14 Common Wood Flooring Myths – What’s Actually True?

1. Engineered wood flooring isn't real wood

Engineered wood flooring has a genuine hardwood surface bonded to a stable engineered base.

The visible surface is real timber, so every board contains genuine grain, colour variation, knots and the natural characteristics associated with the wood species.

It should not be confused with laminate, which generally uses a printed decorative surface rather than a real hardwood wear layer.

The engineered wood flooring stocked by WWFS includes genuine oak plank and herringbone flooring in multiple grades and finishes.

2. Solid wood is always better than engineered wood

Solid wood and engineered wood are simply different constructions.

Engineered flooring is specifically designed to improve dimensional stability. The real hardwood surface is supported by layers beneath it that help control the natural expansion and contraction of timber.

That makes engineered wood particularly practical for modern construction, concrete and screed subfloors, full-surface bonding and many underfloor-heating installations.

This does not make solid wood inferior. It simply means that engineered construction can be the more appropriate choice for many modern projects.

3. Wood flooring can't be used with underfloor heating

Many engineered wood floors are specifically designed for use over suitable underfloor-heating systems.

The important word is suitable. Flooring construction, subfloor moisture, installation method, heat output and maximum floor-surface temperature must all meet the manufacturer's requirements.

For example, V4 specifies a maximum wood-floor surface temperature of 27°C, including beneath rugs and furniture.

Full-surface bonding is often preferred where permitted because direct contact with the prepared subfloor improves heat transfer and produces a solid feel underfoot.

4. Wide planks make a small room look smaller

There is no universal design rule saying wide planks make small rooms feel smaller.

Wider boards create fewer visible joints, which can actually make a floor look calmer and less busy. Narrower boards create more lines and may suit a more traditional interior.

Board length, colour, natural light, furniture layout and the direction of installation can have as much visual impact as width.

The current WWFS plank flooring range includes widths from around 125mm through to 190mm, giving plenty of flexibility for different room proportions.

5. Rustic grade means lower-quality flooring

Rustic describes the visual grading of the timber, not whether the flooring has been manufactured properly.

Rustic oak intentionally contains more natural characteristics such as:

• Larger and more frequent knots.
• Greater colour variation.
• Filled knots and cracks within the grading specification.
• More variation in grain.
• Occasional sapwood where permitted.

Prime and select grades are chosen for a cleaner, more consistent appearance. One is not automatically structurally superior to the other.

6. Lacquer is always better than oil

Lacquer and oil protect timber differently.

A lacquer forms a strong protective coating over the surface. An oil or hardwax-oil system penetrates and protects the timber while generally retaining more of its natural feel.

Oiled floors can often be maintained or refreshed locally more easily. Lacquered floors offer straightforward everyday care and strong surface protection.

Neither is universally better. The best system depends on appearance, traffic, maintenance expectations and the quality of the specific finish.

Browse our wood floor maintenance range for separate lacquered and oiled floor-care systems.

7. Wooden floors are difficult to maintain

Routine wood-floor maintenance is relatively straightforward.

Most day-to-day care consists of removing abrasive grit with a vacuum, soft broom or dust mop and cleaning when necessary with a damp microfibre mop and the correct cleaner.

The important part is using products suitable for the original finish rather than generic household detergents.

Lacquered flooring should use compatible lacquer-floor cleaning and refreshing products, while oiled and hardwax-oiled surfaces require their own maintenance systems.

WWFS stocks dedicated lacquered-floor care and oiled-floor care.

8. Wood flooring isn't suitable for homes with children or pets

Real wood flooring is used successfully in busy family homes every day.

Children, dogs and normal household life can cause wear, but this does not make timber unsuitable.

Simple preventative measures make a considerable difference:

• Use entrance matting to remove grit.
• Keep pet claws appropriately trimmed.
• Use felt pads beneath chairs and furniture.
• Wipe up spills promptly.
• Lift furniture rather than dragging it.
• Maintain the finish before it wears through to bare timber.

Even premium finishes are not scratch-proof, so realistic expectations are important.

9. Every scratch means the whole floor needs sanding

Not at all.

Very fine surface scratches may sometimes be improved using an appropriate maintenance product. Compatible oiled floors can often be cleaned, locally prepared and re-oiled where necessary.

Lacquered floors with a sound existing coating may sometimes be professionally cleaned, abraded and recoated without sanding all the way back to bare timber.

Full sanding becomes more appropriate when the protective finish has failed, deep scratches have penetrated the timber or a complete colour change is required.

10. Engineered wood flooring cannot be sanded

A quality engineered floor with a sufficiently thick real-wood wear layer can normally be professionally sanded and refinished.

The exact renovation potential depends on:

• Original wear-layer thickness.
• How much timber remains above the tongue-and-groove construction.
• Whether the floor has been sanded previously.
• Bevel depth.
• Floor flatness.
• Damage and staining.
• The sanding equipment and technique used.

This is why we would not promise that every 3mm or 4mm wear layer can be sanded a fixed number of times.

When renovating engineered flooring, always begin with the least aggressive sanding process capable of completing the work.

11. Herringbone only works in large or traditional rooms

Herringbone is a traditional parquet pattern, but the finished style can be extremely contemporary.

Pale raw-effect oak, smoked finishes, dark tones and modern matt lacquers can completely change its character.

Herringbone can work in hallways, kitchens, bedrooms and smaller rooms as well as large open-plan spaces.

What matters is block size, colour, room proportions and correct setting out.

Explore our current engineered herringbone flooring.

12. The installed floor should look exactly like the sample

A small sample shows the general colour, finish and grade, but it cannot reproduce all the variation found across an entire real-wood floor.

Natural oak varies from board to board in:

• Grain pattern.
• Colour and tone.
• Knot distribution.
• Medullary rays.
• Natural mineral markings.
• Sapwood and heartwood where allowed by the grade.

Rustic floors deliberately display more of this variation.

13. Thicker engineered flooring is always better

Total board thickness is only one part of the flooring specification.

A thicker board is not automatically better than every thinner product.

Important factors include:

• Wear-layer thickness.
• Core construction.
• Manufacturing quality.
• Board length and width.
• Flooring grade.
• Factory finish.
• Installation method.
• Underfloor-heating requirements.

The current WWFS engineered range includes high-quality flooring in 14mm, 15mm and 18mm constructions. The correct choice depends on the project rather than simply choosing the largest number.

14. Wood flooring isn't suitable for kitchens

This is one of the most common misconceptions.

Properly specified engineered wood flooring can be an excellent choice for kitchens. Its layered construction offers improved dimensional stability compared with traditional solid timber and modern oil and lacquer systems provide excellent everyday protection.

Engineered wood also works particularly well in open-plan kitchen, dining and living spaces because the same real timber floor can continue throughout the area without changing material at the kitchen boundary.

The important precautions are straightforward:

• Choose engineered flooring approved for the installation.
• Wipe up spills promptly.
• Do not leave standing water on the floor.
• Use mats at external entrances.
• Use suitable wood-floor cleaning products.
• Inspect areas around sinks, dishwashers and pet bowls.
• Maintain the protective finish before it wears through.

The current WWFS Help Centre confirms that engineered flooring can work well in kitchens when installed correctly and standing water is avoided.