Orlestone oak started the production of solid oak flooring 15 years ago.

We were heavily into the production of oak beams and it seemed a natural progression to start manufacturing our own oak flooring.

When we first started we would take the rough sawn oak boards to our local joinery companies, the boards were kin dried down to around 10% already and in most cases they were ready to lay.

Taking the boards to a third party was always problematic for us, transporting them in the sawn state was not too much of an issue but once transformed into oak flooring they became a transportation nightmare to us. Coming back to us when they have been machined they were harder to bundle as the tongue and groove needed to be protected, and also when carrying several different jobs they would move around when put on top of each other.

We found that as our orders grew the companies we were using could not cope with are demand this pushed us into manufacturing our own oak flooring. (And starting are own joinery company)

This put the control of production times back to us and the quality of our product.

Some of the main differences our product differ to other supplies are the thickness and the length of the boards, the thickness is 22mm on European oak (un-sanded) and the lengths we normally like to supply are 2 mtrs and up.

Let’s not forget that most other companies do not manufacture as we do and only offer a limited array of solid oak flooring.

As we do manufacture we can offer other services such as sanding and filling. Also end matching; this is where we add a t&g to the end of the boards.

We can also machine the boards down from 22mm to 14mm and anything in between (cost implications normally apply).

We also offer a matching service; this is done when our customers or builders have damaged flooring or move walls or kitchens to create a larger living space. We can duplicate the size and thickness of the flooring, we can also colour the flooring to match the existing. When offering this service we like to have an existing sample of the flooring.

One of our new lines we have to offer is a worn look flooring in oak; this started as 200mm wide oak floor boards, and due to demand it now comes in three widths we have also altered the profile to be more subtle in appearance.

Added more recently is our sawn look flooring range this can be supplied in any width, it has a rougher surface texture and it suitable for domestic and commercial uses.

Watch this space for new solid oak flooring and engineered oak flooring products !

Marks and scratches on your oak flooring is enough to make anyone upset, especially if you haven’t had it for long. So what do you do to protect it? There are a variety of different solutions for this, including using a rug.

Scratches can be caused by high-use items of furniture such as sofas, chairs and tables. By placing a rug beneath them, you can reduce the chances of scratching your floor.  You might be thinking that having a rug defeats the object of having oak flooring and that it may be best to have carpet instead, but this is not the case.

Using a rug can help give your room more character. Depending on the colour of the rug you choose, you may also find that your rug will help bring out the colour of the oak flooring. The good thing with a rug is, when you get bored of it, you can change it easily without having any added hassle, whereas ripping up and replacing a carpet can take a lot of time and result in extra costs.

As oak flooring is a natural product, it needs to be able to breathe properly. Avoid buying rugs with rubber backing as it can prevent this from happening. Not allowing your floor to breathe properly may result in causing severe damage to your floor.

No matter what type of oak flooring you choose, whether it’s solid oak flooring or engineered oak flooring, a rug will help to brighten your room and give it more character. In situations where a rug is not the most suitable option; soft pads can be purchased and can be placed under items of furniture to stop any marks from being made.

Oak flooring is often chosen over carpet due to the look and feel it can give to a room. As time goes on, carpet tends to look worn down and often needs to be replaced. If looked after properly, Oak flooring can last a number of years without having to be changed. If you are thinking about selling your house, Oak Flooring can also help to increase the value of your house. There are a number of ways to maintain your Oak Flooring to ensure that it always looks refreshed.

Here are three top tips to maintain your oak flooring:

1)      Oak Flooring needs to be looked after on a daily basis. Sweeping, mopping and hovering are daily necessities to ensure that your oak flooring looks as good as it can. Water can destroy the finish of your flooring, so ensure when mopping that the mop is damp to prevent damage to your floor.

2)      Marks and scratches can change the look of your flooring completely. You want to try and prevent them from happening as much as possible. One of the most common ways to do this is to purchase soft mats. Using these mats underneath furniture such as table legs will prevent any scratches on your floor. Another alternative could be to use rugs to place furniture on top of.

3)      Try not to spill anything on your oak flooring. You don’t want anything to stain your flooring so if anything does spill, be sure to clean it up straight away. Stains can make your oak flooring look like it needs to be replaced and not give off the feeling of the room that you were hoping to create.

All types of oak flooring, including solid oak flooring and engineered oak flooring need to be looked after properly. Ensure that you maintain your flooring well and you will be happy with the results!

We now have 22 solid oak and engineered flooring examples on display at out showroom

We’ve been busy adding more to our showroom in Nickley Wood, Ashford. As well as examples of our Doors, Windows and Fencing, we have a dsiplay of a number of new floor samples for visitors to browse through at our spacious first floor showroom.

Samples include all of our Solid Oak Flooring (manufactured at the Orlestone Oak Sawmill) in a variety of finishes as well as a range of new engineered flooring.

Please visit our flooring website to see examples of our flooring range, or you can visit our showroom which is open Monday to Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm and Saturday mornings (9.00am – 12.00pm).  Our staff will greet you with a free cup of fresh coffee, and offer all the advice you need on Solid Oak and Engineered flooring as well as help on Oak Buildings, Joinery, Firewood and Oak Timber. Orlestone Oak showroom is at Nickley Wood, Shadoxhurst, Ashford, Kent TN26 1LZ. For a map please click here.

Rough-sawn oak flooring manufactured at our mill and finished with a medium oil stain.

We have many new engineered flooring samples such as this ‘distressed look’ flooring.

The examples at our showroom will give you a real impression of flooring possibilities.