Oak Wood
Oak is a very traditional choice for hardwood flooring. It goes golden brown when applied with oil; in its natural state it has a degree of silver grey pigmentation.
It comes in many different grades; most traders know this as ABCD.
AB is SELECT grade / ABC IS RUSTIC grade / ABCD is character Grade,
Oak can come in many different appearances, Oak can be stained almost any colour, it can even be made white. The colour change in Oak over time is about average relative to other hardwoods, it goes slightly darker unless exposed to excessive sun light, and while it will cope with this without a problem, it will need more regular maintenance.
Oak is an extremely strong hard wood capable of withstanding a lot of weight without bending, making it ideal for load bearing in the construction of houses, Barn’s and large buildings, although flooring and support beams in roofs, is mainly where it’s used.
Solid Oak floors have a natural look that can be very elegant. They are very robust, easy to repair and very hard wearing. It goes hard after a period in fact so hard it is almost impossible to drive large nails into it without first drilling small pilot holes. This does not mean it is the hardest of all hardwoods; however it has a reputation for durability, and many Oak floors have been in place for decades and are just as good as the day they were installed when renovated and maintained correctly.
Oak flooring is easy to look at; it’s pleasing on the eye almost relaxing. Prime or select grades of Oak show less grain and Knotting, than the rustic or character grades.
It is said Oak flooring always looks more beautiful when oiled, and unlike most other hardwoods Oil tends to bring out the grain and gives the floor depth.
Oak always responds well to finishing as long as it is prepared properly, it also responds well to a large range of stains and wax oil or lacquer finishes, making it ideal for those wishing to apply their own finishes.
Like all woods Oak has a sapwood content that is generally cut out by most of the manufacturing process, when its not possible to cut it all out this does add character to the floor, like all sap in wood these do not colour very well. |