Solid wood flooring

Solid wood flooring is a floor in which every board is the same timber all the way through. Oak, walnut, ash and iroko are among the common species. Unlike layered products, there is no other material under the surface, so a worn floor can be sanded back and refinished, and it can stay in use for many decades.

Strengths and limits

Its main strengths are authenticity and longevity. Every board has its own grain, color and knots, and the patina it gains over time adds character. With proper care it can last for generations.

Wood is also a living material. It expands and shrinks as humidity and temperature change, so boards are left in the room for a while to acclimatize, the screed must be dry enough, and expansion gaps are left at the edges. It needs care over underfloor heating and in humid rooms. Cost and installation time are clearly higher than for laminate.

Laying and finishing

Solid wood is usually glued to the subfloor or nailed onto timber battens. Layouts such as straight, herringbone or chevron set the style of the room. The surface is protected with lacquer, oil or wax. Lacquer forms a tougher film, while oil gives a more natural, matte look and is easier to repair locally.

In a render, solid wood looks real thanks to color and grain variation between boards, fine joints and a slightly varying roughness across the surface. The same texture repeated on every board makes the image look artificial immediately.