White Oak Flooring: Going White Washed or Painted White?

White oak flooring is a great way to lighten up a room and give it a whole new lease of life. A style of flooring that’s commonly associated with beach huts and desert islands, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a style that’s restricted to the summer months. White oak flooring can look great even in alpine chalets, and no matter where you live, it allows you to create the look of your dreams.

When it comes to choosing the right white oak flooring for your home, many people end up in a situation where they’re debating between white washed or painted white.

In the good old days, white washing was the choice of poor people who simply couldn’t afford paint. A mix made with a combination of calcium hydroxide and chalk, it was applied to wood as a form of protection. The effect of white washing is an uneven, almost worn looking surface colour. The great thing about this solution is that it brings out the real texture in the wood.

White washed oak flooring is something you can achieve yourself. If you have an oak floor, you can strip it back and cover it with a watered down white paint and then lightly rub the surface to give it that worn and weathered look. Once the floor is looking how you want it, you should seal it with either a clear lacquer or a finishing oil.

If the look you’re after is oak flooring with more of a solid colour, with a flatter finish, then you should paint your oak flooring white. The thing with painting oak flooring is that if you make the finish a completely flat, all white surface, you do risk the frustration of scratches and chips, depending on the traffic and footfall your room suffers. One way around this is to create a paint-effect that makes your painted white oak floor look ever so slightly aged from the start. You can create this sort of effect in several ways, but in many ways, if you’re going to go this route, there probably is an argument for choosing more of a white washed look. But as we mentioned already, it really does depend on the look you’re hoping to achieve.

So when it comes to deciding between white washed or painted, the key question to ask yourself is whether you want a flat white finish or if you want a finish that is uneven and looks worn right from the start. If you want a flat white finish, then there is no doubt that a painted white oak floor is your best option. But do take good care to protect it with a good quality oil or lacquer. If you want more of a relaxed and casual feel to your room, where you still see elements of the wood shining through the paint, then white washed oak flooring is really difficult to beat.

At Wood and Beyond we have a couple of options that look just like white washed and painted oak flooring.

When it comes to the setting that blends best with these floors, you can choose to combine them with either dark furnishings for a real cutting-edge designer look or go the high-comfort route and plump for squashy sofas, soft wool and fur throws as well as a scattering of sheepskin rugs. No matter the season, you’ll feel like you’re on your very own comfort cloud.

If you’re looking for a white oak flooring option and are debating between white washed and painted, why not take a few minutes to browse our whole white oak flooring stock. You might be surprised – there could be a look that you haven’t even considered yet that catches your eye.

If you need help choosing the right floor for your project, don’t hold back – get in touch – we’d love to help you make the perfect decision.