Wooden floor

[Thelovecats]

I have to choose a floor for new dining/sitting room and I don't know what's best to go for. I'm leaning towards engineered wood. It has to go over existing floorboards, but they are nice and level so should be no problem. I don't want to be refinishing them all the time, so is oiled/waxed too labour intensive? Are pre laquered boards too shiny looking? I have kids and a dog so don't want them to be wrecked too quickly... Help me!

[MrsFlorrick]

As you have dog. Don't get lacquered. Once the dog walks on it he will scratch it. With lacquered you can't touch it up. You'd have to have it all sanded back and re done.

With oiled, you can touch up areas here and there. Much better for kids and dogs.

Get engineered. If you wanted solid, you would have to pay more for installation.

[Thelovecats]

I hadn't thought about not being able to touch up. Do you have an oiled floor? Just wondering how often you re-oil it. Is it better to get one unfinished and oil it yourself or buy it already oiled. I'm so clueless about this stuff!

[MrsFlorrick]

Yes. On my third oiled floor (over several different homes). I've only ever had one lacquered and it wasn't great. Looked shabby quickly and this was before DC came along.

Last house was an engineered oiled oak. This house as part of the full refurb and extension I had solid oak parquet installed across the ground floor.

Lived in last house 5 years. The flooring was installed a couple of months after we moved in.
It never needed re-oiling. I did touch up a few patches. Some made after needing to scrub were the DC had drawn with marker pen () and one where I dripped that Ovenbrite stuff on the floor (oxygen bleach reaction turns the wood black instantly). But all I needed was sandpaper, steel wool and a bit of flooring oil and it was all better.

Current house refurb was finished in January and so far it's fine. Only issue is this time the floor has been treated with a grey colour oil so it may be harder to patch repair.

Anyway oiled every time for me!!

[Thelovecats]

Thanks, am going to go for engineered and oiled oak. It's not going o be a massively high traffic area so should be fine 😀 Where did you buy your flooring from btw?

[linspins]

We are about to have engineered oak, uv oiled. I'm very excited. We've had oiled work tops before, and we're happy looking after them and oiling every now and then. Flooring man assures me that my floor won't need much attention at all.