Solid Oak Flooring
Solid oak flooring is oak all the way through: every board is cut from one piece of oak, so you can sand it back to fresh timber and refinish it many times over its life. Treated well, a solid oak floor lasts for generations, grows richer in colour with age and suits period homes and modern interiors alike. It is the most traditional wooden floor you can lay.
Choose natural and light oak for a bright, honey-toned floor, grey or dark tones for a modern or dramatic look, wide boards to show off the grain, or unfinished oak to finish on site. Finishes include lacquered and hand-scraped.
Solid oak is at its best in rooms with a steady climate over timber joists. For underfloor heating, kitchens or concrete floors, engineered oak gives the same oak surface on a stable core. Our solid wood flooring guide explains everything in detail.
Not sure which floor is right? Order free samples and see them in your own light, or call our team on 020 3287 6206 for honest, no-pressure advice.
Aurea Golden Hand Scraped Distressed Oiled Rustic Solid Oak Flooring 18 x 125mm
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Aurea Golden Hand Scraped Distressed Oiled Rustic Solid Oak Flooring 18 x 125mm
Why choose solid oak?
- It lasts: solid oak can be sanded and refinished many times, so a well-kept floor can outlast the house’s kitchens and bathrooms.
- It is real oak through and through: no layers, no core, just timber.
- It ages beautifully: oak deepens and warms with light and use, gaining character over the years.
- It suits period homes: nailed to joists, it is the traditional floor of Victorian and Edwardian houses.
How to choose solid oak flooring
Thickness
Solid oak boards are usually 18mm or 20mm thick, strong enough to span joists. What matters for the floor’s life is the oak above the tongue: the more there is, the more times it can be sanded. See 18mm and 20mm solid wood.
Width
Narrow boards (about 90mm to 130mm) look traditional and move least with the seasons; wide boards (180mm and more) show more grain and look generous in large rooms, but need the most stable conditions.
Grade
Prime oak has few, small knots and an even colour; natural or select allows some knots and colour change; rustic shows larger knots, filled splits and strong character that hides wear.
Finish
Lacquer is the easiest to clean; oil looks natural and can be repaired locally; brushed and hand-scraped surfaces hide everyday marks; unfinished boards are finished on site to the exact colour you want.
Where solid oak works best
Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, studies, hallways and stairs, in rooms with a steady temperature and humidity. Solid oak is not suitable for bathrooms; in kitchens it is possible with care, and in conservatories, over underfloor heating and on damp-prone concrete, engineered oak is the better choice. Only boards approved for underfloor heating should be used over it.
Living with solid oak
Oak is natural timber, so it moves a little with the seasons: fine gaps can open between boards in dry winter months when the heating is on, and close again in summer. That is normal. Keeping the room at a steady temperature and normal humidity, and a humidifier in very dry weather, keeps movement small.
Fitting solid oak
Leave the unopened packs in the room for at least 72 hours to acclimatise. Solid oak is usually secret-nailed to joists or a timber subfloor, or fully bonded to a dry, level screed with a flexible solid wood flooring adhesive. Concrete must be moisture-tested. Leave an expansion gap of about 10 to 15mm and cover it with oak skirting or oak beading. Solid oak is best laid by an experienced fitter; our installation guides explain each method.
Looking after solid oak
Vacuum or sweep to remove grit, clean with a well-wrung microfibre mop and a pH-neutral wood floor cleaner, use felt pads and door mats, and give oiled floors an occasional coat of maintenance oil. When the floor looks tired, it can be sanded back and refinished to look new.
Common mistakes
- Fitting solid oak over underfloor heating without an approved board.
- Skipping acclimatisation, so the boards move after fitting.
Order free samples of two grades and two colours and look at them side by side in the room; oak varies naturally, and grade makes a bigger difference to the look than most people expect.
FAQs on Solid Oak Flooring
A well-fitted, well-kept solid oak floor can last for generations, because it can be sanded and refinished many times when the surface wears.
Neither is better everywhere. Solid oak can be sanded more times; engineered oak is more stable over underfloor heating, concrete and in kitchens.
Only boards approved for it, usually narrower ones, with the heating raised slowly. For most heated floors, engineered oak is the better choice.
Heating dries the air, so the boards shrink slightly; the gaps usually close again in summer. Steady temperature and humidity keep movement small.
Usually 18mm or 20mm, which spans joists and leaves plenty of oak above the tongue for sanding.
Yes. Sanding takes it back to bare oak, which can then be stained and refinished in a new colour.
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