Oak Hardwood Flooring

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• Oak Hardwood Flooring

Oak Hardwood Flooring

If you want to add beauty and value to your home, installing hardwood floors is a striking way to do just that. Hardwood floors add warmth to your home and, with proper care, can last for generations. Although not the cheapest option for upgrading your home, over the long term hardwood floors will pay back their cost and more.

One of the most popular choices for hardwood is oak, which is widely available. Oak is relatively easy to maintain and clean, is available in a variety of tones, and is a hard wood that is durable. It can be used in any room of the house, including kitchens and bathrooms, provided the proper sealant is laid down. However, oak can be scratched in heavy traffic, and, like most wooden floors, can be damaged by excessive moisture.

The Wood Flooring Manufacturer's Association (NOFMA) has established grading rules for flooring, both for unfinished strip and plank floorboards as well as engineered flooring. "Clear grade oak" is mostly heartwood, with a uniform appearance but showing all natural color variations that appear in heartwood. Clear grade oak is generally clear of blemishes, but may show streaks and pinworm holes. "Select grade oak" includes both heartwood and sapwood, with greater color variation and more imperfections and knots. There may be more streaking and imperfections in the face. "Common grade oak" contains prominent variations in coloration; this grade is suitable for general utility use, or where character marks and contrasting appearance among boards is desired. All of these grades are equally serviceable and strong.

There are two basic types of oak: red oak and white oak. Red oak is the most popular choice for flooring; more than 200 subspecies of red oak grow in North America, and thus there is a great deal of variation in color and grain. The heartwood and sapwood of red oak are similar, though the sapwood is a little lighter. In general, red oak has a slightly reddish tone and exhibits a coarse grain. It is more porous than white oak, and thus takes stain better and is a better choice for bleached floors than white oak.

White oak heartwood is brown, sometimes with a grayish or even pinkish hue; sapwood is white to cream-colored. The grain is more open than that of red oak, with more swirls and burls. White oak is harder and more durable. Tannins that are present near the surface can react with bleaches and products with high water content during the finishing process, but white oak stains evenly.

You can also select from different kinds of boards. Unfinished boards, whether strips (generally under 3 inches in width) or planks (over 3 inches), are installed first, and then must be sanded, stained, and finished. If you are self-installing, be sure you are comfortable using a drum sander before purchasing unfinished boards. Finished boards, on the other hand, require only installation. Or, you can purchase antique boards, which are reclaimed from older houses and barns -- sometimes a few hundred years old -- and refinished in a variety of ways, to produce numerous effects. Antique oak floors age beautifully and add elegance to any room.

Before installing your new oak floor, let the boards acclimatize in the room in which they will be installed for a few days beforehand. This will allow the boards to adapt to the moisture and humidity conditions in the room, expanding naturally as the boards absorb moisture. Three days should be sufficient for the wood to adapt, but consult with your dealer, especially if you live in a particularly humid (or dry) climate.

Make sure that your subfloor is perfectly level and in good repair. If you wish, you can lay down a "primer layer" of felt between the subfloor and the floorboards; this felt can help absorb moisture, a good idea for oak floors, since oak is particularly susceptible to moisture.

Lay your first strip or plank along one of the walls, leaving a gap for expansion of 1/8" to 1/2" between the plank and the wall, bigger for a bigger room. (You will eventually cover this gap with shoe molding.) Nail this first plank into the floor with a finished nail. As you lay in additional planks, cut to the desired size, use a pneumatic air gun to drive nails through the tongue of each plank into the subfloor. Continue to check and double-check for bubbling or weak spots, which could indicate a missing nail or crooked installation. It will be difficult to go back and repair such mistakes once the whole floor is in place, so catch these errors early.

If you have installed an unfinished floor, you will need to sand and stain your floor, and add at least two layers of polyurethane gloss as a sealant. This is a multiple-stage process that varies depending on the materials you use; be sure to consult with your dealer or retailer.

Oak is more susceptible to water than some other hardwoods, so, once your floor is in place and ready for use, some special attention is required, especially in bathrooms and kitchens. Wipe up spills immediately, and place area rugs with non-skid protectors in areas particularly prone to splashes. Use furniture glides to prevent scratching. Sweep and vacuum your floors at least once a week; dust and grit that collects on your floor can act like sandpaper. Use area rugs to protect high-traffic areas. If you have pets, keep their nails trimmed. And get into the habit of removing your shoes at the front door, when you first enter your house. If you are in a cold climate, keep slippers near your front door, for indoor use only, that you can slip on after you remove your street shoes.

Do not wet-mop your oak floor, as this could lead to warping; use a cleaning product that is recommended by your manufacturer or retailer. Avoid using anything that contains ammonia or diluted ammonia, as this will cause the finish to appear brittle or dull; cleaners that contain bleach, detergents, and vinegar are also abrasive and should be avoided. Some professionals recommend a terry-cloth mop, which is softer than a standard mop.

Ultraviolet radiation can fade the natural color of oak flooring, so install curtains in areas where there is sun exposure, and keep the curtains closed when sun exposure through that window is at its highest.

With proper care and attention, your oak floor will continue to add beauty to your home for decades.

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