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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Oak wood floor advice please!

51 replies

sophiepumpkin · 10/09/2017 08:58

We are renovating our home at the moment and very much in a dilemma about flooring. My dream is to have engineered oak throughout but everywhere I go people suggest vinyl. We have two small children and I don't want to be precious about it so I understand I will need to accept some marks etc. My question is with regards to quality brands/wear layers. Can anyone advise on experience with different brands and if you think paying more means less marks etc or if this is relevant. Can anyone recommend a brand or finish that will work for us? Thanks in advance...maybe with your help I can get some sleep tonight!!! 😂

OP posts:

lidoshuffle · 10/09/2017 09:05

I've got solid oak in the kitchen - cost a bomb, looks lovely but very prone to dints if you drop something heavy. It's quite difficult to clean as stuff wedges in the joints. I'd go for a good vinyl - Amtico etc - next time.

In the hall is Kahrs engineered wood, and I am disappointed tbh. It only looks a bit better than laminate and doesn't look "real wood" like the kitchen floor does. It wasn't cheap either - about £60 /m2 plus fitting.

lidoshuffle · 10/09/2017 09:08

PS - there's another current thread on this!

user1471464238 · 10/09/2017 09:11

Have had karndean fitted in our hallway(looks like oak) for 10 years, low maintenance and easy to care for , still looks good
Have just had karndean(looks like stone tiles )fitted in our new kitchen
To replace a tiled floor which was a nightmare in terms of chipping and trying to keep the grout clean
Would recommend Karndean

Brittbugs80 · 10/09/2017 09:43

We have Karndean too. Bloody love it. We have it layed parquet style in the kitchen.

You can't use a steam mop as it can loosen the Adhesive over time but we don't have a steam cleaner so it's not an issue.

Feels nice underfoot too.

Original poster

sophiepumpkin · 10/09/2017 10:13

Wow! So generally wood is not getting a good review either way. I just can't get past the plasticky feel of vinyl but maybe I need to have another look.

OP posts:

BookingDotComAreTwats · 10/09/2017 10:17

I would never use would in a kitchen because of the damage that happens in there.
Another vote for Karndean here - we love ours.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 10/09/2017 10:19

I LOVE my Oak flooring , it was from Howdens. Had it for 10 years and still going strong and we're not very careful with it. Expect another 5 years or so before we have to re sand.

Original poster

sophiepumpkin · 10/09/2017 10:19

I think the problem is I've just read a copy of ideal home and everyone had wood throughout 😆

OP posts:

applesauce1 · 10/09/2017 10:20

I was in the same position as you. We had vinyl planks in the spare bedrooms and... they're ok, but they neither look nor feel like real wood. They're durable and easy to clean, but they don't have that luxurious wood look.
In our lounge, I went for engineered wood. I ordered samples online and after much deliberation, just went for it. I bought waterproof membrane, foam underlay and borrowed spacers. Fitted the whole thing in two weekends and a week. It was so worth it. I'm in love with how it looks.
It was more expensive than laminate and it looks it. Far cheaper online though.

applesauce1 · 10/09/2017 10:22

I was told that I'd need a professional to fit it, and the cost for that was astronomical. It is definitely doable yourself if you have a chop saw and/or jigsaw.

EastMidsMummy · 10/09/2017 10:24

We've got engineered wood right across our big kitchen diner. I love it.

Bit of damage?? A light sand on the individual planks affected, a new rub of oil and it looks as good as new.

Fake wood flooring always looks fake. Laminate looks shit. Wood effect tiles are bizarre - a fad.

Wood = good.

SpanishRiojaPorFavor · 10/09/2017 10:27

In our last house, we replaced the carpet in our sitting room, hall & WC with English oak (sourced by our builder) with a satin finish applied. It looked beautiful and was lovely to walk on barefoot - much, much nicer than the laminate we'd had in the kitchen. In heavy traffic areas in the hall, we did sand it again after a few years & re-apply the satin finish - looked good as new again.
We put vinyl in the kitchen for ease of cleaning & being near water. (The dishwasher had flooded a few times & caused the laminate to lift.)
In our present house, we have a wood effect laminate which we certainly wouldn't have chosen ourselves

Brittbugs80 · 10/09/2017 10:31

Wood effect tiles are bizarre - a fad

Fifthtimelucky · 10/09/2017 10:34

I have an engineered oak floor and love it, though it has become scratched in places and there are some dents where my daughter walked on it in very high stilettos!

Wouldn't have it in the kitchen though. I have ceramic tiles there and in the hall. All downstairs is now hard floors. I much prefer it.

Hulder · 10/09/2017 11:43

EastMids tell me more about your engineered wood floor.

I dream about having engineered wood flooring in my new kitchen but worry about it marking we are not a careful household Where did you get yours from?

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 10/09/2017 11:56

I wouldn't put it in a kitchen tbh,you only need a leak and it would be spoiled.

Littlecaf · 10/09/2017 12:07

Huge huge timber fan here. It's practically my career to say no to faddy trends of building work and interiors.

When we redid our kitchen/diner/hallway we went for Amtico. Was so sceptical at first, even cried when I thought we'd made the wrong decision part way through installation.

It's fab. Yes it's not wood but I bloody love it. It's not cold like tiles, doesn't buckle like some laminate, doesn't scratch or dent, cleans so easily. Get a professional to lay it.

We have 1950s semi, btw not a Georgian townhouse where I wouldn't do it.

littlemissneela · 10/09/2017 12:15

Can I ask those who have Karndean, what its like for slipperiness? I originally wanted wood flooring in our kitchen and would love it to go through to the living room. The issue is my dd has mobility problems, and our old house had laminate (cheap stuff) and she found it very slippery.

FallingOrbit · 10/09/2017 12:28

Tree surgeon and timber merchant here. Engineered is fine but if it's going to get heavy wear and likely scratched there's only so many times you can repair it before you're through the veneer. And tbh it isn't massively cheaper than solid.

Thing with Oak, especially if it's british oak is it's just about the most unstable timber there is. Any real timber will move/twist etc but Oak is the most notorious. Although proper installation will mitigate this a great deal. Make sure you have someone who knows what they're doing to fit it.

As for finishes, I'd avoid anything high gloss (personal taste though) and go for a polyx oil in satin finish. Anything by OSMO or Ronseal is very good, but not cheap!

Pasithea · 10/09/2017 12:40

We have solid oak throughout. Love it hate carpets with kids dogs horses chickens Etc

Original poster

sophiepumpkin · 10/09/2017 12:57

That's interesting fallingorbit thanks. Which would be a more stable and solid option if not oak?

OP posts:

FallingOrbit · 10/09/2017 13:06

Don't let what I said put you off Oak, especially engineered, I was more focusing on the solid side as that's what we sell. If you did go for solid and wanted an alternative to oak then sweet chestnut looks very similar but is a million times more stable. And as I said, a lot of it is in the fitting. Don't have a mate who's done a bit of laminate flooring fit it! It's not the same job, you need expansion gaps etc.

AnyFucker · 10/09/2017 13:07

We have solid oak throughout the downstairs, including the kitchen

It's relatively new so can't speak for long term but the odd knock just adds to the character, imo

A couple of minor water disasters haven't caused a problem either (two careless young adults)

IlonaRN · 10/09/2017 13:11

We have solid wood flooring throughout downstairs, and love it!

poisonedbypen · 10/09/2017 13:14

We have bamboo in our bedroom & I would definitely use it elsewhere. Always ceramic tiles in the kitchen & bathroom though.

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