Our guide to solid wood flooring

Real wood flooring not only brings a touch of elegance to any home but is durable, hard-wearing and adds organic warmth and character to a space.

Advantages of solid wood flooring

One of the reasons why real wood floors are popular with homeowners is their durability. If maintained properly, with regular oiling, they can last for decades and will add resale value to your customer's home. The durability and longevity of solid wood makes it a cost-effective option too. Even if the upfront cost is slightly higher than synthetic flooring, it will save your customer money in the long term as they will have to replace their floor less often.

The natural beauty and warmth of wood means that wood flooring remains a firm favourite with homeowners. It's also a versatile option, as it works with practically any decor style. In addition to its universal aesthetic appeal, hardwood flooring is available in a wide range of colours, shades and species. This includes maple, walnut and oak flooring. Oak is particularly popular for its distinctive grain patten and is available in a range of colours, from on-trend grey to rustic gold to coffee.

Hardwood can be oiled to achieve the finish and colour your customer likes best. Instead of replacing the flooring, the existing floor can be sanded and restained. This is considerably cheaper than buying new flooring if your customer wants to change the colour of their floor.

Unlike laminate or carpet, the colour of the wood flooring won't fade over time. In fact, the colour of solid oak flooring will deepen over time, revealing its true character. This combined with the fact that wood is a natural product means that your customer will have a truly unique floor. No two planks will ever be the same, each having its own colour and grain pattern.

Like other types of hardwood flooring, solid wood flooring is incredibly easy to keep clean. Solid wood floors can be swept or vacuumed to remove any dirt or debris that has accumulated – and are far easier to wipe clean than carpet.

Their dense, solid construction mean that hardwood flooring planks help improve the acoustics in a room, by reducing hollow sounds and vibrations.

While solid wood is more prone to scratches and dents than other types of flooring, these can easily be remedied by sanding.

Is solid wood flooring better than engineered?

The short answer is 'it depends'. Whether engineered or solid hardwood is the best flooring option for your customer depends on how much they value the merits of each wood flooring type. While they look similar on the surface, they differ considerably in their construction, which gives each unique properties.

Engineered wood flooring is made from a relatively thin layer of hardwood bonded over a substrate of high-quality plywood. While this makes it cheaper than 100% solid timber flooring, it also means that most engineered flooring can only be sanded and refinished once or twice, since the surface hardwood layer is relatively thin. By comparison, solid hardwood can be sanded several times.

Engineered wood flooring is easier to instal whereas solid hardwood has a longer lifespan, while both are relatively easy to care for.

It's worth researching the comparative pros and cons of both flooring types before making a decision.

Can you use solid wood flooring with underfloor heating?

While this presents some challenges, it is possible.

The main issue is that real wood flooring is a natural product, meaning that it will expand and contract as it absorbs and looses moisture. It tends to absorb moisture during the summer months and lose it in the winter.

Make sure that the flooring has been properly acclimatised in the room with the heating on at a level that would be normal during the winter months. This can be taken a step further by loose laying the boards, ensuring they are not fixed to each other or the subfloor. The floor can then be oiled or lacquered.

Can wood flooring be installed on concrete?

Yes, a wood floor can be laid over a concrete subfloor.

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