Engineered Oak Flooring – A Renovators Dream for the Authentic Look
When renovating the dining room of an old Victorian town house and the wish is to keep a look of authenticity, think of using engineered oak flooring. It would be a wise decision as not only does it look the part but it is extremely practical.
The surface finish is comparable to any solid oak flooring; the credit for this is due to the fact that the finish or top surface is genuine oak wood cut to depth of between 4mm and 8mm. This layer is bonded to either one or two other layers of wood depending on the quality of the product. These other two layers are either a combination of spruce softwood with a middle layer of pine softwood or two layers of spruce softwood or in the budget panels a layer of spruce softwood.
To protect the engineered oak flooring from damage and scratches up to six layers of UV based varnish or oil are applied to the surface thus bringing out the full effect of the natural grain and wood marking. UV stands for Ultra Violet and is included in the mix to protect the flooring from the powerful rays of the sun much as we would protect our own skin against it.
Oak is one of the stronger hardwoods but because the veneer layer applied is relatively thin it needs some extra protection so excessive wear could very well damage it exposing the softwood underneath. This would mean removing the entire floor back to the damaged piece, replacing it then refitting the other sections.
Fixing the engineered oak flooring in place can be completed in several different ways. In an area like a dining room this really depends on where it is situated and how much traffic it will see. For instance if the dining room is separate to other rooms and little entertaining takes place it may be sufficient to just click each piece into place; if the dining room is an integral part of the kitchen area and the centre of all household activity then it may be better for it to be pinned and glued in place; anything between these two extremes and either gluing or pinning will suffice.
The layers of wood are bonded together giving it a strong flexible finish that is ideally suited to the dining room environment. An added benefit with the engineered version is it is designed to fit together for an even stronger, closer fit.
Because of the composition of the engineered oak flooring it does not suffer the vagaries of the weather when it expands with humidity and shrinks in drier weather. The flooring is also far more flexible thanks to the layers of softwood the oak has been bonded to.
For the new floor in the dining room renovation to be the talk of the dinner table use engineered oak flooring for the authentic look.