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Solid Wood Flooring

At Easy Step Flooring, we have a large variety of solid wood floors for anybody looking for a premium wood texture, at the lowest prices in the UK. Our solid wood flooring is by far our most popular species of a hardwood floor with its distinctive textures and contemporary tones, nothing compares to the beauty of a real oak floor simply order a free sample below so you can feel the quality of our products before you purchase or visit our showroom in West London and one of our advisers will help you find your perfect flooring.

Solid Wood Flooring

A solid wood or real wood floor is one that is milled from a single piece of timber. Solid wood flooring comes in random sizes often ranging from 300mm to 12000mm sized planks. The most common and popular species of hardwood is European Oak however customers can choose a variety of species such as Walnut, Maple, Ash, Beech, Pine and the choices go on. Solid Wood is milled with tongues and groove profiles on opposite edges so that the boards lock when installed. There are several methods to install solid wood flooring depending on the subfloor condition, you can opt to nail it down or glue it directly to the floor using an MS Polymer adhesive.

Solid Wood Thickness

As only 100% real wood is used, once your flooring has been fitted, it is able to be sanded down, refinished, and re-coated many times, this is what makes this 18mm thickness option such an excellent choice and we are confident that you will agree! You will not have to worry about replacing your floor, in fact, the same flooring is often kept and looking just as good as new hundreds of years later- it truly is a timeless classic

If you’d like to seek more information please see here.

Solid Wood Flooring Benefits

Elegance, there is no other flooring type that can replicate natural hardwood floors & adding warmth to your home.

Easy to keep clean & low maintenance, hardwood floors are easy to maintain they can be swept with a brush, vacuumed, or simply use with a bona floor mop to remove any debris or stubborn stains.

Hardwearing & Strong, many houseowners opt for hardwood flooring due to its durability. Although solid wood flooring can be scratched it can be remedied by branded repair kits to fix cosmetic scratches or simply sand the surface down and re-finish the flooring to the desired finish.

Return on investment, hardwood flooring can add value to your house. A surveycarried out in the UK in 2018 by the National Wood Flooring Association found on average that house owners who have wooden flooring can increase the value from 1% - 10%.

Allergy Sufferers – Hardwood Flooring doesn’t collect dust like carpet so this makes it a good option for those who suffer from allergies.

Room Suitability

Since wood flooring is quite versatile, hardwearing, and durable it can pretty much be used in any room in the house, we will talk you through the different areas of the house and the suitability for hardwood flooring.

If you are opting to have under-floor heating installed in any areas in the house you shouldn’t use solid wood flooring as the planks would not cope with the heat, you can simply opt for engineered flooring which is suitable to use with under-floor heating, and once installed it looks and feels the same as solid wood flooring. (For more information, please visit our advice centre)

Hallways – The hallway is mainly the area that gets the heaviest footfall making it the busiest area in the house so with the right care and maintenance this makes it perfect for solid wood flooring or engineered wood flooring. If your floors start looking dull and are in need of a refresh you have the option for both to re-sand & re-finish bringing them back to their new condition.
Dining Room & Lounge – Your dining room and lounge are considered the pinnacle of the house where you might be relaxing or entertaining family & friends so you’ll be wanting flooring which is not only stylish but practical which makes it perfect for solid wood flooring.
The bedroom is a great option for solid wood flooring with the added benefit that low maintenance & easy to clean.
Kitchens – the main hub of the home, we often get asked what’s the best type of flooring option for this area given that kitchens can often vary in temperature & moisture, sometimes have the occasional spills which can spoil solid wood floors so we recommend you choose from our engineered wood flooring which is a more stable floor and be able to withstand moisture and heat. For more information visit
Bathrooms, wood, and water don’t mix well so it’s not recommended to install solid wood flooring in the bathrooms however luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) are a stand-out choice for the bathrooms, durable, resistant to moisture, and easy to clean.

Maintenance & Care Quick Tips

Keeping your wood flooring clean is essential to maintain the flooring lasts long as possible. Please see our top tips to keep your flooring protected:

Clean up any spills soon as possible to prevent the flooring from warping over a period
Use furniture pads whilst some scratches are inevitable, some scuffing can be prevented by simply adding self-adhesive flooring pads to the feet of your sofa and dining chairs, etc.
Remove footwear before walking on your floor, sometimes debris can be lodged on the bottom of your shoes which can scratch your flooring.
Sweep & Vacuum regularly
Do not use cleaning products containing chemicals such as polish or abrasives, use products that are plants based and safe for your floors such as Method or Bona maintenance kit

Please read our guide on floor maintenance for a depth guide.

Top Questions on Solid Wood Flooring

What is Solid Wood Flooring?

Solid wood flooring is flooring made from a single, solid piece of hardwood, cut directly from the tree and milled into planks.

There are no plywood layers or composite cores just 100% real oak from top to bottom.

What’s the Best Method to Install Solid Wood Flooring?

The best method is secret nailing onto a plywood or timber subfloor.

This provides maximum stability, allows natural expansion, and ensures the floor can last 50+ years.

If installing over concrete, a full glue-down method with a moisture barrier is the next best option.

Floating solid wood flooring is not recommended due to natural expansion and movement.

Which is better: solid wood or engineered wood?

Engineered wood is usually better for most modern homes. It’s more stable, handles moisture better, and works with underfloor heating.

Solid wood is 100% natural timber and can be refinished more times, making it ideal for traditional timber subfloors without underfloor heating.

The best choice depends on your subfloor and room conditions.

Can solid wood flooring be installed over underfloor heating?

Solid oak flooring is generally not recommended for use with underfloor heating. Because solid wood naturally expands and contracts with temperature changes, it can move, gap or warp when exposed to consistent heat.

Do I need underlay for solid wood flooring?

Traditional foam underlay is not usually required for solid wood flooring.

Solid wood is typically secret nailed to a timber subfloor using a breathable membrane, or fully glued to concrete with a moisture barrier.

Underlay is mainly used for floating floors like laminate or engineered wood not for standard solid wood installations.

Do I need to acclimatize my floor before it is fitted?

Since our wood flooring is stored in a warehouse, your home will be a very different environment to the one our flooring is used to. This difference in humidity and temperature can make the flooring expand and contract slightly once it's brought indoors however this small difference could mean your floor gets installed incorrectly.

We recommend acclimatizing your flooring before fitting for a minimum of 7 days. Simply leave the flooring in its box in the room that it'll be fitted in with the top and bottom ends left open. Try to keep the room at the temperature it'll be when you use it.

For more useful information, visit our advice center.

What are the different types of solid wood flooring species?

Solid wood flooring is available in a range of hardwood species, each with its own colour, grain pattern, and durability.

The most popular species include:

Oak – The most common choice in the UK, known for durability and natural grain character.
Walnut – Darker in tone with a rich, smooth appearance.
Maple – Light and subtle with a cleaner, contemporary look.
Ash – Similar to oak but slightly lighter with bold grain patterns.
Teak – Naturally oily and highly durable, often used in premium interiors.
Merbau – Reddish-brown tones with strong stability.

Oak remains the most popular species due to its strength, versatility, and timeless appeal, but the best option depends on your desired colour, style, and room use.

How to Maintain your Solid Wood Flooring?

General advice for maintaining your wood flooring includes, keeping it regularly swept, clean, and dry. It's recommended when sweeping to use either a hoover with a soft attachment, or a soft broom to avoid marking your floors. When cleaning, a damp mop or cloth will suffice, as long as the flooring is completely dried afterwards. Be wary of excess moisture that will cause it to swell, so AVOID using a steam mop and clean up any stains and spillages immediately.

More useful information can be found in our Advice Center.

Which glue do you recommend to lay down solid oak flooring?

We often get asked which glue would you recommend, and having used this company for the past 8 years Rewmar MS Polymer is a one part, modified silane based wood flooring adhesive. Suitable for sticking down any species of wooden flooring to almost any subfloor. It has a high bond strength between the wooden floor and the subfloor when dry, but remains permanently flexible. The flooring is allowed to move as the seasons change but will not crack. The floor will stay adhered to the subfloor. If any adhesive is left on the surface of the wood it is easy to remove either wet or dry (following day) and no special chemicals are required.

What are the benefits of choosing solid wood flooring for a home?

Solid wood flooring is durable, timeless, and made from 100% natural hardwood. It can last decades, be sanded and refinished multiple times, and adds long-term value to your home. Its authentic grain and natural character make it a premium, long-lasting flooring choice.

Can I use Solid Oak in a Kitchen & Bathroom?

If you're after solid wood , we'd recommend against them for the kitchen. Solid wood flooring can warp in the changing moisture a can be weakened by the water. Oiled floors aren't suitable as they offer less moisture resistance than lacquered floors.

If you're after solid wood for your bathroom we would not recommend the use for this purpose. Over time real wood flooring could warp in the changing moisture and our natural carpets can be weakened by water.

More useful information in our advice center.

What Are Random Lengths in Solid Wood Flooring?

Random lengths means the flooring boards come in mixed lengths, rather than all being identical.

Instead of every plank being, say,1900mm long, you might receive boards ranging from:

300mm
600mm
900mm
1200mm
1500mm

All bundled together in the same packs.

Can solid wood flooring be sanded and refinished?

Yes solid wood flooring can be sanded and refinished multiple times.

On a typical 18mm solid wood floor, you can usually sand it down several times over its lifespan, depending on the depth of wear and the condition of the boards. This allows you to restore the surface, remove scratches, and even change the finish or colour — helping the floor last for decades.