Solid or engineered flooring
The most appropriate board structure - solid or engineered - will depend on the project in question and any decision should be made having considered the following variables; humidity, room size, sub-floor, likely temperature fluctuations and desired board width. The main characteristics of our solid and engineered boards are outlined below and should prove useful when deciding on the most appropriate board structure to suit your domestic or commercial project.
Solid
Russwood’s solid oak floor boards are 20mm thick and are suitable for many project types. There is no overriding reason why a solid oak floor should be chosen over an engineered one. Solid boards are crafted from one piece of oak and as such, traditionalists may perceive this as a more luxurious option. However, once laid they look identical to engineered boards and are fitted in exactly the same way.
Our solid oak floors can be used on top of underfloor heating, although we would advise that a maximum board width of 150mm is selected.
Engineered
Engineered oak flooring is created from vertical grain spruce blockboard topped with solid oak, making it the most versatile option due to its increased stability yet being lightweight for transporting to site. The top layer of oak – known as the lamella – is thick enough to ensure that it will last a lifetime. Spruce blockboard flooring offers the same dimensional stability as birch plywood and performance over underfloor heating.
The increased stability gained from selecting an engineered board is perfect for projects in which very wide boards are desired or where the floor is to be installed over underfloor heating, as the boards may be subject to considerable changes in temperature. Also, in areas of excess moisture, such as bathrooms, engineered flooring is a safer option to reduce the natural shrinking/swelling of the timber.
Russwood’s engineered oak boards are available in 14mm thick; boards include a 3mm oak top layer. Once laid, engineered boards look identical to solid boards and are fitted in exactly the same way.
