Oak has been one of the most popular types of wood used in flooring for centuries. The pronounced grain with its natural beauty provides a unique look that is hard to find with other types of wood. The ease at which oak stains makes it easy to find a color that works. With the current modern home trend of creating the feel of more open spaces with the use of wider planks and colors that add to the decor of the home, is it any wonder that Oak is as popular today as it was over 100 years ago? Its popularity and ability to be easily worked with are two of the main reasons we chose to use the highest quality European oak wood available. Not only are you getting some of the finest prime graded oak wood, but you are getting it at a very economical price.
What is the Villa Collection?
The Villa collection is made from select graded oak wood. The planks in the Villa collection are 7½” to 9½” wide, and 5/8” thick. Most of the planks are either 73” or 87” long depending on the selection. You will receive some shorter planks in each box to ensure that your flooring has a staggered appearance for a natural look once it is installed. The Villa collection is made from engineered oak wood, like most of our other hardwood flooring options.
Type of Wood
We use the highest quality European oak wood for our Villa collection. We chose oak because it is very strong, stains well, has great durability, and is easy to work with. In addition, the large supply of oak wood available helps to keep the cost of the Villa collection lower. You can now easily install an economically friendly wood floor without having to sacrifice high quality or durability.
To help improve the strength and durability of the wood while keeping the cost down, we decided to use engineered oak wood for the Villa collection. Engineered wood is a great choice for installing wood floors where you once were unable to do so, without sacrificing the natural beauty of real wood.
Colors
The Villa collection comes in seven different color options: Light Grey Stone, Modena, Pearl White, Naturale, Oceana, Sabbia, and Titan Grey. All seven colors are on the lighter side, with the Pearl White being the lightest of them all. The Modena, Naturale, Oceana, and Sabbia are going to highlight more of the natural tones and really accentuate the grain patterns. It’s easy to see the grey tones in the Titan Grey option. However, the grey is less visible in the Light Grey Stone option. In fact, the Light Grey Stone color option appears to be more tan than grey. An unfinished version of these floors is also available. Any of the options available in the Villa collection will work in both traditional and modern styled homes.
Texture
The wood used in the Villa collection is wire brushed to add texture to the planks. There is more hardwood left behind after the wood is wire brushed because the Villa collection is only made from select AB graded wood. The wire brush effect in combination with the finish helps to create a matte look that is unique and elegant. More and more modern styled homes are ditching the sheer finished flooring and are looking for pieces of wood that have character and style.
Finish
After the wood is wire brushed, several layers of UV lacquer are applied to each plank. We chose to apply the lacquer in layers to ensure that the wood is properly sealed and protected, and to help keep the planks level. In addition, this layering effect helps to create more of a smooth finish for the wood. There is nothing worse than installing uneven and rough wood planks.
Grade
The wood used for the Villa collection is all select AB or ABC grade wood. We used AB graded wood to help keep the lighter colors of the wood planks in the Villa collection even and to ensure that the floor is smooth and level when installed. There are less knots in AB graded wood because, more of the hardwood of the tree is used to make the planks. The result is darker and richer colors that seamlessly flow together.
Oak was, is, and will continue to be the most popular type of wood used for flooring. Its relative low costs (when compared to other high-quality types of wood), high strength, high durability, and ease to stain make oak the perfect option for almost any home. If you want the highest quality oak wood flooring that will last, then it is difficult to beat our Villa collection.
Have any questions or need additional help choosing your flooring? Feel free to contact us and we will be happy to assist you in whichever way we can!
