Solid oak flooring at B&Q.... useful timber source

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pcatterall

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Came across 7/8ths solid oak planking at B&Q today at £46 per sqm.
It seemed to be cheap compared to, say, Robbins timber and other suppliers.
Is it the 'wrong' kind of oak or is oak generally not costly.
I appreciate that it is maybe not ideal for many boaty applications.
 
It's an interesting possibility to use it for decking or cabin sole since oak is reputed to be rot-proof. My cockpit teak is now pretty well end-of-life and to use solid flooring might be an interesting experiment.

I could always use a permanent marker pen to put black stripes on it ... ...
 
Hoolie said:
It's an interesting possibility to use it for decking or cabin sole since oak is reputed to be rot-proof. My cockpit teak is now pretty well end-of-life and to use solid flooring might be an interesting experiment.

I could always use a permanent marker pen to put black stripes on it ... ...
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You wont need to it will be permanently black just after you lay it.
 
I would be extremely suspicious of any timber sold by B&Q. With the partial exception of CLS softwood studwork (and even that always has some banana sticks in the stack) it all seems to be complete trash.

Test a sample before using it?

Pete
 
It will probably warp very severely when wet. Can't be sure but it based on experience of similar flooring, American oak.
 
savageseadog said:
It will probably warp very severely when wet. Can't be sure but it based on experience of similar flooring, American oak.
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Agree - probably not recommended for damp environments such as kitchens and bathrooms. Have just been through this process and the oak flooring recommended in these situations is 19mm laminated MDF/wood in 3 plys then 3mm oak. Not suitable for outdoor situations.
 
pcatterall said:
Came across 7/8ths solid oak planking at B&Q today at £46 per sqm.
It seemed to be cheap compared to, say, Robbins timber and other suppliers.
Is it the 'wrong' kind of oak or is oak generally not costly.
I appreciate that it is maybe not ideal for many boaty applications.
Click to expand...

A few years ago B&Q had oak flooring that was in fact made in three layers, but all oak with a total thickness of about 7/8ths inch. It was tongued and grooved all round. I bought some and used it for shelving. If the stuff you have seen is the same it is good stuff, but I don't know if the glue used to laminate it would stand up to a damp/wet environment.
 
I bought some oak floor from Screwfix IIRC, about 6 years ago.
I used it for some shelves to 'sort of' match some existing.
I belieive it was 'Chinese Oak' or at least originated in China.

It worked well enough.
The original lacquer (?) finish was very hard to remove though.
I have a couple of off cuts in the garage with the original finish on, they have faded/aged to a nasty greenish tinge of brown.

There are plenty of flooring oak suppliers who will sell boards in the £40/sqm arena.
 
ean_p said:
why would/ does it go black when wet please?
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Apparently Oak does. Something to do with it's reaction with iron, I think. It certainly darkens with age, even in a dry environment such as that of a church - think of Oak pews, which are usually very dark brown with black growth rings if of reasonable age (most are pre 1930s). The upside is that it is incredibly hard once well seasoned; you can't dent it with a hammer!

I think I've also read that it promotes rusting in adjacent ferrous metals - not sure of that one.

Incidentally, I don't know if it's the oak or the finish used on them, but oak pews will stain the back of a shirt if you lean against them when a bit sweaty. I've had that happen in several different churches, so it isn't a peculiarity of one, and if it was the finish, you'd expect different places to have used different finishes (wax, oil, varnish...).

My understanding is that Oak (with appropriate fasteners) is fine as a structural material for boats (Nelson's Navy was built from it, mostly), but it isn't good for decorative use.

Oak is also porous. When I did some biology at University, one lab demonstration we did was to take a 1" cube of Oak and a fine wire such as a single fibre from a flexible copper wire. It was quite easy to thread the wire through the Oak along a pre-existing channel.
 
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Lucy52 said:
I understand that it is the tannin in oak that makes it turn black when it gets damp and also attacks iron fittings.
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Yep. That's why all the second hand French FVs that came here in the 50s, 60s, 70sdidn't last, oak on oak and iron nailed. (and worn out before they were sold)
 
good thread as i would like to replace the sole on my jeanneau sundream. i covered the floor nearest the companionway with sole laminate from robbins timber but it is already splintering where i didnt epoxy it properly and it would be nice to replace the whole lot next year if the cost isnt too high
 
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