subject: The Strength And Durability Of Oak Flooring [print this page] One of the most popular choices in wood used for flooring is oak. This is because oak is very strong and durable and it holds up well in heavily travelled areas. Oak floors can add beauty to your room while meeting the demands of a busy area in the home.
Oak floors have beautiful colours and patterns in them. When oak is used in a room it instantly makes the room feel warmer and more vibrant. The brownish-yellow colour is almost like a golden syrup. Oak floors make an excellent choice when you are trying to accomplish a warm, down home feeling in the decor of your room.
Someone that is purchasing wooden flooring made from oak should be cautious about how it is cut before it is installed. You want the boards to be long and wide so that you can really see the natural patterns in the wood. When the wood is chopped down to shorter pieces, the patterns are disrupted and the look will not be as stunning as it would have been with long boards.
Pay attention also to how many knots are in the wood.
For some people, using wood with a lot of knots and an inconsistent colour pattern makes the wood look more interesting. This wood is considered to be the 'Character' grade flooring. It has a great deal of character and it looks amazing once it is installed.
If the 'Character' grade is slightly too much then you may be one of the many people that prefer a more smooth feel to the wood. This is called Prime grade. Prime grade wood floorboards has very little, if any, knots that are visible and the colour will be a consistent all the way through each piece of wood. This presents a very structured, smooth and luxurious look in a room.
Other people find themselves right there in the middle. They love the look of the 'Character' grade but they feel as if having it all over their floors could make the floorboards just too busy looking. They also like the Prime grade but they think it may not be as interesting as they would like.
This is when the Nature grade oak is used. This is a combination of both types of wood. You have boards that are 'character' boards and others that are prime. The provides a look that is interesting and sleek at the same time.
No matter which type of oak flooring you fall in love with, you are sure to enjoy the finished product once you have had it installed. Oak is a strong, beautiful wood and using it on floors makes a room stand out in a very positive light.
Oak flooring has been popular for many years and the desire for having this wonderful wood on floors is likely to continue for many years as retailers make an effort to source their wood from sustainable and managed timber yards and producers
