A light engineered oak floor can make your home seem brighter

When it comes to choosing the right type of hardwood for your home, or any other property many people find that a solid oak floor is the right choice for them. Solid oak flooring is simple to keep clean and maintain, and can withstand a lot of wear and tear- so is the ideal type of oak wood flooring for rooms that will be subjected to frequent use.

However, the process of creating your own bespoke oak floor is not quite that simple. Next you will need to decide which type of oak flooring is the right choice for the property. And you will have to choose whether to opt for solid oak flooring or engineered oak flooring too.

The difference between these two types of floor is that a solid oak floor is built using just one plank of wood- whereas an engineered oak floor is made up of a think layer of wood, which is laid on top of a base made of plywood.

Each one of these real wood floors has its advantages and its disadvantages too- such as engineered wood flooring is bonded using heat and pressure. This means that it is more resistant to changes in humidity levels- unlike solid wood floors.

The structure of engineered wood flooring also helps to reduce the risk of the floor warping, as the engineered boards are glued or nailed to the surface beneath it, which as the oak starts to expand the plywood prevents it from becoming wider, and stops the floor from moving out of shape.

This makes engineered flooring an ideal choice for rooms which are humid, such as conservatories which contain lots of plants, or utility rooms where you dry your washing. They are also the most suitable type of flooring if you have underfloor heating, which causes the floor to change temperature regularly, because of their resistant properties. However engineered wood floors are not suitable for bathrooms and other similar types of rooms.
Because engineered wood floors are more resilient to warping, expanding and contracting they do tend to be more expensive to purchase that the solid varieties.

Engineered wood floors can also be fitted over an already existing floor made of concrete, it can be glued or nailed into place, and can be made from a lower quality wood to cut the cost of the installation. Another advantage is that this type of floor can be used to create a floating floor as some don’t need to be attached to the sub floor beneath them.

Finally, engineered wood floors are easier to install than their solid wood counterparts so are the perfect choice if you fancy doing a spot of DIY.

If you would like to find out more information about real wood floors, or would like an engineered wooden floor installed in your property please visit http://www.easystepflooring.co.uk/