Unfinished Oak Flooring: Finished on Site
What unfinished oak is, why and how it is finished after fitting, oil or lacquer, how its colour changes, and the unfinished oak floor in our range.
Unfinished oak is oak sold without a factory finish: the Finish line of the listing reads Unfinished, and the boards arrive as bare wood. The finish goes on once the floor is down, so the sheen and the final colour are chosen in the room rather than from a sample. In our range that is exactly one oak floor, the Marlow Solid Unfinished Oak Parquet Blocks, and one floor in another species, merbau.
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What the range has
The Marlow Solid Unfinished Oak Parquet Blocks are solid European oak, 18 mm thick, in blocks of 90 × 300 mm with a tongue and groove joint, and carry a 20 year manufacturer's warranty. The only other unfinished floor is the Marlow Solid Merbau Parquet Blocks, 18 × 70 × 280 mm. The same Marlow oak block also comes finished at the factory, 7 times over: 3 at 300 mm long and 4 at 450 mm, 5 of them lacquered and 2 oiled. Solid parquet blocks like these are made to BS EN 13226, the product standard for solid parquet elements with grooves and/or tongues.
Why an unfinished floor is finished
A bare floor is not meant to stay bare. The Wood Handbook of the US Forest Products Laboratory names three things a finish does for a wood floor: it enhances the natural beauty of the wood, protects it from excessive wear and makes it easier to clean. Choosing unfinished means choosing that finish yourself, and having it applied after fitting.
How the finish goes on
The Handbook describes finishing a floor in four steps: sanding the surface, applying filler, staining to a desired colour, and finishing with a clear coat. It adds that the detailed procedure and the products depend largely on the species of wood and the finish chosen, and it sends readers to flooring associations and manufacturers for them. In practice that means following the instructions of the finish you choose.
Oil or lacquer
Clear finishes come in two kinds, and the Handbook compares them. A film-forming finish such as varnish is generally easier to clean and better at keeping the wood from getting dirty; a penetrating finish such as oil leaves the surface texture intact. Films are worn away by repeated cleaning and abrasion, and floors need thicker, harder films. Which suits which room is set out in the guide to oiled and lacquered floors.
Unfinished oak changes colour too
Leaving the factory finish off does not stop the colour moving. The Handbook says wood changes colour as it ages indoors, whether unfinished or finished, and that in general dark wood gets lighter and light wood gets darker. Its advice for a newly laid floor is to check under rugs after a few weeks and, if the colour is changing, to move the rugs from time to time so that no sharp lines form.
Before it goes down
The Contract Flooring Association asks for a steady room temperature of 18 to 27 °C, reached 48 hours before installation, so that the flooring can be kept in the room and reach room temperature first. The Marlow blocks are listed as not compatible with underfloor heating, as are all 20 solid wood floors in the range; over a heated floor the answer is one of the 65 engineered floors, all listed as compatible.
Common questions
What is unfinished oak flooring?
Oak sold without a factory finish, as bare wood, to be finished once it is laid. In our range it is one floor: the Marlow Solid Unfinished Oak Parquet Blocks, 18 × 90 × 300 mm.
Does unfinished oak have to be finished?
It is meant to be. The Wood Handbook of the US Forest Products Laboratory says finishes enhance the natural beauty of wood floors, protect them from excessive wear and make them easier to clean.
Should unfinished oak be oiled or lacquered?
Either; they behave differently. The Wood Handbook describes film finishes such as varnish as generally easier to clean, and oils as penetrating finishes that leave the surface texture intact. The guide to oiled and lacquered floors sets out which suits which room.
Can unfinished oak go over underfloor heating?
Not the unfinished oak in our range: the Marlow blocks are listed as not compatible with underfloor heating, like all 20 solid wood floors we sell. All 65 engineered floors are listed as compatible.
Will unfinished oak change colour?
Yes, like finished oak. The Wood Handbook says wood changes colour as it ages indoors, finished or not, and that in general light wood gets darker and dark wood lighter.
We deliver solid oak town by town across the UK. Browse by town and region.
What the published standards say
Who publishes this guide
- Samples £1.99 each
- UK-wide delivery
- Advice before you order