No matter which type of oak flooring you choose, you can be assured that you are buying one of the most traditional and quality forms of flooring available. For hundreds of years, homeowners have been trusting in both the beauty and rigidity of oak wood flooring; once a wooden choice only for the wealthy, now everyone can enjoy the satisfaction of an oak floor underfoot.
But, once you have decided upon which flooring you want (possibly from Ambience Hardwood’s Oak Flooring range?), you may next want to decide which of the two types of wood you want; solid oak flooring or engineered flooring.
Solid Oak Flooring
With solid oak flooring being the most prominent and traditional type of flooring found in British homes, it is also one of the most expensive. Comprised of a single plank of wood, solid oak flooring leaves you with the assurance of quality and sturdiness that quite simply, you are unlikely to find elsewhere.
Coupled with the fact that solid flooring is extremely popular, it is also a very good investment for your home. Whether you are building a better home for yourself or are planning on selling in the near future, solid wood flooring could be the flooring for you. Thanks to a recent survey, it was found that solid wood flooring actually raises the value of your home and is also likelier to sell far sooner than a home without.
This is great news for any homeowner and to add to this, a well kept solid oak floor can last for decades, literally being walked upon by generations of family. Besides being so sturdy that it can withstand such traffic, another reason why solid oak floors last so long is that they can survive any fashion trend. Whereas styles in carpets and laminate flooring can come and go with the changing of the winds, you can be pretty certain that the wood of today will still be respected tomorrow.
So, you must be asking yourself, with solid oak flooring being so great why would anyone want engineered flooring?
Engineered Flooring
Just like solid oak flooring, engineered flooring has its own remarkable advantages. Although, as most people presume, engineered won’t lower (or in fact raise) the price of your home, it could actually save you money.
As engineered flooring is made from multiple layers of plywood that is fused together at extreme pressures, it is cheaper than solid wood and is actually better for the environment, as it takes fewer trees to manufacture. Along with this, you can install engineered flooring in rooms that are exposed to higher levels of humidity, in basements and bathrooms for example. This means that engineered flooring is extremely versatile, and if you do have any doubts, once that the floor is laid and settled, there is no difference between solid wood flooring and engineered flooring to the human eye!
Whichever floor you choose, you may be glad to know that either of these options are more hygienic in the house as the surface of the wood is smooth; attracting less dust and household allergens which, when you find them, can be swept away in an instant!