Natural

Natural Engineered Wood Flooring Samples

Find Your Perfect Natural Engineered Wood Flooring With Our Free Samples

At Flooring365 we believe in giving you the flexibility to explore different styles and options until you can find the perfect flooring for your home. That is why our free samples are unlimited so you can try out different finishes, widths, and lengths. Whatever your style preference is, our free samples are available to help you make the right decision for your home.

How To Order Your Natural Engineered Wood Flooring Samples

Find your preferred flooring style and click the ‘order free sample’ button to add the sample to your cart. You can do this as many times as necessary before proceeding, so we advise choosing a few styles for comparison. When you've finished browsing, you can complete your order and we will deliver your samples, completely free of charge.

Quick & Easy Delivery

Don’t worry about waiting at home for your sample order. At Flooring365, we ensure that our samples will fit through your letterbox so you can go about your day. You can expect to receive them from Royal Mail, usually within 2-3 days.

Natural Engineered Wood Flooring FAQ's

What Is Natural Engineered Wood Flooring?

Engineered wood flooring is designed to withstand the test of time. With its multiple layers, including a solid wood veneer on top, it offers exceptional durability, ensuring your floors look stunning for years to come. Due to its composition, engineered wood flooring is more resistant to changes in temperature and humidity compared to solid wood flooring. This means it's less prone to warping or shrinking, making it an ideal choice for areas with fluctuating moisture levels such as kitchens.

At Flooring365 we have a wide range of light oak flooring and natural oak flooring styles available. Each with different lengths, widths, and finishes to suit every home and budget. From modern and contemporary to rustic and traditional, our natural engineered wood flooring effortlessly complements a variety of interior design styles. It's a versatile flooring option that adapts to your unique taste and enhances the overall aesthetic of your space.

Does Engineered Wood Flooring Scratch Easily?

Natural engineered wood flooring is generally more resistant to scratching compared to solid wood flooring. Even though the top layer of engineered wood is made of real wood to provide an authentic appearance, it is typically protected by a durable finish. This protective layer helps to enhance the scratch resistance of the flooring, particularly when choosing a lacquered floor.

However, it's important to note that no wood floors are entirely scratch-resistant. While engineered wood is more resistant to scratches, it can still be scratched under certain conditions. Sharp objects, heavy furniture dragged across the floor, or pets can potentially cause scratches.

For more information on how to care for your natural engineered wood flooring, visit our maintenance centre.

Is Engineered Wood Flooring Waterproof?

Natural engineered wood flooring is not inherently waterproof. While engineered wood has better resistance to moisture compared to solid wood, it is still susceptible to water damage if exposed to excessive moisture or standing water for extended periods. This is because engineered wood flooring still consists of a solid wood veneer layer. Just like any other solid wood floor, the hardwood wear layer can absorb moisture. When excessive moisture is absorbed by wood it can lead to warping, swelling, or discoloration. Therefore, to avoid damaging your flooring, you should clean any spillages up quickly, or within 2-3 hours at least.

For areas prone to high moisture, such as bathrooms, we recommended choosing luxury vinyl tiles instead. Our LVT range has been specifically designed to be waterproof, making it ideal for bathrooms.

How Long Does Engineered Wood Flooring Need To Acclimatise?

Yes, always ensure proper acclimation of engineered wood floors for 48-72 hours before installation to prevent warping or expanding. For more information on how to acclimatise your flooring, visit our blog.

Natural Engineered Wood Flooring Finishes & Treatments

Unfinished

Unfinished engineered oak wood flooring refers to flooring that has not been treated with stains, lacquers, or oils before installation. It is essentially a raw material in its natural state. However, once the flooring is installed, it is necessary to apply some form of treatment or protective layer to enhance its durability, appearance, and performance.

One of the main benefits of unfinished natural oak flooring is its versatility in terms of style and customization. Since it lacks pre-applied finishes, you have full control to achieve your desired colour, sheen, or texture for your flooring.

Brushed & Oiled

Brushed and oiled engineered flooring offers a natural and textured appearance with enhanced durability. The brushing process adds depth and character to the wood, while the oil finish provides protection. Unlike lacquer which creates a surface layer, the oil penetrates the wood, highlighting its grain patterns and providing deep protection. This is perfect for additional resistance against scratches, however, will not provide as much protection against spillages. To achieve this look, we brush the floor using steel wire wool to remove the thin upper layers during the manufacturing process, before applying oil.

Brushed & Invisible Oiled

Brushed and invisible oiled engineered flooring combines a textured look with a subtle, natural finish. The brushing process enhances the wood's grain, while the invisible oil protects it without altering its appearance. To achieve this look, we brush the floor using steel wire wool to remove the thin upper layers during the manufacturing process, before applying invisible oil.

Brushed & Lacquered

Brushed and lacquered engineered flooring provides a stylish and durable option for modern interiors. The brushing process adds texture, while the lacquer finish provides a glossy and protective coating. This flooring finish is ideal for additional protection against spillages, however, will not provide as much protection against scratches as an oiled floor. To achieve this look, we brush the floor using steel wire wool to remove the thin upper layers during the manufacturing process, before applying lacquer.

Brushed & Matt Lacquered

Brushed and matt lacquered engineered flooring offers a textured appearance with a subtle sheen, providing a modern and understated look. The brushing process adds depth and character, while the matt lacquer finish adds a smooth and muted touch. Some customers prefer matt lacquer because it offers the same level of protection as any other lacquer would. However, it doesn't have that high-gloss shine and therefore will not reflect light. To achieve this look, we brush the floor using steel wire wool to remove the thin upper layers during the manufacturing process, before applying matt lacquer.

Brushed & Invisible Lacquered

Brushed and invisible lacquered engineered flooring provides the same level of durability and texture as any other brushed and lacquered flooring. However, it retains more of the natural character of the wood thanks to the invisible lacquer. The result is a textured floor with a seamless finish that offers both style and practicality. We find that this finish is ideal for various interior styles, whether contemporary or rustic. To achieve this look, we brush the floor using steel wire wool to remove the thin upper layers during the manufacturing process, before applying invisible lacquer.

Aged

Aged flooring showcases the natural wear and distressing of wood flooring that usually occurs over many years, providing a unique and authentic appeal. With its weathered appearance, our aged flooring brings a touch of nostalgia and sophistication to any room. Varying levels of ageing are available, depending upon your style preference, giving an impression of short and longer-term wear. To achieve this look, light wear is added to the surface of the oak, such as bumps and scrapes.

Lacquered

Lacquered engineered wood flooring features a smooth and glossy finish. Unlike oiled finishes that seep into the wood, lacquers sit on top to create a hard and durable surface. This type of finish is ideal for kitchens as the lacquer provides additional resistance against liquids and spillages.

Matt Lacquered

Matt lacquered flooring provides the same level of protection as any other lacquer. This will ensure that your engineered wood flooring is even more durable and protected against spillages to some extent. Matt lacquer is also a great option for high foot traffic areas where scratches or damage is more likely as matt surfaces will not show the scratches as easily as a high-gloss floor.

Invisible Lacquered

Invisible lacquered flooring is ideal if you require the protection that lacquer provides, but don’t want to affect the appearance.

Oiled

Oiled flooring provides deeper protection than lacquered flooring as the oil seeps into the wood grain which protects the boards. This flooring finish is perfect for high-traffic areas, however, will not cope with moisture or liquids as well as lacquer.

Oiled & Distressed

Oiled & distressed flooring provides a unique weathered appearance that features additional knots, textures, and open grains. This type of flooring finish is full of character and charm, making it ideal for rustic homes. The unique and vintage-inspired aesthetic of a distressed floor is then paired with the deep protection that oil provides.

Engineered Wood Flooring Thickness

Board Thickness

If you plan on refinishing your flooring in the future, then you may want to opt for thicker boards with a thicker veneer. This will allow you more opportunities to do so as only the veneer (aka the wear layer) can be sanded down. Thicker boards are also more hard-wearing and provide a slightly improved sound reduction performance. Therefore, you may want to consider thicker boards in upstairs apartments or bedrooms. As well as this, thicker boards are usually more suited to higher traffic areas, where they can withstand greater use. However, they are often more expensive to show for this, so ultimately it comes down to budget and personal preference.

Engineered Wood Flooring & Underfloor Heating

If you're considering underfloor heating with your engineered flooring, it's important that your flooring isn't too thick. We recommend using flooring with a maximum board thickness of 15MM with 4/4.5MM Underfloor Heating Suitable Underlay. This will allow heat to transfer more easily and regulate the temperature of your room.

Always check that your underfloor heating uses a water-based system (not electric) before installing.

Wear Layer

The wear layer refers to the top, aesthetic surface layer of real wood, which gives the engineered flooring its look. Thicker wear layers offer greater durability and the option to sand more frequently.

Most engineered wood floors, regardless of the thickness of the wear layer, will provide years of use, maintaining their impressive appearance.

Sanding Guide

In most cases, sanding the top layer of engineered wood flooring will remove up to 1MM of surface, with a minimum of 1MM leftover for protection. As a rough guide, here’s the number of times a floor can be sanded, based on the initial wear layer thickness:

3mm: 1-2 times

4mm: 2-3 times

5mm: 3-4 times

6mm: 4-5 times

(Please note: Sanding times is a guide only, the number of times a floor can be sanded will vary on an individual basis.)

Engineered Wood Flooring Installation Methods

Tongue & Groove

A traditional method of fitting flooring, Tongue & Groove is a tried and tested installation type that involves tessellating profiled edges together using glue, such as PVA.

Whilst it can be slower to fit than Click Lok, some customers prefer the peace of mind a glued, tongue and groove flooring provides.

Click Lok System

Click Lok flooring has a profiled edge which creates a glue-free, interlocking fitting system. This system allows quick and easy installation, even for DIY novices. Simply, push, drop, click, and lock the boards into place for a sturdy floor installation.

If you’re considering Click Lok, it’s important to think about the underlying surface on which your flooring will be laid. Uneven surfaces make Click Lok much more difficult to fit, which often means the need for levelling underlay.