Oak has been in use as a flooring material for many hundreds of years, as well as for furniture and building generally. It is seen as the premier quality wood in the UK and northern Europe and has been the timber of choice for the interiors of many prestigious houses including royal and aristocratic residences. In recent years, other more exotic species have become available, such as Walnut, Maple and Birch – and yet, Oak remains by far the most popular flooring we supply and install. So why has Oak flooring stood the test of time so well, and why is it still so popular today?

Durable

Oak is a hardwood species, which means it is naturally resistant to dents, knocks and scratches. It is inherently strong and not prone to warping, making it just as suitable for achieving a flat, stable floor, as it is for holding up a roof. In addition, it tends to be naturally resistant to attack by fungus or insects.

Because it is so durable, solid Oak flooring can be resurfaced and refinished many times during the course of its lifetime, which means that floors don’t have to be replaced as often as might be the case with carpet or vinyl. For example, our engineered oak flooring could easily last 50 years or more, with the right care. This level of durability also makes an Oak floor installation a highly cost-effective option in the long term, compared to other types of flooring.

Warm tones

Oak’s natural, untreated colour is light, with warm tones. This makes it a good complement to modern, minimalist decor schemes, enabling a designer to bring in a hint of colour without making the space feel dark.

For example, in the image below we see a minimalist, predominantly white colour scheme with painted cabinetry and marble. Here Naturally Wood’s team of experts installed wide plank Oak boards, finished in a very pale colour. The wide boards convey a more aged, traditional feel, while the colour adds some subtle warmth to the overall scheme but without detracting from the overall sense of light, space and calm.

Improves with age

Oak takes on a rich, natural tone over time, which lends a natural sense of age and character to a space. For clients who want this effect more quickly, an aged look can be simulated by a “smoking” process, which can be carried out on many of our Oak products, in our state-of-the-art finishing facility.

Doesn’t date

Oak is a material that completely transcends passing fashions. In a world obsessed with keeping up with the latest trends, Oak flooring is one interior design decision that you won’t come to regret in a year or two. Oak provides a timeless look which works equally well with contemporary and traditional spaces, or provides a bridge between old and new within a more eclectic scheme. This makes Oak an ideal choice when replacing a floor in an old or period property. It is also a great way to add instant character to a new property, while also being confident that it will work well with any additional decoration or colour scheme that you may decide on in future.

Versatile

Oak can be treated, coloured and finished to provide an almost infinite range of looks, depending on your tastes or to blend with an existing interior. Because it is naturally light in colour, Oak is easy to stain, smoke or heat treat to achieve the desired shade.

Oak can also provide a large range of different looks in terms of grain. The various methods of harvesting the timber can provide elegantly straight-grained Quarter Sawn Oak – alternatively end grain exposes the rings of the tree, giving another distinctive effect.  The various grades available offer a very fine “exquisite” grade oak, right through to very rustic floors, full of colour variation and character.

Environmentally friendly

Oak is comparatively fast growing (so it’s relatively easy to generate new timber), Oak’s durability means that any furniture or flooring made from it tends to stay in use for many decades. In fact, a great deal of Oak is reclaimed to make new items – such as our Legacy Antique Versailles parquet panels which are made from reclaimed European Oak. This means that the carbon captured in the wood tends to stay captured for a very long time, which is all good news for the world’s CO₂ levels.

Oak Flooring from Muchsee Wood

We offer an extensive choice of Oak flooring, using different grains, treatments and designs to achieve different effects. This includes our Inception End Grain European Oak, and our traditional parquet or engineered Chevron, Plank and Strip, Herringbone, Basketweave and Panelled floors. Alternatively, for a completely individual colour and finish, our Creations Bespoke Finishing for our engineered floors offers an immense variety of colours and textures, the majority of which are achieved using European Oak. With our Creations range, it is possible to achieve any shade of timber that you may require, from the lightest to the darkest, without needing to consider using different species.