Oak Hardwood Flooring: What Are Its Features and Advantages?

Oak Hardwood Flooring: What Are Its Features and Advantages?

Oak hardwood flooring is rapidly gaining popularity in residential applications owing to the different varieties available. Two of the most common are red and white oak. These enable homeowners to choose colours and appearances to complement any interior design and create a uniform appearance. This adds timeless beauty to any space.

Oak has the lustre and warmth hardwood flooring typically provides, along with superior durability. This means oak hardwood flooring can last many years without losing its appeal.

If you are thinking of redoing/adding new flooring, oak is a great way to go.

Not yet convinced? Let’s look at its top characteristics and benefits.

Characteristics and Benefits of Oak Hardwood Flooring 

Let’s take a look at the features and advantages of oak flooring to ensure you make the right choice for your home.

Characteristics of Oak Hardwood Flooring 

Below are the traits of oak flooring that set it apart from other hardwoods.

• Stability  

In terms of flooring, stability refers to the wood’s ability to respond to changing moisture and humidity levels, either by expanding or shrinking. Oak is one of the most stable hardwood flooring products as it doesn’t expand or shrink as much as other varieties, like maple or hickory.

• Grain  

Depending on the species, oak flooring has several unique grain characteristics. Typically, both white and red oak have a straight grain and offer a ‘clean’ appearance.

In white oak, the pores are completely sealed by an outgrowth of tyloses which are cells that prevent damage to the oak tree by defending it against pathogens. Red oaks, on the other hand, have open pores.

In both varieties, there are rays that run alongside the grains. In white oak, these rays can look like long lines; in red oak, they appear as dark dotted pencil lines.

• Colour 

As mentioned, oak is available in a wide range of colours. You can easily find varieties ranging from red and brown to light beige. Unlike other hardwood trees, where the heartwood is darker and sapwood, lighter, when it comes to white oak, both parts are the same colour. With exposure to oxygen and UV light, the colour begins to darken over the years. However, other varieties of oak tend to stay the same colour throughout their lifetime.

Oak is also easily stained, so you can brighten up a dull and dark room when using a light stain. Alternatively, you can stain lighter varieties in darker colours. This gives homeowners complete flexibility to choose virtually any colour they want or require for their space. You can also sand the surface and change the stain colour numerous times.

Benefits of Oak Hardwood Flooring  

Oak offers numerous advantages over other types of hardwood flooring.

1. It’s Extremely Durable 

Oak naturally contains a high proportion of tannin, which makes it resistant to fungi and insect infestation. This is one of the main reasons it can stand the test of time without losing its appearance and structural integrity. Plus, it’s naturally resistant to moisture and less prone to rot and decay.

When paired with the drying process used to get rid of naturally occurring moisture, oak becomes weatherproof without any chemical treatment.

Oak also does not warp or shrink over time which reduces the chances of it cracking with use. It is also hard-wearing and can stand up to high foot traffic. Indeed, it can show no signs of damage, even after being in use for years.

2. It Requires Little to No Maintenance 

Compared to other flooring materials, like carpets that need to be vacuumed regularly, oak hardwood flooring requires virtually no maintenance. This is because the material is treated to resist stains and damage. You can even find laminated varieties that stand up to moisture. All that is required is an occasional brush or light vacuuming and your flooring will be good to go.

While white oak flooring may be susceptible to sustaining and showing signs of damage, such as scrapes and scratches, you can polish them out with sandpaper. This is a cost-effective alternative to replacing damaged carpets. Furthermore, if any boards are damaged, they can be individually replaced instead of having the whole floor redone.

3. It Is a Hygienic Flooring Option

Since wood is a naturally occurring organic material, it’s more hygienic than other materials. Plus, its smooth surface doesn’t collect dust, bacteria or foul odours, unlike chipped ceramic, peeling laminate, and the Petri dish that is carpet.

Moreover, oak offers respiratory health advantages since it keeps triggering parasites away. So, if you have family members with allergies or asthma, oak flooring is a great choice. Wood also absorbs carbon, so it helps maintain a healthy air balance and ensure your home remains carbon-neutral.

 

If you want hardwood flooring that will look great for years to come, oak is your best option. It offers numerous benefits, and its properties ensure that it lasts a long time while looking great in any application. This makes it a great investment.