OAK FLOORS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 167, 5 October 1927, Page 7

OAK FLOORS

FOR THE HOME. BEAUTY AND DURABILITY. A young man consulted n friend of his who was in the timber business about building a home. They went over the plans carefully, ami when they had finished the timber merchant turned to the young man and said: “Of course, you will want oak flooring.” The young man had not thought a great deal of the floors—he was too .occupied with other details. The “of .course, you will want oak flooring” seemed so much like a foregone conclusion the young man wondered why he would “of course” want it. As an experiment he talked w r ith another man who was well known for his business ability and his sound judgmen. During the conversation the older man remarked:

“You have forgotten to specify oak flooring.” There it was again, that taken-for-granted remark. When the young man built liis home his floors were oak, and years later, as he looked at their unchanged beauty, he knew why if he built again he would want oak flooring, “of course.” That was not an unusual happening. It has been years since the supremacy of oak flooring has been disputed. Oak flooring lias grown to be a necessity to the majority of home-builders. The permanent beauty and durability of oak flooring, the perfect floor, have made it highly desirable and almost indispensable in the plan of a home. The reason it has enjoyed popularity, besides those mentioned above, is that it is so easy to keep oak floors in a state of high finish. In the floors lie a great part of the charm of the interior of a home.

Upon entering a room, one of the first things that meets the eye and leaves either a favourable or unfavourable impression is the floor. If it is an oak floor that has been given the little, though necessary, attention, there will be recognition of its beauty that cannot be described, but is felt by all: a feeling of quality and richness that speaks of refinement and taste.

Floors are not only a part of the house, but they are a part of the furnishings as well. Yet they are subjected to daily' service far more severe than any piece of furniture. To withstand this service and still look well they must he considered as to material, methods of laying and finishing, and attention given their upkeep. Everything connected with obtaining a satisfactory floor merely is a question of doing the right thing the right way. In the first place, oak flooring, although a highly finished product, ■dressed to a satiny surface accurately machined, and side and end matched carefully', is not perfectly uniform in quality, as there are many companies manufacturing it, but it is as nearly “right” as it is possible for nationally known and accepted manufacturers to make it. The laying and care of the floor necessarily must pkss to other hands. But other hands are just as capable in acquiring a permanently beautiful floor as the manufacturer is in furnishing the material. It merely is a matter of following the few but essential rules of lay ing and caring for the floor that are more or less necessary to any floor. Those rules are obtainable from any lumber dealer, and are in a clear, concise form that eliminates worry and study on the part of the home owner. Another aid in the selection of oak flooring is to buy flooring of a well-known and proven brand.