European Oak, in particular, ages gracefully, with its slow-grown and tight grains, and beautiful subtle colour changes. Oak is not a flashy material but will outperform anything else you choose in the long run.
Solid vs Engineered
Solid boards come from a single piece of timber, and they will naturally expand and contract with heat and humidity changes. Because of this, they need to acclimatise and care needs to be taken with underfloor heating.
Engineered flooring has a solid oak top layer glued onto a ply core, so they handle heat and humidity changes better. Engineered flooring is the best option for anywhere solid floors wouldn't be appropriate.
Finishes
Hard wax oil is the default finish here. It penetrates the wood rather than forming a layer on top. This allows the wood to keep its natural timber appearance as opposed to a laminate imitation. Areas that are heavily used can be re-oiled without the need to sand the entire floor.
A lacquer finish is more durable and is easier to clean, but it coats the wood and seals all the grain. This can be useful in some areas, but it means the wood can no longer 'breathe' underneath.
For Brushed boards, the soft grain is removed before finishing to create a more distinctive texture. This helps enhance the character of the oak while providing a more textured surface. This technique works best on wider boards.
Width & Shape
Our boards vary in widths from 150mm to 220mm. Wider rooms with more space benefit from using wider boards as they show more of the wood's grain. On the other hand, narrower boards are best for more compact spaces and older style homes.
Linear Herringbone and Chevron patterns are also available, and all of these can be used with engineered oak, so they are good options if you want the floor to be a focal point in the room.
If you have a project in mind, please reach out with the details; we'll provide straightforward feedback on the best approaches.