3 1/4" or 5" Red Oak Hardwood Floors?

7 years ago

Does anyone have any issues after going with the 5" red oak floor? I heard the larger the plank the more chance you have for larger gaps and or buckling. I do love the look of the 5" plank but have not seen more then a plank and have seen a completed floor in the 3 1/4" and it looked beautiful. I am afraid that I am going with trend and may not be happy in the end. If you have 5" can you please post a picture.

Thanks

Brooke

Featured Answer

daki

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

We replaced most of the flooring on our main level with site finished 5" red oak earlier this year (upper level and one room remains 2 1/4"), so I don't have any long term experiences yet. However, I did have some of the same concerns that you have. In my attempt to research, I concluded that the homes that tended to have issues were ones where the 5" hardwoods were installed over a crawlspace.

I really like the way our floors turned out, but be aware that the board lengths will be shorter than the narrower width planks.

We have not yet repainted, so please ignore the battered paint

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Comments (7)

jansgirl
7 years ago
I'd go with the 5". If your installer is good you won't have problems down the road!
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Olychick
7 years ago
My house was built in the 1980's (not by me) and they alternated a wide board with at slimmer board. I have no idea why they did that, but it looks great and classic. I had them refinished sometime around 2000, when the refinisher mentioned the different widths. I'd NEVER noticed it myself. Just offering an unusual option if you can't decide.
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Brooke Korenthal
Original Author
7 years ago
They look soooo beautiful!!!!
Iloveto Cook
7 years ago
I just wanted to say to Daki, I LOVE YOUR HOME!
daki
7 years ago
Thanks (blush). It actually still needs a bit of work. I’m planning to post a few questions soon, as I'm facing a bit of decision paralysis on some stuff.
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User
7 years ago
Wide planks are beautiful. I wish they had been available in the flooring we used when we did our floors.
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