Wooden floor - wide planks.

9 years ago

Would you put this wide plank. 18 cm in a hall about 1 metre wide? I really like the colour and wider plank as it would be ok in the lounge.

On another matter, does wooden flooring get damaged by stiletto heels? Is this the same for engineered wood?

Thanks

Featured Answer

lilylap

9 years ago

I have a solid oak kitchen floor. It is an oiled oak floor I, have had it down over a year now and it still looks new. I use Rustins floor oil (but don't rub it back because I like it shiny). I have a family of four and a Dalmatian who runs everywhere. I prefer the narrow planks but it is down to personal opinion.
My floor is scratched and when you are on your hands and knees you can see the scratches (or should I say dents because it's oiled scratches don't chip or mark like lacquered wood) the grain of the wood masks the dents that you cannot see them unless up close, please see photo as you can see I also have a solid oak dining table and chairs which are used several times a day ( we did cut up cork dinner mats and silicon them on the bottom of the table and chairs so it protects the floor but normal wear and tear of traffic is no problem.
That being said I do have two over sized bathmats that I use (in white) as door mats (one in wash and one in wear these go into wash regular and I prefer them to any other mat because I like to wash them in the washing machine) One is always at the back door to protect the floor from the elements outside and everyone takes their shoes off in my house at the back door (those that have refused don't get invited back and damage has not occurred.)

in choosing your floor please buy at least a quarter more than you need. The reason for this is:
A lot of the planks cannot be used and these planks are mixed in with good quality planks. Quality Control is questionable these days!
Some have large knots that run through the entire planks (should you wish this floor to be a forever floor that may need sanding eventually you will have huge holes in the floor unless you cut the planks down and use a for the edges or make your own tongues and grooves) some have cracks and splits that run fully through the flooring or just the tongues were split, these cannot be used unless cut down for edges and we had problems with the some of the smaller planks being slightly wider than the other planks making them awkward to work with.

There are a lot of planks that also have knots in them but the knot does not run through the entire plank we did use all of these ones

My advice is also if you are having a professional come and fit your floor (this cranks up the price heavily)
Always:
Check references, google them.
and..
QC every plank yourself and personally discard those you wouldn't put down,( there are too many professionals out there that don't have high standards at all in fact I would certainly say some don't have many standards) Mark the sides that you do not want with permanent marker so you know that cannot be removed and leave the sides that can be cut down and used around the perimeter of your room. Though this is going to be very time consuming you are paying for quality for your home you want it to last.

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Comments (6)

muttleyz
9 years ago
I have "real wood top layer" I think that is the same as engineered. It has been damaged by heels and dog scratched. I find it quite soft and easily scratched by furniture etc. I now have wood effect tiles to prevent this, they look great and are very practical.
Jenny West
9 years ago
Is there room to make ppl take off their shoes?
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lilylap
9 years ago
Sorry I clicked before I'd finished.

I have to say my floor is the easiest floor I've had to keep clean. It just shines, I don't have to wash and buff it everyday. I'm definitely won over with wood. the only issue for me is the oiling at the start it needs several good coats to get your floor fully protected that been said I get up earlier pour oil on the floor wipe it in either on my hands and knees an old tshirt or with an old tshirt under a swiffer and go to work or we go to bed early and do it last thing on a night takes 8ish hours to dry in winter 4- 6ish in summer before you can walk on it depending on the thickness of the coat the heat and the humidity.

I hope this helps.
PRO
JMDesign
9 years ago
I have recommended a similar width of plank for a small hall and it looked great. The wood was used throughout the downstairs and gave a seamless transition between rooms which helps make the hall feel bigger.

With regards marking, a solid wood or engineered wood floor will dent and mark over time but this is part of its natural charm. The wear characteristics of solid or engineered wood are the same, although engineered wood is generally a cheaper option than solid wood as it is just a few mm of wood on the top surface.

I usually suggest an oiled floor as described above by lilylap as it allows small areas to be repaired if necessary. To minimize ingrained dirt and dents I recommend getting a coir matt installed (set at the same level as the wooden floor) just at the door to catch dirt on entry.
lilylap
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
As a housekeeper, a relative of an Owner of an old cottage with a set-in coir mat compartment and a person who always thinks ahead. I definitely do not advocate, coir mats and definitely not fitted into the floor for these reason:

1, although they look aesthetically pleasing (when new) set into the floor, once you have committed to a size you need to be able to get the exact same; depth, length and width in the future (they wear just like any mat) and standards change regular. If you don't get it right when replacing, it can be a trip hazard and once dirty, worn or ill fitting they look absolutely awful and become dust and dirt magnets.
2, they cannot be washed! Think about how many mats people throw away because they get dirty and cannot be washed, you can vacuum them, but you can also vacuum a floor...it doesn't make it clean. You get to a certain stage and you just end up walking the dirt into your home anyway. So it is not doing its job therefore not worth having.
3, after a while coir mats moult, then the fibers from the mat and the debre end up getting walked into your floor and home, that is floor damage waiting to happen.

Wooden floor - wide planks.

lilylap

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muttleyz

Jenny West

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