Oak Flooring

One of the most popular choices for wooden flooring is oak. It is the obvious choice because it is durable, relatively neutral coloring and blends well with most decors. Many types of oak are available but the most common types are the red oak and the white oak. Most wooden floors are made of red oak but the white oak is also gaining recognition. Red oak is mostly used for commercial purposes like buildings, furniture and floors. White oak is slightly less available. It is gradually growing in demand especially for kitchens and drawing rooms.

White oak flooring is relatively impermeable to water and so it is convenient to use it in kitchens and bathrooms. Its color is pale yellow blond or ash white. This matches well with the ‘country styles’ having predominance of white, rustic green or wrought iron. Both the species of oak are stained very well and are therefore easily styled with a variety of colors and shades.

Both the varieties of oak wood floors have certain specifications. They are based on color and grain. The heartwood of red oak lightly tanned with a reddish tinge and that of white wood is pale or darker shade of brown. Both the varieties of oak have a pronounced straight and wavy pattern to the grain.

White and red oak floors have similar properties. Both are very hard. The hardness of wood is measured in the Janka scale that measures the force required to embed a steel ball into a sample of the wood. It measures the ability of the wood to endure wear and tear. Oak weighs around 1290 and 1300 pounds on the Janka scale which assures its strength.

Oak floor has several varieties. They are solid, lacquered, natural oil, unfinished oak, overlay, engineered and hardwood oak floors. All these varieties need proper maintenance so that that their beauty remains all your life. You can choose from two types of finishes that can be used for the oak floors. They are the surface finishes or the penetrating finishes. Surface finishes are durable, they resist moisture, and are easy to maintain. Oil-based urethane is the most commonly used floor finish, water-based urethane provides a clear, non-yellowing finish, Moisture-cured urethane is a solvent-based polyurethane that is more durable and more moisture-resistant than other surface finishes and conversion varnish is a clear, non-yellowing product that dries in about eight hours. The penetrating finishes provide the much-needed protective coating over the wood floor. It is good to keep the gloss or the satin finish to a bare minimum, as the blemishes are more visible. The extra durable finishes increase the durability of the floor. Polyurethane finishes contain aluminum oxide in order to enhance the abrasion-resistance qualities of the floor. This finish increases the resistance of the floor up to 25 years. Acrylic finishes provide an extremely hard, durable barrier to dirt, moisture, and wear and tear because the finish is forced into the pores of the wood at the factory. Acrylic- floors are therefore among the most expensive and are often used in profit-making settings.

Oak floors are the perfect for in any room of your home, but are particularly suited for high traffic areas where the pronounced grain helps to hide daily wear and tear. Used in parquet floors, the grain makes it especially suited for patterned areas set at mitered angles to form diamonds and various geometric shapes. Blond oak with a clear finish is a popular choice for breakfast nooks and open great rooms that have an open, airy decorating style. Stained dark, it takes on a more formal appearance, and is an ideal floor for a formal dining room or office.