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When it comes to choosing the perfect wood flooring for your home, oak stands out as a classic and enduring choice. Renowned for its natural beauty, durability, and versatility, an oak floor has been a favourite choice among homeowners and business owners.
In this blog, we will explore the numerous advantages of oak flooring, highlight why it’s often preferred over other wood types, and discuss the compatibility of oak flooring with underfloor heating.
What Are the Advantages of Oak Flooring?
Oak can lasts a lifetime
With proper care and maintenance oak flooring can last a lifetime. This makes oak floors cheaper in the long term than other floor types that need to be replaced approximately every 10 years, such as PVC floors and laminate.
In terms of maintenance, it is important to vacuum and mop the floor regularly. You can also treat the floor with maintenance oil if there are scratches or wear spots.
Suitable for Any Interior
Oak wood has beautiful wood grains, looks warm and can be finished in almost any color imaginable. This makes oak flooring suitable for a variety of interior styles. Due to the timeless appearance, you do not have to worry about the floor eventually looking old-fashioned.
Sustainable Choice
Sustainable oak harvesting practices ensure that oak flooring is an environmentally responsible choice. Additionally, oak forests contribute to carbon sequestration, helping to mitigate climate change. An important point of attention with regard to sustainability is the origin of the oak wood.
Unfortunately, there are oak floors for sale that are made from wood from unsustainably managed forests or from wood that comes from the outer layer of the tree trunk. This is also called sapwood and is of lower quality than the heartwood of the trunk.
Cheap oak floors are often made of wood from unsustainably managed forests or sapwood, making cheaper oak floors not a good choice.
Why Oak Flooring Trumps Other Wood Types?
While there are several wood species used for flooring, oak has some distinct advantages:
Availability
Oak is readily available, making it more affordable compared to some exotic wood species. This accessibility ensures a wide range of options in terms of grades and cuts.
Strength and Durability
Oak’s robustness surpasses many other wood types. It can withstand heavy traffic, making it suitable for both residential and commercial spaces.
Staining and Finishing
Oak’s open grain structure allows it to take stain and finish exceptionally well. This versatility allows for a myriad of design possibilities.
Consistency
Oak’s consistent grain patterns and color variations make it easier to match and install, ensuring a uniform appearance.
Oak Flooring and Underfloor Heating Compatibility
One of the most compelling features of oak flooring is its compatibility with underfloor heating systems. Oak wood can be perfectly combined with underfloor heating.
Oak has a low heat resistance, which means that heat can penetrate well through the floorboards. Good to know: only oak laminated parquet is suitable for underfloor heating. This is a layered wooden floor of which only the top layer is made of real wood.
The underlay is made of cross-glued birch plywood and ensures that fluctuations in temperature and air moisture content have little effect on the expansion and contraction of the wood, also known as the ‘working’ of wood.
In summary, you can combine oak floors with underfloor heating without any problems, provided you choose laminated parquet. Get advice from a wooden floor specialist who can supply both the floor and underfloor heating.
This way you have only one point of contact for your project and you will receive advice about which type of underfloor heating is best for your situation.
