Oak has always been a very popular material not just for furniture, but for flooring as well. It is well known for it’s toughness and durability, and if installed by professionals, can last for many years to come. Durability is not the only feature of oak. Flooring that is made from oak also looks luxurious. They can be stained with different colors, or they can be left in its own natural colors, protected by just a thin layer of finishing. However, because of these qualities, oak tends to be a more popular choice among homeowners and the pricing is higher as well.
In general, you can choose from 2 different types of oak. The first type is completely natural oak. That means you are buying 100% oak materials. Each wooden plank is thick, compared to other materials. That is just the nature of oak wood. The thickness may cause some problems for some homes or offices if you are thinking of installing something beneath the oak flooring. For instance, there are many heating systems in the market today that are hidden beneath the flooring. When you choose oak as your primary building material, the thick planks take up space, and may hinder the installation of the under floor heating systems. However, if you were sure that there is enough room, oak would be the perfect material.
The other type of oak is commonly known as engineered oak. Engineered here means that the materials have been processed before selling to consumers. The problem of the thickness is solved by removing the bottom part of the oak materials, and replacing it with something else. In other words, the top part will still look like oak, and has all the characteristics of oak, but each plank now appears thinner. This is a good alternative if you are in need of space beneath the flooring. The appearance will look the same as completely natural oak.
If you have decided on oak as your building material, the next thing you need to decide is the length of the floor planks that you are going to use. When you install shorter planks together, there is less chance for the wood to warp. Warp occurs when there is temperature changes, and the wood starts to twist. When that happens, the surface of the flooring becomes unsightly and uneven. You can choose to install longer planks if you like. Oak planks that are longer stand a higher chance of warping. Therefore, it is not advisable for you to install the flooring by yourself. Hire a professional to do the installation.
You can self install your antique oak flooring if you like, but be prepared to work hard. You will be working with oak, which is a type of hardwood. So the tools you are will be associated with those that are commonly used for wood. For example, prepare a complete set of flooring engineering kit. This kit will consist of tools such as handsaw, millet, wood blades, work bench, measuring tape, and pencil. Before you start, leave the wood in the room for at least 24 hours so that the material becomes acclimatized to the room temperature. You may then start working on the wood.
Posted under flooring options
This post was written by admin on June 7, 2009
