Distressed oak flooring yes or no?

[silversixpence]

I am thinking of getting this flooring in my new house (throughout downstairs). I am just not sure about the knots and blemishes in the wood. It is a late Victorian house which will be classic but with modern colours (grey, white, turquoise, yellow). Can't find anything which is similar enough to this shade, everything is either very grey or natural oak.

[magpie17]

I love love love this flooring! I want it for my house but it's a tiny new build box and I don't think it would go, in a Victorian house I think it would be lovely. All the imperfections make it look more authentic I think.

[silversixpence]

Ah validation, that is what I need

It's a huge outlay (60 sqm) so need to get it right, as DH will insist it remains there forever! We could sand the floorboards but I prefer this textured finish compared to floorboards (which are also freezing).

[silversixpence]

Anyone else? Is it a bit Olde Worlde?

[Thistledew]

Personally, I can't see the point of putting down something resembling old floorboards over- well, old floorboards. I would think it looks a bit faux as compared to the real thing, but if you like it, then go for it. An alternative, if your original boards need replacing, is to go to a reclamation yard and buy some replacement originals.

[SandrasAnnoyingFriend]

Love it, we're about to put engineered wood down in our kitchen extension. It's a Victorian house too and I've recently decided to go throughout the hallway too so that it looks a bit neater. We're going a bit lighter as we are putting dark kitchen units in but would otherwise choose something like this.
Have you ordered a sample?

[silversixpence]

I have a sample of the 20mm which looks the same and it has a really nice finish.

We did plan to do the floorboards originally, but after having them done in our old house I changed my mind. They are cold, there are cracks where the filler has fallen through the gaps and I'm not sure I can get the effect I want with staining.

[linspins]

Oooh, I love it. Yes please, I'd like that too! Looks lovely. Have you had an actual sample? Is it very textured? Do you mean knots, or does it also have a prounounced grain?

[linspins]

Ha, crossed posts. And I think I see from the last of the pictures that it is quite grainy?

[notarehearsal]

Lovely, I'd much prefer it to my original ones with huge gaps and which need resounding every few years

[silversixpence]

Yes it is grainy not sure how easy it would be to clean!

[Tummyclutter]

I think it's really nice.
You need to think about how it is going to be laid though.
Are you floors nice and even already? We ended up taking all ours up and having a ply floor fitted and laying over that.
Skirting boards need to come off, door architraves need to be shortened at the very least.

[linspins]

Finish is the key. Having a wooden bead run along the edge because skirtings have been left in place will always make it look like it's been added, rather than always there.
I was wondering about cleaning too.

[Karcheer]

Looks so lovely I've ordered a sample. Do you know anyone whose ordered from them?

[Pretendingtobe31]

I wouldn't. I'd go for dealing with your originals. We had a similar issue upstairs and nearly carpeted over before we got a fantastic floor guy out who sorted them! I could have kissed him!

[peggyundercrackers]

We have wood similar to this in our hall, we liked it when it went down but now feel it's a bit too textured and would prefer something which looked more finished/less distressed. I think it's better suited to more commercial type properties than residential properties.

[silversixpence]

Peggy would it be possible to see your hallway? I'm having difficulty picturing how it would look.

[PrimalLass]

Our friend is a property developer and puts new pine t&g floorboards over the old ones, then varnishes them. It looks really authentic, without the gaps.

[Karcheer]

primal that's really interesting! I've a new extension and wanted floorboards! was worried they'd look too perfect, does he age them at all?

[linspins]

Just to add to this...in our last house, we had pine floor boards downstairs, very chilly as just the floor void beneath. We took much of them up, fitted celotex insulation snugly beneath the floor in between each rafter, and relaid the boards before sanding etc. They looked lovely, and the house felt much warmer.
The house we about to buy has solid floors, so we are hoping to put engineered wood boards down.
The one big difference in look I think, is that real floorboards have odd joins and nails in each end keeping them in place. However 'real' looking engineered boards are, they don't have nails in. So although lovely, it's a different sort of look.