Oak flooring is a sturdy wood that is used in strip, plank or parquet style floors. It can be nailed, stapled or glued into place on a sub-floor in many types of environments. Some types of oak flooring are also left floating (not attached to the sub-floor). This type of flooring has a longer life than many other styles of woods on the market today and is easy to maintain. New floors that are done with oak flooring can also add value to home if installed correctly.
Real oak flooring has its place in any home. Those places should be areas that do not have high traffic involved. This type of flooring does tend to show scratches and dents quite easily, so less wear is always a good idea. Places in the home that have a lot of natural sunlight shining through are also not good for these types of floors. The sunlight tends to fade the wood over time. Places such as bedrooms, home office and dining rooms are perfect for the installation of real oak wood floors.
Engineered oak flooring are created by gluing layers of plastic laminate veneer with real wood. This type of oak wood flooring is growing in popularity because of the affordability, durability and easy installation that they offer. This type of flooring does not expand or contract like that of real wood flooring. The engineered flooring is usually installed over padding on a sub-floor and can be left floating or glued down. This type of flooring is great when used in the living area of a home because of its durability. If creating a room in a basement is the homeowner’s desire than using engineered wood flooring is the best option for them.
Parquet styled oak flooring is an elegant addition to many different areas of a home but is best utilized when placed in an entryway or dining room. They are squares of wood that can come in many different, unique, design styles. These squares are glued down to a sub-floor for permanent placement.