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Help Please! Oil Finished Wood Floor or Wood Look Tile

bunnerbec
7 years ago

I'm struggling so much with deciding between installing an oil finished wood floor or installing wood look tile. The oil finished wood floor is the more beautiful by far, but the upkeep scares me. Clearly the wood look tile is the safer choice. I would love to hear from someone who has installed oil finished wood floors thought the house to hear your thoughts. I want the good, bad and the ugly regarding their protection and upkeep.

Comments (21)

  • PRO
    Black Cat Design Build, LLC
    7 years ago

    A couple considerations: Wood species, household habits, and climate where you live.

    You didn't say which species of wood floors you were considering. A hard, open grain wood (such as Oak) will hide scratches and wear much better than a smooth close-grained wood (Maple, American Cherry, etc...). And, the darker the stain, the more they show dust and scratches.

    If you have a busy household, and inflict some wear and tear, then yes...your wood floors will show that. If, on the other hand, you don't have big dogs and you take reasonable care of your home, most wood floors should hold up just fine. My own Oak floors are decades old, require almost no maintenance at all, and look great.

    If you live in a cooler climate, a tile floor will 'feel' much colder in the winter.

    Besides those considerations, it's personal preference. The wood is basically timeless. The fake-wood printed tiles will go the way of every other trend in a couple years....not that I'm biased on this or anything :) Seriously, though, it really is personal preference.

  • bunnerbec
    Original Author
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Chris, Thank you so much for your quick reply. The floors are oak, so it's a hardwood. We live in Florida, so tile temperature is not an issue for us. However, we love the look of the natural oil finished wood. The natural oil finish is my biggest concern. This is a matte floor without any kind of top coating. The manufacturer recommends we regular maintenance, along with regular cleaning (as you would any wood floor). It's a fairly new finish (that's what I'm told). I hear what you're saying about the wood look tile. Not in to fads, and definitely don't want to date the house. Thanks.


  • leelee
    7 years ago

    Are these manufactured wood floor? The kind that are pre-finished before installation?

  • bunnerbec
    Original Author
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Yes, it's engineered wood flooring by Castle and Combe and is pre-finished before installation.

  • _sophiewheeler
    7 years ago

    Florida's slab foundations and high water tables mandate the use of engineered wood only. solid wood will not work.

    I would do a natural stone tile like slate and be done with it. Design choices should be location and climate specific choices, and Florida says tile, not wood.

  • bunnerbec
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Hi Jennifer, it may be too late for me to make the switch. You are the FIRST person I have heard from that has oil finished floors. How long have you had them and have you had any major damage to them? Can you tell me what maintenance is like? I made the decision a couple weeks ago to go with tile. However, we are on hold waiting for cabinets and nothing has been ordered yet. I am interested in hearing as much as you can tell me. I would love pics as well (if possible).

  • Jennifer Havin
    7 years ago
    we've had ours downstairs for 2 years and upstairs for 6 months now. haven't had to re oil the whole thing yet, they have held up beautifully. had some puppy accidents and a near heart attack along with them, but buffed them out, reoiled those spots and you can't tell. I just vacuum regularly, use the soap weekly and absolutely adore them.
    movers scratched, well actually gouged a spot just lightly sanded, oiled and you can't tell. they are everything I hoped they would be. they feel good and soft underfoot, not like our old poly floors. ours are Kentwood barbican is the color, they are unique, not one plank looks like another which I love. good luck, oh we have 2 dogs 2 kids and a messy husband ;)
    bunnerbec thanked Jennifer Havin
  • PRO
    Oak & Broad
    7 years ago

    Here is something else to consider. Lots of custom shops like O&B can provide a prefinished floor with a matte finish thats NOT actually a Euro style oiled finish. Its much more durable and does not have the maintenance requirements. It still gives you the same great look though!

  • bunnerbec
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Jennifer, Thank you for sharing your experience with the oil finished. When I asked about maintenance, I was handed five pages of instructions. That did me in! Prosource told me the floors wouldn't be as much work as the manufacturer indicated, however I was never able to speak with anyone who actually HAD the floors. Yours are beautiful! I am surprised you've not re-oiled them yet. I was under the impression that was an annual ordeal. I had visions of moving heavy furniture and rolling up the carpets. It helps to hear from someone who has lived with these floors for a while!


    We were looking at a very dark floor to complement our furnishings and white kitchen cabinets. Pic above. My husband wanted the wood and I was nervous. Guess I had better check with Prosource before I re-open the conversation. Thanks again!

  • bunnerbec
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Hello O & B. What has been your experience with the oil finished floors? Prosource had a great selection of floors with various finishes. I spoke with the owner who has aluminum oxide coated wood floors, and he said they scratch easily. If he was reflooring, he said he would go with oil finished floors. However, I would love to hear the perspective of another pro.

  • margie2219
    7 years ago

    Agree - solid oak in the kitchen is great. My mom found hard wood in her 1920 house when we were kids in the 50's and 60's. in 1998 when we put her house on the market, we had to replace some of the floor in the dining room and no one could tell the difference - the 78 year old oak floors throughout the house looked just like new. (These were the days before family rooms and we lived in our home - children and animals always welcome throughout the house) Through the decades, neighbors renovated their kitchens an used different flooring, including expensive tiles (If you ever cook holiday meals - oak floors are more comfortable (especially on old knees) AND they looked great no matter what the style over many decades. I had to add oak floors in the kitchen in my home (knowing I would love them for decades. BTW we always had a houseful - Mom was the go to house for family and friends who visited.

    bunnerbec thanked margie2219
  • PRO
    Oak & Broad
    7 years ago

    Lots of our clients opt for our Rubio Monocoat finished floors because of their look but also because they can touch up any areas on the floor that begin to look worn. There are pro and cons of oil versus polyurethane of any number of other factory applied finishes. If you have dogs and cats that live in the home with you I may suggest a more traditional finish. Pet accidents can be hard on most floors.

    bunnerbec thanked Oak & Broad
  • bunnerbec
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    O & B, Does Rubio Monocoat come factory finished? If so, what brand(s) of floors are finished this way? I just did a quick search and see the floors. They look similar to natural oil finished. Is RM stronger/heartier than natural oil finished?

  • M Morgan
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    We sanded our red oak floors, used Rubio Monocoat Fume to bring out the greys then used Woca Oil. So beautiful and hard wearing!

    bunnerbec thanked M Morgan
  • PRO
    Oak & Broad
    7 years ago

    We offer all our floors with Rubio Monocoat. They do offer a natural finish. It looks great over White Oak. It is a natural 0% VOC finish.

    Wide Plank White Oak Wood Floor in Nashville TN · More Info

    bunnerbec thanked Oak & Broad
  • Jennifer Havin
    7 years ago
    we went the oil finish because this is our forever home and from what I've read these floors will outlive me and probably the house. we were told re oil every 3 to 5 years. and even then I'm guessing it will probably be the high traffic areas. we don't live in a beachy area, but the PNW and a lot of rain and snow and dirt. I absolutely love those dark floors but what more medium because we had dark before and they did show more dust etc. I didn't know about this new finish that is being discussed wasn't an option at the time. I literally researched our floors for 6 years before deciding on the oil finish. I seriously don't feel like they are any more work than regular wood or tile floors. good luck with your decision, you've picked out some beautiful things so far
  • bunnerbec
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Thank you Jennifer. You are seeing the dark wood sample laying over our existing floor finishes. Those will change, but our oriental carpets will stay. Your floors are so beautiful, I'm rethinking my decision about tile. This may not be our final home - we may downsize in 4-5 years. However, I'm sure resell value increases with wood. LOL! Just when I thought I had made the final decision...

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    7 years ago

    Oak and Broad,,,,do you have any pre-milled and cut herringbone flooring?

  • PRO
    Oak & Broad
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    @ Beth H. We do. Email me about your project. We do a lot in CA. joel@oakandbroad.com

  • PRO
    Evergreen Hardwood Floors
    6 years ago

    I've oiled on site, and reoiled some of those floors as well. It all depends on how you take care of your floors and how the are used. Kids and dogs can be tough on these types of finished floors. BUT re oiling them, they look pretty much brand new again. As mentioned before there are alternatives that can get you the same look and feel without the maintenance.