozens of different kinds of flooring, yet many of them require an abundance of maintenance and care.

While there are a few who take a risk and try a new type of flooring, most new home owners stick to Oak wood flooring. Real, natural Oak is great for anyone who is seeking sophistication and beauty.

The simple texture and variation of colours can be breathtaking for home owners who want something stylish and something that offers the WOW factor.

Another reason why it’s so popular is because it’s extremely durable and long lasting. This durability will not only save you money in the long run, it will also allow you to easily redecorate your home the appearance and properties of the wood will make it easy for you to add new furniture or colours whenever you choose.

Many people feel that oak wood flooring is best used only in places like dining rooms and bedrooms because people will not use these areas as much as some other rooms in the home, but with the availability now of Engineered Oak flooring, it can be used just about anywhere, even the bathroom.

Overall, Oak wood flooring is a wonderful way to add sophistication to your home. It creates a particular inviting quality, one that rarely makes an appearance in a home without wood flooring. This type of flooring is essential for any home owner who loves changing the feel of their rooms. However, it is crucial to research as much as you can before deciding what’s best for you. This way any customer will not be left feeling frustrated when they realize their purchase was a waste.

How do you choose a wood floor, and what price should you pay?

Recent consumer tests have revealed huge price variations on top-name brands such as Floors2Go, with savvy buyers able to save more than £1,000 on identical floors by shopping with a smaller independent supplier, whilst receiving the same end product.

The choice is between laminate, engineered and solid wood but beware cheap laminates because they are a design disaster that will reduce the value of your home and will be instantly ripped out by new owners.

Need To Know Basics…

Laminate v Engineered v Solid:

A laminate is a piece of plastic with a photographic image of wood grain, mounted on MDF. They can cost as little as £5 a square metre and although said to be scratch-resistant, once damaged are non-repairable.

Engineered flooring has a veneer of real wood, usually 3-7mm thick that can be sanded up to five times. It is particularly suitable for use over concrete floors and in kitchens, and can be floated (not fixed to the subfloor), nailed or glued down.

Solid wood is one piece of wood from top to bottom. As it needs to be fixed to a permanent floor, it must be either nailed or glued down.

The extras:

Foam underlay starts at around £1.50 per square metre rising to £3-5 if you need sound-proofing and damp-proofing. A damp course membrane may be needed on concrete floors and in situations of suspect moisture. Remember to allow for wood trim if you're not prepared to lift the skirting boards and run the floor under.

Fitting:

Laying engineered or solid wood requires a high level of DIY competence but it’s always advisable to find an experienced fitter to do it for you because they’ll complete the job in a fraction of the time it takes you, and the finish really needs to be equal to the quality of your floor. Installation instructions are readily available from most companies, so as long as these are good and adhered to, the finished floor will be fine.

Unfinished or finished?

Unfinished floors give you almost unlimited colour stain options but they must be sanded and finished after installation, which typically puts the room out of service for several days.

Pre-finished floors have a factory-applied finish, so the room can be used within hours of installation.

Lacquered or oiled?
Lacquered floors have an acrylic varnish which gives them a sheen and makes them relatively easy to clean. Scratches can be an issue but in most people’s opinion they simply add to the character of the floor. Having said that, there are various products available now that are making the repair of a scratched lacquered floor a simple process.

Oiled floors are becoming more popular, looking more "authentic" but they do need to be oiled once a year, depending on the wear they receive.

Bathroom floors:

A real wood floor isn’t really suitable for a bathroom unless treated and prepared with a specialist waterproof lacquer or similar effective product.

Most manufacturers caution about laying a real solid wood floor in a bathroom because if the room tends to get very wet and humid, solid wood is likely to expand and be inappropriate.

Lacquered engineered floors are definitely more suitable but don't leave wet bath mats and towels on the floor because this can cause the floorboards to soak up moisture and expand.

The very best product to use in areas like this is an unfinished oak, because after installation it is oiled and so the joints between the boards are sealed better than with a pre-finished product.
 

Kitchen appliances:
You can install flooring under any appliance, but be careful not to scratch the floor when you move the appliances.

There are felt pads available in many sizes that can be fitted to the legs of tables and chairs etc, to avoid them scratching the oak surface.

Any questions?

If you have any questions, just contact us via the webform and we’ll get back to you with the answers as soon as we can.

If we don’t know the answer... we definitely know a man that does!