Solid oak floor like this?

[fivecandles]

I'm thinking of having this one www.wickes.co.uk/honey-oak-solid-wood-flooring/invt/214484/ Anyone any experience? Do you think it's nice? TIA

[FishfingersAreOK]

Ooooh having just (ie about 30 mins ago) bought 3 and a half grand's worth of engineered oak let me tell you what I know.

1. Engineered is more stablethan solid. If going over underfloor heating or rooms where there are changes in heat/humidity def consider it. Even if not still worth considering. If you do go for engineered check there are plently of layers of ply
   
2. If it is going to be structural floorboards (ie the actual floor covering over floor joists) it needs to be over 20mm thick (I think). If over concrete floor not so much of an issue and you can get away with thinner.
   
3. Avoid if you can packs (like this Wickes one) where the boards are varying lengths -it is preferable and you get a better finish if boards are the same length and you cut to size.
   
4. Have you considered Oiled rather than lacquered finish? Scratches on oiled can be self-fixed (a bit or wire wool and danish oil for example) Lacquered scratches need a professional - like touching up chipped nail varnish - you couldn't do yourself.
   
5. Wider the better apparently - though IMO it depends on what look you are after.
   
   So saying all that - it looks lovely. I love any oak/wooden flooring so taste wise I am not the best person for proper interior design opinions. THe above those is all the gems I have gathered over my recent flooring quest.
   
   Oh and I used www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk/Engineered.htm. So far great service. best price - quality wise I could have got better but both my carpenter and builder compared the higher quality high price with these guys stuff and agreed that for the extra 1mm worth of veneer it was not worth the extra £30per sq m expense. I found them through recommendations on MN. Obviously not delivered yet but so far so good.

[Iggly]

We bought engineered oak for the kitchen. Went for varying lengths - looks nice IMO.

As we have underfloor heating, we've gone for 18mm thick multi ply as deemed better than 3-ply. Also gone for oiled not lacquered finish. We got a few samples sent home.

Ordered from green wood flooring and the carpenter was impressed with the quality.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

To really put a fly in the ointment my engineered solid bamboo flooring looks just like that, but about a third of the cost of real oak.

[fivecandles]

Thanks for your thoughts. Anyone else?

[Nancy66]

We have oak flooring in our kitchen. No idea if it's engineered or not.

It looks great...BUT it does get scratched quite easily - having a twat of a husband drop copper saucepans on it doesn't help of course.