Solid Oak Flooring for Kitchens: What you should know

Solid oak flooring is a quality option for any room in the home and there are plenty of contemporary and traditional properties with solid oak floorboards fitted in the kitchen. That said, there could be some issues when installing this type of flooring, and it’s often to do with temperature and condensation fluctuations.

Hardwood flooring can warp because of the changes in moisture, but if you’re 100% keen on solid oak flooring, it can stand the test of time so long as you put a few precautions in place. If you run a properly sized air conditioner during the hot humid months, you will naturally reduce the humidity level in your kitchen and this will play a big part in preventing the boards from expanding and buckling over time. Having vents and dehumidifiers can also help, and what you really want to do is make sure the humidity level in the kitchens under 60%. Of course, depending on how often you use the kitchen, the size of your oven and the general heat output from the appliances, it can be very difficult to maintain this, and that’s exactly why people decide against solid oak flooring for kitchens. If you’re willing to consider other options, engineered oak flooring can be wise. It doesn’t expand but it provides real character of quality oak, because the top layer looks and feels exactly like solid oak, but there’s more layers going on beneath the surface that can withstand changes in temperature and humidity.

Oak engineered flooring can also be refinished just like quality oak. Not many people know this but these boards can actually be sanded down and finished up to 10 times in their lifetime so you can change them should you fancy a different colour, whether that be paint, wax or oil.

One more advantage is that it’s cheaper too but you still get the feel of quality oak without having to spend a fortune.

More and more people are now opting for engineered oak, especially in kitchens and bathrooms, where they’re looking to achieve a timeless style but still get the functionality of modern kitchen flooring that doesn’t expand and contract to the same extent as solid wood.

Just like solid oak flooring, there are different types of boards to choose between too, so you can opt for a chevron or parquet look, whilst you can choose between boards that look modern as well as those that are more distressed and rustic in style. No matter what type of property you have, engineered oak flooring can be a perfect fit and it’s incredibly stylish, whilst it will last for many decades to come. In some homes many people choose engineered for bathrooms and kitchens, but then solid oak for the bedrooms and living rooms, so you can always enjoy the benefits of both in your home, but it’s generally advised that solid oak flooring is not a great match for kitchen or bathrooms, so in this situation do choose engineered.