Pros and Cons of Oak Furniture
As far as wood for interior design, oak is by far one of the most popular choices among other species of trees because it’s not only durable, but it looks absolutely elegant and beautiful. Regrettably, like anything beautiful, oak furniture and flooring require a bit of maintenance in order to keep it looking pristine. Trust me, if beauty didn’t need upkeep, there’d be no cosmetic companies or surgery and everyone would live forever. If you’re going to look into buying an oak sideboard or some oak floorboards, make sure you do a little research first so you make the best possible investment.
• Due to the aforesaid resilience, and the fact that it takes forever to grow, oak will cost more than most kinds of wood. If you’re on a budget, you might want to reconsider brand-new oak since it tends to be pricey.
• Despite being oh-so-strong, oak actually gets nicked, scuffed, and scratched very easily, and in such ways that are about as easy to remove as fleas plucked individually off a mangy dog; unless, of course, you can summon some kind of wood décor fairy to repair damages. Oak is sort of the décor equivalent of the husky biker covered in tattoos who screams like a girl when they get a shot. So if you have a pet cheetah, or children who like to throw stuff against the floor, oak may not be the best option.
• Aside from scrapes, oak also loves water and sunlight. The bad part about this is water will ruin oak in about a split second, and sunlight will fade or darken it. So, if you really must have that antique oak chair, keep it out of the backyard.
• Repair costs for scratched hardwood floors of any kind can run as high as $4.00 per square foot; I know that may not sound like much, but when you find out just how many square feet your floor (or chair, I guess) is, that money will accumulate quickly. A professional refinishing job on hardwood may cost more than the actual flooring itself (which is just ridiculous), so keep this in mind.
• Consider your downstairs neighbors if you’re thinking of putting in hardwood floors. The clacking of shoes against wood can be a lot louder than you may believe, so lay down flooring appropriately – if you hate your neighbors, put down some oak flooring and take up tap dancing.