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20 Comments

We need to fix solid oak flooring probably Barn Oak to a Limecrete screed. Can you recommend a permeable adhesive which would be suitable to maiintain the breathablity of the floor.

Alan Kingston October 6, 2016 at 5:22pm

Hi Alan,

If you intend to fit our barn grade solid oak flooring to your subfloor, for the glue down method we would not recommend a board any wider than 120mm in width. For wider boards, we would recommend opting for engineered oak flooring.

With regards to the adhesive, our usual MS Polymer would not be suitable for this because of its rubberised nature. If you wanted to give us a call we could perhaps discuss in more detail the various fitting methods available.

Peak Oak October 7, 2016 at 1:14pm

I'm thinking of laying a solid oak floor on a first floor with underfloor heating - is this a bad idea? - I'm worried about warping etc. I know that engineered plank would be better, but could I nail that to the joists?

Chris March 5, 2017 at 10:29am

Hi Chris,

For laying over an underfloor heating system we would recommend using engineered oak flooring rather than solid. Engineered oak flooring is designed to be more stable in changeable conditions.

As for fitting, yes engineered can be fitted in same ways as a solid oak floor. We would normally recommend our Spax 3.5 x 55mm Screws for fitting into joists.

Peak Oak March 6, 2017 at 11:42am

Hi. I want to replace the pine ground floor floorboards in our Victorian house and wondered if solid or engineered oak would be better and if either/both would require a ply subfloor and membrane over the ventilated void (about 40cm deep)?

Also, I'm not sure if this falls into your area of expertise (so feel free to ignore!) but one possible complication is that the interior hall walls actually sit on the floorboards rather than on foundations! Any experience of what folk do in these circumstances?!

Thanks in advance!

Dr Neil Gascoigne September 11, 2017 at 10:09pm

Hi Neil,

As long as the area is ventilated and insulated between the joists, both solid and engineered oak flooring could be used in this situation. 20mm thick boards would need to be used and screwed to the joists.

As for the second question, this is not something we can particularly comment on and would be the job of a building inspector to take a look at.

Hope this helps.

Peak Oak September 14, 2017 at 3:43pm

Hello,

Do you have any advice for laying your 14mm solid boards to a plywood subfloor as found in an upstairs bedroom and landing?

Could this be done as a floating floor installation on top of fibreboard underlay or would it need to be nailed or screwed down?

If fixed to the subfloor what measures are there to reduce noise transmission through the floor?

Thanks,
Matthew.

Matthew September 25, 2017 at 3:12pm

Hi Mathew,

For laying a Solid Oak Floor onto a plywood subfloor we would recommend the secret screwing method of fitting. A solid oak floor should not be laid using the floating floor method.

For acoustic value an underlay such as our sheep's wool insulation could be used.

Hope this helps

Peak Oak September 27, 2017 at 5:00pm

Hi. I wish to replace the softwood boards in our hallway with oak. The void beneath the suspended floor is about 800mm. I have fitted Celotex between the joists level with the top of the joists. Could I fit either engineered or solid oak boards directly to the joists? If so, the best way of securing the boards?
Many thanks

Jerry Marsden April 8, 2019 at 3:28pm

Hi Jerry,

For laying over joists, both solid and engineered oak boards could be used. These would typically be fitted by either secret screwing or secret nailing, 45 degrees through the tongue of the board.

For solid oak flooring boards which are wider than 160mm, we would also recommend that the boards are surface fixed using either the screwing and plugging method or by using a traditional floor brad.

Peak Oak April 8, 2019 at 3:51pm

We have a lovely oak floor which was already laid when we bought the house. It’s finish is starting to dull. Is it better to redo or to put oil on it. Have maintained with hoovering and cleaned with special soap.

Tricia Adams May 6, 2020 at 1:45pm

Hi Tricia,

It does depend on the level of wear, but if the finish has only recently started to dull and are using a floor soap it may be worth taking a look at a maintenance oil. The maintenance oils are designed to bring some life back into the floor. If you are unsure which oil was originally applied, we would recommend the Blanchon Universal Maintenance Oil (https://www.peakoak.co.uk/wood-care/cleaning-maintenance/blanchon-universal-maintenance-oil/) which is designed for any oiled floor finish.

Hope this helps

Peak Oak May 28, 2020 at 5:20pm

Hi,

What width T hinges would you recommend fitting on oak ledge doors measuring 78 x 30 in?

Thank you.

Penny Lees June 4, 2020 at 4:40pm

Hi Penny,

Typically for this size door we would be recommending at least a pair of 18" T-Hinges are used.

Many Thanks

Peak Oak June 5, 2020 at 6:11pm

Hi
I’m afraid that we have applied too much Blanchon Original Maintenance Oil on our floor several months ago. It is quite sticky. Can you advise me on what I should do?

Jenny

Jenny Wright August 28, 2020 at 5:54pm

Hi Jenny,

This issue is not something we have come across before but will try to assist nonetheless. To remove the sticky surface, it may be worth looking at the Blanchon Powerful Cleaner. As a strong degreaser, this product should help to remove this. The flooring can then be reapplied with the maintenance oil or the original product.

Hope this helps.

Peak Oak September 1, 2020 at 5:14pm

Hello,

We have our wonderful flooring delivered (140mm rustic engineered). We will be installing g via the floating floor method and gluing the t&g joints. Is there a specific glue we should be using?

Stu Buxton November 11, 2020 at 12:39pm

Hi Stu,

When floating engineered oak flooring, we would recommend gluing the tongue and groove using a PVA wood glue (such as the Soudal Pro 30D Adhesive: https://www.peakoak.co.uk/wood-care/adhesives/pva-wood-glue/).

Many Thanks

Peak Oak November 20, 2020 at 11:35am

Hi , I am considering having solid European oak floor fitted in a 40 sq m room . I am rather confused with the different grading used by suppliers .could you tell me the difference between classic , cottage and rustic . I will be contacting you on the phone to get more info . Many thanks Taff

Taff el-sayed February 26, 2021 at 4:16pm

Hi Taff,

Each individual supplier does use their own different terms for the grading of the timber. Our main grades are the Barn grade, Character grade, Select grade and Prime grade.

Barn grade boards feature the most knots and holes. The Character grade is the middle ground with some knots and cracks - combined with areas of clean board. The Select grade features smaller tighter knots with larger areas of clean board. Finally the Prime grade is the cleanest grade of timber available - with the absolute minimum in terms of knots.

Hope this helps, if we can assist any further please give us a call.

Peak Oak March 2, 2021 at 3:55pm

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