We strongly recommend the use of engineered boards over solid. Engineered wood flooring offers the natural beauty of solid timber with greater stability, making it less prone to movement, warping or gaps and better suited to underfloor heating and wider boards.

Our engineered boards are made of solid hardwood glued onto a high quality birch ply. The boards can be bought unfinished, pre-sealed, or stained and sealed.

These are the different grades of oak:Rustic - Is character grade with knotting,Prime - Is with no knots,Brown - Oak heartwood section with a darker tone of brown.Colour Variation - Is a natural mix of dark and light brown.

Pre-finished flooring has already been sanded and sealed with a Bona UV varnish. Once laid it is instantly ready for use.

Clean dry wherever you can. A vacuum with a hard-floor attachment or a soft brush removes the grit and dust that scratch a surface when walked over or dragged beneath furniture. That grit does more damage than anything else a floor meets.Damp clean only when you need to, using a well-wrung mop or cloth and a cleaner made for wooden floors — Bona Wood Floor Cleaner, or Osmo Wash & Care on oiled flooring. Spray cleaners are better than a bucket because they put less moisture on the boards.Never soak a floor. Frequent washing isn't necessary, and on an oiled floor it gradually wears away the protective finish. Clean as required, with as little water as possible.Avoid sanitising sprays, disinfectants and household cleaners. Repeated use breaks the finish down.

Wipe spills up straight away with a paper towel or absorbent cloth. A well-maintained oiled floor resists everyday spills well, including grease, wine, juice and food.For stubborn marks, rubber heel scuffs or sticky residue, apply a wood floor cleaner directly to the spot and give it a few minutes to work before wiping gently. Don't scrub hard —pressure damages the finish faster than the mark ever would.

Fit felt pads under furniture legs and anything else that sits directly on the boards. Put mats at external doors to catch grit and moisture before they reach the floor.Use a protective mat under office chairs, particularly castored ones, and anywhere that takes concentrated wear. Check and clean pads and mats regularly — grit trappedunderneath scratches just as readily as grit underfoot.

An oiled floor is protected by a hardened surface finish that resists dirt, moisture and daily wear. It asks for less day-to-day attention than you might expect, and benefits from being cleaned only when it needs it.What it does need is for the oil to be maintained. While the finish is intact, the floor keeps looking well and performing well. Once it wears, dirt and spills begin to reach the pores of the wood and the surface starts to look dry, dull or depleted.Reapply maintenance oil when required, using a product compatible with the original finish. Worn patches can be treated on their own, though doing the whole floor gives the most even result.How often depends on use, wear and the conditions indoors. Roughly once a year is a reasonable guide, more in entrances, kitchens and hallways. Watch the floor rather than the calendar.Don't let the finish wear away completely. If bare wood becomes visible, sanding and refinishing may be needed — speak to us before starting any remedial work.

Oil continues to harden after it's applied, so a new floor needs care during curing.Avoid damp cleaning for as long as you can, and allow around five to seven days for the oil to harden fully, following the instructions supplied with the finishing product. Keep the surface away from moisture, dirt and heavy wear in that period.Curing works best in a well-ventilated room at about 20°C and 45% relative humidity.

Wood is a natural material and responds to the air around it. It expands as it takes up moisture and contracts as the air dries, so some seasonal movement — including small changes in the gaps between boards — is normal and expected.Aim to keep the room between roughly 18°C and 25°C, with relative humidity between 30%and 65%. Sustained conditions outside that range can cause excessive movement, drying, distortion or damage.Cleaning needs change with the indoor climate too, so inspect the floor from time to time and act early if the surface starts to look dry or worn.

We stock the cleaning and maintenance products suited to our floors. Speak to a member of the team to order, or for advice on choosing and using the right one.Read this alongside any product-specific instructions supplied with your floor. Poor maintenance, unsuitable cleaning products or a prolonged unsuitable indoor climate will all affect how a floor looks, lasts and performs.