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Is European Oak The Best Wood For Floors?
It certainly is a very popular choice.
Strong, sleek, robust, and we don’t often use the word majestic but it oozes majestic.
Yes, European-Oak is the real deal.
The timeless classic that has stood the tests of time and come out even better looking.
Used for literally hundreds of years across construction, flooring, and furniture, with it’s stunning beauty, unparalleled strength, and uncompromising durability, oak is an excellent choice for anyone looking to invest in flooring.
The best bit, it will almost certainly last well past your lifetime.
So, if you’re considering a new hardwood floor, this article will give you a better understanding and appreciation of the wonderful characteristics of oak.
The Colour of European Oak
European oak, as the name suggests – hails all the way from Europe. Most commonly from sustainably managed forests in France, England and Germany. While American Oak has a more pinkish hue, European Oak displays a naturally rich and warm golden-brown colour.
It is this darker tone, that makes it widely used in interior design, from flooring to cabinetry and furniture. And it is its timeless and regal feel that makes it a popular choice for homeowners, designers, and architects.
The best thing is – its beauty only increases with age.
Patterns and Vibrance
The marking of European Oak paints a truly captivating canvas.
And there’s a reason for this.
Have you ever heard the term medullary rays? It’s not something we made up – but it is a distinctive feature in European Oak.
Medullary rays run perpendicular to growth rings.
So when wood is cut into boards, the growth rings run across the face of the board.
This casts a beautiful figure, gliding across each board, elevating the lumber’s natural rich wooden colour.
Want to see for yourself? Talk to our team about ordering a sample.
Structure
Oaks cast long strong planks.
The trees themself are generally quite a tall species and European Oak trees grow taller than most others. Their sapwood is also wider and thicker than the heartwood which provides long, wide floor planks.
This provides aesthetic perfection if you are looking for hearty large planks in a bigger room.
Hardwood floors however age a lot more gracefully. While we guarantee any timber floor will dent, mark, fade and scratch, all of these imperfections only enhance the beauty of a floor’s overall appearance.
The ability to have your floor re-sanded and coated multiple times just adds to the solid investment for homeowners and prospective buyers. With proper care and maintenance, you can keep your wooden floor shining for many years to come.
Strength
Yes, it is a very strong Timber.
Widely used across window frames, doors, stairs, decks, even exterior cladding. It is hard, heavy, and strong, which means it’s less likely to expand and contract to a noticeable extent when combined with a robust, engineered core like our incredibly popular Euro-Pro.
This ensures minimal signs of movement, splits, and cracks once the floor is installed, making it a practical and very popular choice for flooring in high-traffic areas like kitchens, entranceways, and hallways.
Is European Oak the Best Wood For Floors?
European oak has all the qualities that make it one of the most beautiful and sought-after wooden floor options out there. Strong, robust, grand and elegant – European Oak boards are some of the most beautiful you can find and will almost certainly last more than a lifetime.
Its strength, durability, colour, and grain pattern make it an incredibly sought-after and popular choice for flooring across New Zealand and around the world.
We hope that this answers some of your questions about European Oak and helps you with your research. If you have any further questions or are unsure about anything, feel free to drop us an email or give us a call. We’d love to share our expertise and offer you some guidance in your search for the very best wooden flooring.
