Whitewashed or White Solid Oak Flooring

Whitewashed solid oak flooring is the ideal wheel to shed and enormous amount of light into your room.  Whitewashed or white solid oak flooring is usually associated with beach huts and alpine chalets but this does not mean its only suited to these areas.

The 2 choices when opting for white solid oak flooring in your home are whitewashed or painted solid oak flooring.  Whitewashing was traditionally the cheaper way to create the way effect for those who couldn’t afford to paint.  The formula included mixing calcium hydroxide and chalk and it also formed as a protection for the wood.  The overall look when finished was a worn, uneven appearance that really brings out the grain and is perfect for that rustic look.

White washed solid oak flooring is fairly easy to achieve by stripping back the top layer and painting it with a watered down white emulsion followed by rubbing down the surface once the paint has dried. The floor should then be sealed to with a cleat lacquer or oil to seal it.

If you are after a more solid coloured finish then the solid should be painted white.  When creating this flattened solid colour look you do run the risk of seeing scratches and scrapes eventually, especially in homes with larger amounts of traffic.  It is advisable to go for a more aged look in the first place so any additional scratches will not only add to the effect.

So when deciding which type of flooring to go for you need to decide what the final effect should be, solid flat or worn and aged.  Remember though, when going for the solid flat painted look you will need to take extra care and probably introduce runners and extra flooring protection under your table and chairs.  For more advice please get in contact