Oak is our favourite hardwood for making floors. We use one species exclusively, from one supplier only. Their wood has a beautiful bright creamy colour with subtle variations in its ‘raw’ form, with a varied (but not too wild) grain.
We can achieve a multitude of different looks with Oak. Have a look at some of them below, or READ MORE to find out why we are so fond of it.
The species we use is called Quercus Robur and it is commonly known as ‘English Oak’. Whilst this tree does indeed grow in the UK, we source our wood from managed forests in the Ukraine.
First, the Eastern European Winters are longer and harsher. The colder climate means that the trees are very slow growing; a tree felled to be used in a Woodcraft floor will typically be 150 years old. This slow growth makes their wood tough, dense and hard-wearing – unlike far cheaper imports from Asia.
If we are to make and install a superb floor, we need a superb product to work with. We have always used the same supplier for Oak, and it took us four months to find them. Our founder Mursel made his decision after going to the Ukraine to see for himself every step in the production process, from planting young trees and managing the forest to how the planks and blocks were made.
Our supplier is certified by both FSC and CARB.
We have found that this Oak species, from this part of the world, has a much more neutral tone overall than other types of Oak. This means that when it is oiled it retains a more consistent finish.
It is a hard wood (one of the hardest on the planet), but not too hard. This means we can distress / age it if a customer wants. That’s not to say that this is easy to do; it’s just that harder woods (some of which we do also use to make floors) are far harder and time-consuming (and therefore more costly) to distress.
Read about the ways your Oak floor can be customised here.
We will order pre-cut planks or blocks to the dimensions agreed with the customer. Options include ‘fuming’ (or thermo-treatment), a brushed or smooth finish, and a bevelled or straight edge. All planks and blocks are always unfinished. We do all finishing, by hand, in our warehouse.
We would always recommend an engineered Oak floor – see why. We’ve also explained why, in our view, solid floors are not a great choice – unless you want solid parquet blocks, which are suitable in many situations.
If you’ve questions about how our ordering, customising and fitting process works, read this page. We will walk you through every step.
