Engineered Construction
Most of our wide plank European White Oak collections are engineered.
Engineered hardwood flooring is constructed with a real European White Oak top layer bonded to a dimensionally stable engineered core. This construction makes it possible to produce wider planks while reducing some of the natural expansion and contraction associated with comparable wide solid hardwood flooring.
However, the word engineered by itself says very little about the quality of a floor.
Engineered flooring can vary significantly in the thickness of the real hardwood top layer, the quality and construction of the core, the overall board thickness, the dimensions of the planks, grading, milling, and finishing.
Grades & Natural Character
European White Oak is available in different grades, and grading has a major influence on the finished appearance of the floor.
Select grade offers a cleaner and more controlled appearance, with limited knots and less visual variation between boards.
Select-Character allows more of the natural qualities of the tree to remain visible while maintaining a relatively refined overall appearance.
Character grade allows greater variation, including knots, mineral characteristics, grain movement, and natural differences between individual boards.
One grade is not necessarily better than another.
The right grade depends on the architecture, plank dimensions, finish, and the overall feeling intended for the project. A very clean Select floor can be perfect in one interior, while another space benefits from the movement and individuality found in Character-grade wood.
Texture & Surface
Texture has an enormous effect on the appearance of European White Oak.
Our collections include smooth, light wire-brushed, and wire-brushed surfaces, along with additional specialty textures depending on the manufacturer.
A smooth surface creates a cleaner and more uniform appearance.
Light brushing subtly opens the grain and gives the surface additional depth without making the texture dominant.
A stronger wire-brushed treatment emphasizes the grain more noticeably and creates a more tactile surface.
Texture also changes the way a finish reflects light. The same color applied to smooth European Oak and wire-brushed European Oak can appear surprisingly different.
Color & Finish
European White Oak accepts a wide range of finishing techniques, which is one reason it is used so extensively in custom and high-end flooring.
Our showroom includes more than 60 color and finish options across different collections, from very light finishes through warm neutrals, earth tones, medium browns and deeper colors.
Different manufacturers use different staining, reactive, smoking, oiling, brushing and coating techniques, so color is only one part of the final result. Grain, texture, grade and finish system all contribute to how the floor looks once installed.
Both prefinished and unfinished European White Oak options are available.
For projects requiring a particular tone, custom color development and color matching are also available through selected manufacturers.
Plank, Herringbone & Chevron
European White Oak can be produced in straight plank as well as architectural pattern flooring.
We offer plank, Herringbone and Chevron in multiple dimensions, grades, constructions and finishes.
For selected projects, plank flooring can be coordinated with Herringbone or Chevron in the same or a complementary finish, allowing pattern flooring to be introduced in selected rooms without changing the overall material language of the project.
Beyond Herringbone and Chevron, we also work with more specialized pattern flooring, including Versailles and mosaic-style designs.
Custom European White Oak
A significant part of our European White Oak offering is made-to-order flooring.
Depending on the manufacturer and project, custom options may include plank width, board length, top-layer thickness, overall construction, grade, surface treatment, color, finish, sheen, Herringbone or Chevron dimensions, intricate mosaics and unfinished material.
We can also work from architectural specifications, samples, inspiration images, cabinetry, stone or an existing flooring reference to develop a product appropriate for the project.
Beyond European White Oak
Although European White Oak represents a large portion of our hardwood collection, we also offer distinctive species including Douglas Fir, Maple, Ash, Black Walnut, Elm and other specialty woods.
These collections give designers and homeowners additional options when European White Oak is not the right material for the project.
Our Brooklyn Showroom
Our Brooklyn showroom is designed to make it possible to compare hardwood flooring beyond the color of a small sample.
We show European White Oak in different widths, grades, textures, constructions and finishes, including collections with thicker real-wood top layers, longer plank formats, Select and Character grading, and a wide range of colors.
Clients can compare construction, top-layer thickness, board dimensions, surface texture, grading and finish in person before deciding which product is appropriate for the project.
For homeowners, this means understanding what you are paying for.
For designers, architects, contractors and developers, it means being able to compare specifications and identify flooring that meets both the design intent and technical requirements of the project.
For Trade
We work with designers, architects, contractors and developers on both standard and custom European White Oak flooring.
Our trade offering includes samples, specifications, pricing, lead-time coordination, custom color development, pattern flooring, unfinished products and made-to-order dimensions.
For larger projects, we can review plans and flooring specifications and work with our manufacturers to source or produce material around the requirements of the project.
Visit Floorika
Visit our Brooklyn showroom to compare European White Oak flooring in person and see the differences in construction, width, grade, texture, color and finish.
You are welcome to bring plans, samples, inspiration images or project specifications.
