Wood Flooring Myths – A Craftsman’s Perspective
Lessons from a lifetime working with timber.
Hi, I’m Mursel. I felled my first beech tree at ten years old in the mountains of Kosovo and I’ve spent the last three decades turning raw trunks into beautiful floors. Along the way I’ve heard every rumour about wood you can imagine. Let me walk you through the ones I hear most and share what really happens in the workshop and on site.
Myth – Budget Flooring Can Look Exactly Like a Bespoke Finish
I understand the temptation—mass‑produced boards are cheaper and the colour swatch looks close enough. But in my finishing room I stain small batches by hand, let them breathe on racks, then burnish the surface so the pigment settles into the grain. A factory line can’t replicate that depth. Budget planks can be lovely, yet they will never develop the mellow patina you’ll see on a floor I craft to order.
Myth – Wood Floors Are Hard to Maintain
Every family I fit for worries about muddy paws and football boots. Here’s the routine I follow in my own house: quick sweep when I see dust, wipe spills the moment they happen, and once a month run a pH‑neutral cleaner like the Bona cleaning kit (available through Amazon : Bona Cleaning Kit). That’s it. Modern lacquers and hard‑wax oils are tougher than anything I used twenty years ago. If my workshop demo boards can survive work boots and tool boxes, they’ll handle daily life in your home.
Myth – Hardwood Is Too Expensive
Yes, timber costs more on day one, but I’ve been called back to replace laminate and vinyl after eight or nine years—money down the drain. A solid or thick engineered floor I laid in 2006 was refinished last summer and looks brand‑new; the owners also told me their estate agent added thousands to the valuation because of it. Wood is the only floor that pays you back with interest.
Myth – Wood Isn’t Waterproof
I’ve stood ankle‑deep in customers’ kitchens after a burst pipe. No floor likes that kind of flood. For everyday splashes, a sealed wood board shrugs off water as well as any so‑called “waterproof” vinyl—as long as you wipe it up. If your room is prone to moisture, I’ll specify an engineered plank with a moisture‑resistant core and finish it with extra coats of oil.
Myth – Timber Flooring Hurts the Environment
I grew up cutting trees with my father, and he always taught me to plant two saplings for every trunk we harvested. European forestry follows the same principle today. Wood stores carbon for the life of the floor; plastics emit carbon the moment they’re manufactured. Choosing responsibly sourced timber supports healthy forests and keeps petrochemicals out of your home.
Myth – Wood Floors Scratch Too Easily for Kids and Pets
Come and look at the floor in my own showroom—dogs, chairs, samples sliding across it all day. Minor scuffs disappear under a fresh coat of oil, and deep gouges can be sanded out. Plastic floors keep every scratch forever. With felt pads under furniture and a regular nail‑trim for the dog, you’ll barely think about marks—and if you do, I can restore the surface in an afternoon.
Myth – Engineered Wood Isn’t “Real” Wood
The word engineered misleads people into thinking the board is a laminate look‑alike. In truth, an engineered plank is a sandwich of genuine hardwood bonded to a stable substrate. The face layer is the same oak or walnut you’d get in a solid board—thick enough to sand and refinish—while the core keeps the plank flat when temperatures swing. It’s real wood that behaves better in modern, centrally heated homes.
Myth – Underfloor Heating Will Ruin Wood Floors
Done badly, yes—it can. I’ve walked on floors that cup and crack because the screed hit 45 °C. Done properly, it’s a match made in heaven. I select a dimension‑ally stable species, keep board widths sensible, insist on moisture testing the sub‑floor and programme the thermostat to warm the slab gently. Follow those steps and you’ll enjoy toasty toes and timber that stays flat.
Myth – Dark Floors Make Rooms Look Smaller
A rich espresso oak can actually expand a space visually by anchoring furniture and drawing the eye outward—provided you balance it with lighter walls, generous natural light and maybe a pale rug to break up the expanse. I’ve fitted almost‑black boards in compact London flats that now feel more luxurious, not claustrophobic. Colour harmony, not floor shade alone, dictates how big a room feels.
About the Author
I’m Mursel, founder of Woodcraft Flooring. From hand‑cutting beams in rural Kosovo to installing bespoke oak floors across the UK, I’ve spent a lifetime learning how wood behaves and how to bring out its natural beauty. When I’m not on site you’ll find me in the workshop, experimenting with new finishes and teaching my kids the craft that shaped my own life.
