Oak

Engineered Oak Wood Flooring Samples

Find Your Perfect Engineered Oak Wood Flooring With Our Free Samples

There's no better way to choose your flooring than to see it in the room you'll be fitting it in. That is why we offer free samples on our entire range of engineered oak wood flooring. Our free flooring samples are ideal for visualising the finished look, without committing to a purchase.

At Flooring365 we do not limit the number of samples you can order. So you can order as many styles as you need until you find the perfect fit for your home. 

How To Order Your Engineered Oak Wood Flooring Samples

Ordering your free samples has never been easier!

Simply find the flooring style (or styles) that you like. Then click the ‘order free sample’ button on the flooring you want, either within the category or individual product page. You can then find the samples in your cart, free of charge. When you've finished browsing, proceed with your order and your samples will be on their way, with free delivery included.

Quick and Easy Delivery

At Flooring365 we use Royal Mail to deliver our samples. You can usually expect to receive them within 2-3 days. However, you won't have to be at home for the delivery. Our samples have been specifically designed to fit through your letterbox to make the process stress-free. 

Engineered Oak Wood Flooring FAQs

What is Engineered Oak Wood Flooring?

Engineered oak wood flooring is made out of the oak wood species and has been purposefully designed and built. It is made up of a solid hardwood top layer of oak and a base of 3-12 layers of plywood. Due to the solid wood veneer, engineered wood flooring is a very convincing replica of solid wood. Whereas the core layers run in different directions to create a stable and sturdy floor that will last many years.
 
Overall, engineered oak flooring will have the exact same appearance as a solid wood oak floor once laid. However, will be less likely to warp or expand due to temperature or humidity changes. Engineered wood flooring is often less expensive too. Plus, the oak veneer can be sanded and refinished if necessary, giving your floor a new lease of life. 

Is Engineered Oak Wood Flooring Popular?

Our range of engineered oak wood flooring has proven very popular with our customers. So whatever style, finish, colour, width, or depth you’re looking for we are confident that you will find the perfect engineered oak wood floor for you and your home.

Is Engineered Oak Wood Flooring Waterproof?

No, engineered oak wood flooring is not waterproof. Although it can withstand small amounts of spillages, it’s best to clean them straightaway or within 2-3 hours of the spillage occurring. Otherwise, the liquids can seep into the cracks causing warping and discoloration. Lacquer finishes can help with this but will not make your engineered wood flooring impermeable. If you are looking for a floor that is 100% waterproof, you should consider a floor from our LVT range. 

Is Engineered Oak Wood Flooring Suitable For Kitchens?

Yes. Due to its unique composition, engineered oak wood floors are durable enough to withstand high volumes of activity, as well as high levels of moisture and humidity. 

We recommend using a lacquered finish in kitchens, which provides a protective top layer that offers greater protection against spillages. As long as you clean up small spillages as soon as possible, your engineered oak wood floor will look great in your kitchen for years to come.

Is Engineered Oak Wood Flooring Suitable For Bathrooms?

As engineered oak wood flooring isn’t waterproof, we don’t recommend it for use in bathrooms.

If you’re looking for a floor that is suitable for bathrooms, we recommend using Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT). Our LVT range offers a wood effect, whilst still being able to withstand higher levels of moisture and humidity.

How Do I Keep My Engineered Oak Wood Flooring In Top Condition?

Engineered oak wood flooring is highly durable and will withstand the pressures of any busy household. That said, there are a few things you can do to keep your flooring in excellent condition and looking as good as when it was first laid:

• A daily sweep or clean with a damp mop.
• Mopping up spillages as soon as possible to avoid staining.
• Reapplying oils regularly, ensuring your floor has maximum protection.

Does Engineered Oak Wood Flooring Need Underlay?

Engineered oak wood flooring does not always require underlay, but it does help. For a professional finish and the best possible results, we always recommend using an underlay.

Underlay helps to provide an even subfloor, giving your flooring more stability. It also helps with the insulation, helping to keep your wood floors (and home) a little warmer. 

On top of that, underlay can also help with comfort by adding an extra layer to your flooring making it softer and more comfortable beneath your feet.

Can Engineered Oak Wood Flooring Be Installed Over Ceramic Tile?

Engineered wood can be installed over ceramic tile however, you need to ensure that the tile is in good condition before installing your engineered wood flooring. For a successful installation, the tiles must provide a level surface. Otherwise, you could come across issues such as creaking, hollowness, and uneven planks later down the line. 

Does Engineered Oak Wood Flooring Scratch Easily?

Any wood floor can be susceptible to scratches but is durable enough to withstand daily use, even in busy households. However, if you do manage to damage your flooring, don't panic. Our engineered oak wood flooring options feature wear layers between 1.2mm - 6mm of oak veneer which can be sanded down and refinished. Therefore your flooring can look brand new for many years to come. However, please note that a minimum wear layer of 3mm is required for refinishing. 

You can also choose from a selection of finishes that will not only add to your floors appearance but also protect them from scratching. Two of the best options are oil and lacquer. The oil soaks into the wood to strengthen it whereas, lacquer is a thicker finish that offers more protection from spillages.

For more information on how to maintain your engineered wood flooring, visit our engineered wood maintenance guide. 

Can Engineered Oak Wood Floors Be Sanded and Refinished?

Yes. However, the number of times you can sand and refinish your flooring depends on the thickness of the top layer. For more information on how to refinish your engineered oak wood flooring, visit our maintenance centre. 

How Long Does Engineered Oak Wood Flooring Last?

Thanks to the durability and stability of engineered wood floors they can last for decades. If looked after properly, engineered wood floors can last up to 30 years.

How Much Does Engineered Oak Wood Cost?              

Although engineered oak wood floors are cheaper than solid wood floors, the prices do vary. The prices of engineered oak wood floors are generally affected by common factors, such as the type of wood species (oak will generally be cheaper than walnut for example), the thickness of the boards, and how thick the wear layer is (the top layer of solid wood).

Does Engineered Oak Wood Need To Acclimate?

Yes. We always recommend acclimatizing your engineered oak wood flooring so that it can adjust to the conditions of your home before it is installed. For the best results, you should let the floor acclimatise for a minimum of 2 days. This will prevent any movement such as expanding or warping after installation. 

Engineered Oak Flooring Finishes & Treatments

Unfinished

An unfinished engineered oak wood floor is simply a raw material without any stains, lacquers, or oils applied. However, unfinished engineered wood flooring will require treatment or a protective layer after fitting and before use.

The main benefit of unfinished oak engineered wood flooring is that it comes in a wider range of styles thanks to the availability of oils, waxes, or stains.

Brushed & Oiled

Brushed & oiled finishes offer a greater texture and more depth to the surface of the floor. To achieve this look, we brush the floor using steel wire wool to remove the thin upper layers during the manufacturing process. This leaves behind an enhanced grain and texture. The level of depth and texture varies, depending on the flooring type and level of brushing. The wood is then protected with oil.

Brushed & Invisible Oiled

Brushed & invisible oiled floors go through the exact same process as our brushed & oiled floors. This exposes the natural qualities and charm of the wood without causing any damage. However, once the floor has been brushed, an invisible oil is applied. Similar to an invisible lacquer an invisible oil finish provides the same level of protection as a traditional oil finish, whilst leaving the natural colour of your engineered floor untouched.

Brushed & Lacquered

Our brushed & lacquered floors go through the exact same process as our brushed & oiled floors, except a lacquer is applied instead of oil. For more information on the difference between lacquers and oils, take a look at the sections below. 

Brushed & Matt Lacquered

Similar to the above finishes, our brushed & matt lacquered floors have been brushed using steel wire wool. A matt lacquer is then applied. 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. 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. 

Handscraped

This effect aims to recreate the traditional look of wood flooring when a professional woodworker would hand finish each board, which gave them unique characteristics. This finish especially looks good on glossy, lacquered flooring where the reflection highlights the waviness of the finish.

Aged

Aged flooring is created by adding light wear to the surface of oak engineered wood planks, such as bumps and scrapes, to create an established, worn look that creates the illusion of flooring that has been laid for years.

Varying levels of ageing are available, depending upon your style preference, giving an impression of short and longer-term wear.

Distressed

Our distressed engineered oak flooring features enhanced knots, textures, and open grains for a truly unique and rustic appearance. 

Distressed flooring is a good idea if you’re looking for the stability of a new, engineered board, with the appearance of an antique, reclaimed floorboard.

Lacquered

Lacquer is a varnish that dries to produce a hard, durable finish and acts as an additional wear layer. This makes it a popular choice for many, but particularly ideal for areas with higher foot traffic. Lacquered flooring is also much better at dealing with spillages thanks to the surface layer it creates. 

Matt Lacquered

If you are looking for a finish that is both suitable for high-traffic areas and helps to protect against spillages, consider a matt lacquered floor. The matt surface will not highlight any minor scuffs or scratches, unlike a high gloss lacquer. Plus, it will still offer the same protection as a high-gloss lacquer thanks to the surface layer created. 

Invisible Lacquered

Invisible lacquer allows your flooring to appear completely natural making it impossible to tell that a finish has been applied. However, still offers the same level of protection as any other lacquer. 

Oiled

Oil provides deeper protection than lacquer as the oil seeps into the wood grain which protects the boards. However, oiled flooring usually requires greater maintenance and care over spillages.

Engineered Wood Flooring Thickness

Board Thickness

Thicker boards usually have a thicker veneer, which is important if you plan on refinishing your flooring in the future. This matters more with engineered wood flooring as only the veneer (aka the wear layer) can be sanded down. Although there is no wear layer for solid wood flooring, the same rule applies. The more thickness you have, the more times you can refinish your flooring. You can see more information about this on our wear tab.

Thicker boards are also more hard-wearing and provide slightly improved sound reduction performance. Therefore, you may want to consider thicker boards in upstairs apartments or bedrooms, for example. 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 Oak 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.