The oak wood flooring has a high density, great strength and hardness, and is very resistant to insect and fungal attack because of its high tannin content. It also has very attractive grain markings, particularly when quarter-sawn. Wide, quarter-sawn boards of oak have been prized since the Middle Ages for use in interior paneling of prestigious buildings such as the debating chamber of the British House of Commons in London, England, and in the construction of fine furniture.

The Oak is the national tree of the United Kingdom it is a common symbol of strength and endurance. As well as its strength for building purposes, the Original Oak is much prized for the beauty of its grain and texture, and the richness of its colouring after polishing. For these reasons such ith has always been a favourite wood of carpenters and cabinetmakers for use in panelling, solid oak flooring wood doors and furniture and flooring. It is initially pale brown in colour but Oak wood darkens with age. There are many diverse species of the Oak from around the world, all of which vary greatly in appearance. Whichever variety you choose for your interiors, this wood will always guarantee your home a warm and natural feeling.

Restoring Oak Flooring
Sanding oak flooring may take more attention to detail and time, in comparison to other wood floors. This is due to its classification as a hardwood flooring. It may take going through the whole range of sanding consumables during floor restoration to remove ve the existing sealing and prepate the floors for the new coats.

Installation of Oak Flooring
Compared to solid wood flooring, engineered oak flooring is constructed from layers of fibreboard or plywood that make up the underside or core of the flooring and a layer of genuine solid oak which is the upper surface of the flooring. The core and the top layer are all constructed in a manner in which the layers are cross laid upon one another; this method of construction ensures that the flooring will not change shape by shortening, lengthening, warp or cup due to moisture, humidity changes or exposure to radiant heat. This feature of engineered oak flooring allows it to be installed in areas that traditional hard wood flooring cannot such as basements, kitchens and bathrooms; it also means it can be safely laid over under floor heating systems.

One way of installing solid and engineered flooring is described below...

• Before you commence the fitting of your floor ensure that you have all of the necessary tools that you will require these are: an engineered flooring installation kit, jigsaw complete with a 2.5mm wood blades, a handsaw, workbench, mitre, measuring tape, pencil and a mallet.
• Before you lay the boards ensure that they have acclimatised to the temperature of the room by leaving them in the room for 24 hours before you commence to fit.
• Check that the sub floor surface is clean, firm, damp proof and level. Make sure any nail heads are flush or under the surface of the sub floor. If the subfloor is concrete you can nail or glue hardwood panels to it. Dampen the panels slightly by brushing them with water 24 hours before installation to ensure they lay flat.
• Place underlay over the entire subfloor surface to insulate against moisture, heat and noise.
• Commence laying the engineered oak flooring boards along the longest straight wall in the room. If the walls are not parallel, start along the wall that you see first when you come into the room. Use wedges to maintain a 10mm gap between the boards and the skirting board or wall.
• Ensure that the joints are offset in the rows of boards, use a full board to start then a 2/3 board in the second row and a 1/3 board in the third. Continue repeating this pattern across the room.
• Cut the ends of the boards at the walls allowing a 10mm gap
  To fit the boards around corners or odd shapes draw a cardboard template, trace the outline of the template on a board and use a jigsaw to cut out the shape.
• To fit the engineered flooring under a doorframe use the handsaw to cut a thin slice off of the bottom of the doorframe allowing the boards to slide under it.
• Once you have fitted all the boards cover the gaps at the walls with a matching moulding.
• Ensure you fix the moulding to the skirting board or wall not the flooring so that the floor can be easily dismantled if a board ever needs to be replaced due to damage. (If you remove the skirting boards prior to fitting the floor you will not have to use the moulding, simply replace the skirting boards to cover the gap.)

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