Good evening everyone,
I am currently trying to decide which flooring option is better. The developer has planned for engineered hardwood floorboards. According to the specifications: oak, lacquered, 4mm (0.16 inch) wear layer. As an alternative, the same quality but beech (with an additional cost).
Requirements: small children, underfloor heating.
Does beech behave similarly to oak, or does beech have significantly more movement in response to changes in humidity?
If small children accidentally wet the floor, how quickly does it need to be cleaned to prevent damage?
I am currently trying to decide which flooring option is better. The developer has planned for engineered hardwood floorboards. According to the specifications: oak, lacquered, 4mm (0.16 inch) wear layer. As an alternative, the same quality but beech (with an additional cost).
Requirements: small children, underfloor heating.
Does beech behave similarly to oak, or does beech have significantly more movement in response to changes in humidity?
If small children accidentally wet the floor, how quickly does it need to be cleaned to prevent damage?
1. Beech wood is noticeably softer than oak and therefore more sensitive (although the varnish naturally provides additional protection).
2. With properly glued parquet flooring, the choice of wood actually doesn’t matter much. It mainly depends on personal taste and, if relevant, the hardness of the wood.
3. From my own experience with parquet, I can tell you that there is enough time to fix any mishaps. Half an hour is usually quite relaxed; depending on the quality of the joints between the planks or parquet pieces, it can sometimes remain wet for several hours before moisture penetrates.
2. With properly glued parquet flooring, the choice of wood actually doesn’t matter much. It mainly depends on personal taste and, if relevant, the hardness of the wood.
3. From my own experience with parquet, I can tell you that there is enough time to fix any mishaps. Half an hour is usually quite relaxed; depending on the quality of the joints between the planks or parquet pieces, it can sometimes remain wet for several hours before moisture penetrates.
Bautraum201517 Mar 2016 10:14We were advised by several sources (flooring installers, carpenters, contractors, and others) to avoid beech wood because it tends to shrink significantly with underfloor heating. We were convinced of this after visiting a well-known installer who laid beech as 3-strip engineered flooring (glued down), where clear cracks or gaps between the individual strips were visible after only 2 years. Dirt collects in these gaps, which really doesn’t look very appealing.
nordanney schrieb:
Beech is noticeably softer than oak and therefore more sensitive No, beech is just as hard as oak.
Bender schrieb:
Does beech behave similarly to oak, or does beech have significantly more tolerance regarding climate changes? Beech reacts much more sensitively to humidity than oak due to its shrinkage behavior and is therefore less suitable for underfloor heating.
For the wear layer, I would rather go thicker. The advantage is that the floor is more durable and can be sanded more often. As for the surface treatment (oiled or sealed), I would also consider which you prefer. In my opinion, this has to be experienced and felt. Oiled surfaces feel warmer. Furthermore, an oiled floor is easier to renovate than a sealed floor; scratches and dents can be removed more easily.
Regarding maintenance, I believe an oiled floor is not much more demanding than a sealed floor if you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Especially with small children, an oiled floor is more forgiving than a lacquered floor.
My choice would therefore be multi-layer oak parquet, 5–6mm (2–2.5 inches) wear layer, glued down and oiled.
H
HilfeHilfe17 Mar 2016 12:37we have bamboo... rock solid
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