Oak Oak Oak
Why is Oak so popular, and why are over half of all wood floor sales in the UK, oak. Well first of all, this wonderfully durable and versatile wood is plentiful. It grows all over Europe and America, as well as parts of Asia, so there's lots of it. Secondly and probably more importantly, its a very easy wood to work with in terms of manipulation and staining and you can achieve hundreds of various finishes and effects. In its raw state it has a fairly neutral tone, and with a simple wax oil, looks absolutely stunning. It will last for years without re oiling in a normal environment, and if you don't ever sand it, which of course we never recommend you do, there is no reason it cant last forever. That alone is a strong enough case for using Oak.
There are lots of different types of Oak flooring on the market too, and the various oaks available can display very different characteristics. American White Oak for instance has a very soft pink tone to it, and this is noticeable if you simply apply a coat of natural oil. French Oak has a golden tone, and a very different grain pattern, whilst oak from the Ukraine tends to have a more brown tone overall, making it a little more neutral. Then of course there are the various cuts of the log which will also give you a very different look. A quarter sawn cut floor will look very sleek and clean, whereas a crown sawn rustic cut will give you a much busier looking floor. There are also various prices for oak flooring,and this will very much depend on lengths, widths and origin of manufacture. Beware, because there can be a huge difference in the quality of flooring from one factory to the other, which is why of course you will see huge variations in prices. This will include how well the log has been dried before manufacture, the moisture content of the wood when the floor has been made and leaves the factory, and the of course the overall quality of the engineering.
So, when you see the words 'Oak Flooring', remember there are lots of things you can now ask to determine if you're getting the right product at the right price, or whether you're getting something that just sounds good.
