If you are considering building work, you may also be thinking about replacing your current flooring solution as part of the work.
Of the various options that you can choose from, wood, particularly Oak, is often a serious contender. Oak flooring is available in a natural or semi-natural construction. The most widely used type is the solid wood type, while a closely similar alternative is called engineered wood. When choosing between either type, here are some things you have to consider.
Solid Construction
Solid oak flooring is also known as real wood flooring due to its 100% natural construction. Each floorboard is made from complete hardwood. This solid build means that the floor is extremely strong, and the service life is incredibly lengthy, with an average of 50 years. It is especially popular in corporate, office or commercial settings where footfall is high and, therefore, a strong floor is required.
Engineered Construction
Engineered oak flooring is a semi-natural wood flooring solution due to its varied construction of natural wood and syntactic material. Each floorboard is made from a top layer of natural wood (around 3mm to 6mm thick) supported by syntactic layers of MDF, Plywood and Softwood.
The result is a type of oak flooring that cannot equal solid wood in its service life but excels in other areas. Unlike solid wood, the engineered type won’t react to temperature changes or damage from wet conditions and, therefore, suits the kitchen and bathroom areas well.
Both solid and engineered types look the same when fitted and cost about the same. Unless you are fitting oak flooring in the bathroom or kitchen areas, either of the two will suffice.
