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Bespoke Oak Flooring

This is where truly bespoke and unique floors are created. Starting with an unfinished, raw floor board as your canvas, add or remove texture to the surface and build layers of colour to create the floor of your dreams. We can only show you a representation of what the floor could look like, but order a sample and we’ll create the real thing for you! Once the sample is approved, we can make your dream floor a reality! Quick tip: the rougher the texture, the more intense (deep or light) the overall colour.

1. Choose your width 191mm
2. Choose your texture
3. Choose your colour
4. Choose your topcoat
5. Enter your room size
m2
or use our calculator

£0.00

/ £99.55 per pack, 0 packs required [£55 per m2]
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Genuine Oak hardwood

Cut from sustainable and responsibly managed Oak trees and lovingly prepared for your floor

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Each floor is unique

One of a kind! Colours and patterns created by Rafe Olsen, displayed the way nature intended

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Hand-finished in Great Britain

All of our Oak floors are hand-finished by our professional team of skilled tradesmen

Rafe Olsen engineered wood flooring is a triple ply construction board with a 6mm solid Oak hardwood top layer and a tongue and groove fixing system. This makes the flooring solid under foot, solid to look at and a breeze to fit. Long 1900mm boards mean fewer joins and a more dramatic and exclusive feel to the floor. The solid hardwood top layer is European oak which provides a fabulous base to apply colour to. The grading of timber we use is a natural character grade. It isn’t as harsh as rustic; but shares some characteristics with the appearance of knots, sap and mineral streaks, just to a lesser degree. Our personal feeling is that without the character added to the boards from imperfections, there is very little point in having a hardwood floor. Particularly when the trend is to distort the surface of the board! Despite differing widths, all of our floors share the same properties (and in fact the different widths of boards can be used together!). All are 20mm thick, T&G jointed, bevelled on all 4 edges and have set lengths of 1900mm long.

SPECIFICATION

Thickness ~ 20mm with 6mm solid oak top layer
Length ~ 1900mm long (each pack will have two shorter ‘starter’ boards)
Timber ~ European Oak
Joint System ~ Tongue & Groove
Bevel ~ Yes, 4V (bevel on all 4 edges)
Suitable For Underfloor Heating ~ Yes (with correct installation)
Surface Finish ~ Oiled
Grade ~ Natural Character

Lead times for Rafe Olsen products can vary depending on the items that have been ordered. Generally, the less complicated the finish, the quicker the delivery.

For more information about why, what and when, please follow the link to see our dedicated page on Lead Times & Delivery.

As an indication, please see the following details:

Unfinished/Untreated Oak Flooring – Delivery within 3 Days

Bespoke Oak Flooring – Delivery within 14 Days

The quickest and most economical method of delivery will be selected by Rafe Olsen when the order is complete. Small items will be delivered by a parcel courier service and larger flooring orders will be dispatched via the pallet network. Orders delivered on a pallet will not necessarily require a forklift to remove them. Most lorries are equipped with tail lifts and means of manoeuvring pallets to where they need to be left.

Delivery to addresses on the UK mainland is charged per pack up to a maximum of £50. For delivery to the Channel Isles, Ireland, Scottish Highlands & Scottish Isles, please contact us as surcharges may apply.

On all occasions, consignments will require a signature on delivery. Delivery to a neighbour (or a work address) is perfectly acceptable if they are willing to take responsibly for the goods.

Fitting and installation methods vary to a large degree, mainly to do with the environment you’re fitting the floor in and the type/condition of the sub floor. We have a page dedicated to how to fit Rafe Olsen flooring.

Be sure to have a look at our comprehensive guide here.

A downloadable PDF copy of our Fitting Guide is also available.

Maintenance can be split in to several sub headings. These include; preventative maintenance, dry cleaning, wet cleaning and repairs/restorations. For more information on what these items mean for you and your floor, please follow the link to our maintenance information page.

Completely Bespoke

Create something beautiful

Choose every aspect of your new floor; width, surface finish, base coat and top coat. Rafe Olsen; uniquely for you

The bespoke process

At Rafe Olsen, we have the ability to produce virtually any floor finish you desire. This starts with a few basics from which the unique journey begins.

The process is relatively linear; choose a width of floor board to use as the canvas, decide how you would like the surface to appear (and importantly feel), add a base colour (or don’t) and finish with a coloured (or clear) oil. The tools to make the selections to produce your dream floor can be found above on the flooring generator. We can show you an impression of how the floor may look and from this you can order a sample to try in situ. Don’t like anything you see? Contact us! We can produced virtually anything you can imagine!

At this point, it is worth pointing out that our opinion is; all fully bespoke designed floors should only be ordered after seeing an actual sample. Rafe Olsen bespoke floors are entirely non-returnable once work has begun. Please see our T&Cs for more information.

Colour matching

Do you have an old floor which you’d like to replace with something very similar? Struggling to find a colour to match? No problem. In addition to our ‘standard’ base and top colours, we have a large number of stains and oils that aren’t listed. We can produce colour combinations and mixes to match virtually any existing floor. We’ll produce a sample for you to view and start the ball rolling towards your new floor.

If you’ve seen a flooring finish from another manufacturer that we don’t have, we can match that too!

Responsibly sourced

solid hardwood timber

All of the Oak sourced for our engineered flooring is certifiable, responsibly managed and from ethically sound sources.

What is engineered flooring?

Engineered wood flooring is loosely defined as a multi-layer product that has a solid hardwood top surface. Layers are formed at 90o to one another to provide a structurally solid product. The majority of engineered floors (including all of ours) are tongue and grooved to make fitting a breeze.

The general construction of engineered hardwood flooring is as follows:

Top Layer – A 5-6mm thick solid hardwood surface (lamella). This is the only part visible once fitted.

Middle Layer – Normally a mixture of softwood battens bonded together and run at 90o to the direction the top layer.

Bottom Layer – Fabricated from structurally sound and damp resistant plywood sheets.

why choose engineered flooring?

Engineered hardwood flooring is extremely stable and resilient to all but the most severe moisture and temperature spikes in the home. The structure and bonding processes involved in manufacturing the boards make the flooring feel secure and solid under foot. Tongue & Groove joints make fitting incredibly simply and the bevel on all four edges of the board makes the fit and any manufacturing tolerances very forgiving.

The surface is a solid hardwood veneer; as this is the only visible part of the flooring once fitted, the boards looks like solid wood throughout from the surface. Because the top layer is real wood, it can be sanded and refinished if necessary. Thanks to the structure of engineered flooring, it does not suffer from the same issues that solid wood flooring can.

quercus robur ~ white Oak

The natural choice

Oak is a beautiful hardwood timber in it’s own right. Application of a clear oil produces a rich and detailed floor which would be the envy of many. But importantly for Rafe Olsen, there is no better hardwood timber to use as a base for bespoke flooring than, Oak. It has a neutral base colour which takes stains and coloured oils exceptionally well. Whilst easily manipulated with machining, moulding, brushing and distressing, Oak is also relatively strong and dense. The nature of the timber means it does not splinter easily and (if cared for) the top surface remains smooth after processing. Combining woodworking expertise, thoughtful hand finishing and attention to detail can turn a standard Oak floor board in to something extraordinary. In essence, this is exactly what Rafe Olsen does to produce your stunning bespoke flooring.

Full of character

The oak that we use as the base for our bespoke flooring is a stunning natural character grade. It will incorporate prime clean planks as well as planks with knots, sap wood and/or mineral streaks. It is those surface imperfections that make the floor what it is: a natural product, grown in the wild, with the scars to show for it. The processes we apply to the flooring are aimed at enhancing the natural beauty of the wood. Working with what nature has provided gives the most complimentary finishes possible whilst also catering for the ever changing trends. All boards are re-graded before any hand finishing begins to ensure there are no obvious faults but a degree of tolerance has to be accepted. After all, engineered wood flooring is a natural product.

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A TRULY BESPOKE FLOORING EXPERIENCE

We want buying a floor from Rafe Olsen to be a unique experience. A simple transaction of money changing hands for goods just won’t cut it. There are a few extra steps that make buying from us that little bit more personal.

This all starts with the sampling service; your hand finished bespoke flooring sample will arrive in a branded box containing useful information about the flooring, colours, finishing and hints/tips on ordering and fitting. All of this additional information is aimed at providing you with all you could wish to know about your floor. No surprises. No shocks. Just a floor that you love.

Once your order has been placed and paid for, we will begin the process of creating your bespoke wood flooring. In the meantime, you will receive your paperwork though in the post (and by email) to ensure everything is as you meant it to be. Details of who is creating your floor, the steps it is going through and the timescale involved will also be laid out for you to see.

nature

our colour inspiration

When it comes to colours, what better source of inspiration for our floors, than the world we live in. The colours visible in the natural world, work harmoniously with our Oak flooring to produce beautiful statement pieces. Still not sure? Head over to the inspiration gallery to see what we mean!

Rubio Monocoat Stains & Oils

When looking for a partner to provide the stains and oils which would allow us to produce beautiful bespoke flooring, there was one company that stood above the rest: Rubio Monocoat. Rubio products use a highly advanced molecular bonding system to adhere the top coat to the surface of the wood. This unique bonding system enables the oil to be applied in one single coat without the risk of over application. Rather than acting as an opaque top coat covering the wood, the oil enhances the natural variations that exist in the timber. The technology at work provides incredible protection and subtle colours. By enhancing the natural variation in the flooring surface, the character of the wood is not lost, even with striking white and grey finishes.

Importantly, Rubio products tie in with the Rafe Olsen environmental statement. Rubio is the only company to produce stains and oils that are completely free of VOCs. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) is a generic term that relates to the chemicals that are released as vapour from all other oils, waxes and stains when applied to the surface of timber flooring. Contact with these VOCs is hazardous to both people and the environment. Excessive exposure can lead to allergic reactions, breathing problems and irritation of the eyes. Further to that, VOCs have a negative impact on the wider environment, particularly the ozone layer. Legislation has seen a reduction in VOC use by other manufacturers but Rubio remain the only company committed to zero usage.

The environmental policy that both Rubio and Rafe Olsen are committed too means that all of our floors are safe for use in the home for you, your children and your pets.

Rubio Oils

designed to repel water

The hydrophilic layer created by the oil we apply helps repel water and allows it to be mopped, or cleaned up, quickly.

colouring, oiling & finishing

White, cream, grey, brown, black, beige, red and yellow, to name a few. At Rafe Olsen we have a myriad of tints and colours that can be applied to Oak floor boards. The realms of what is possible lays firmly with your imagination. The beauty of the coloured oil system we use is that multiple layers can be used to build colour. When combined with different surface textures, incredible and unique floor finishes can be created.

All Rafe Olsen floors are finished with an oil top coat. Once cured, the oil provides a strong bond with the surface of the wood. This bond helps protect the floor from moisture, spilt liquids and general dirt and debris. Oiling hardwood floors gives a satin-matt finish that moves away from reflective and glossy lacquered floors available elsewhere on the market. Where lacquered floors are prone to chipping and uneven wear; oiled flooring has a tendency to wear more naturally and is easily touched up or repaired with reapplication of the original oil.

All colours and oils are applied by hand in our workshop. When we say hand finished, we really, literally mean, hand finished. The care and attention that goes in to every floor we make shows in the finished product. A subtle natural variation occurs on all floors due to the nature of the processes that we use, this means that any two floors are never identical. That level of bespoke craftsmanship cannot be achieved with machine finishing.

sanding, brushing & distressing

Smooth and silky? Textured and detailed? Rough and worn? With Rafe Olsen the choice is yours. With our advanced equipment and expertise in hand finishing we can create different surface finishes for your bespoke flooring, dependant upon your preference or the changing fashions. There is no right or wrong for which surface treatment is best. All degrees of sanding, brushing and distressing have the same surface protection. The surface detailing really only shows differences in how the floor takes on colour and how it feels under barefoot.

As a general rule, the more severely distressed the wood surface is, the deeper and more varied the colour appears. This is particularly prevalent when building multiple layers of colour. For ‘flatter’ less varied colours, smooth sanding is often the best option. If it’s something truly extraordinary you are looking for, test out our finishing department with deep distressing and multiple colour layers!

All brushing, sanding and distressing is achieved using our state of the art Houfek machinery. Multiple spinning heads allow different effects to be applied to the floor boards with just one pass through. Brushing and sanding can be achieved quickly and efficiently meaning the surface is beautifully prepared for our team to hand finish it.

hand-finished

every floor, every time

All Rafe Olsen floors are coloured and oiled by hand. Our skilled team are dedicated

to their profession and maintaining only the highest standards.

"With proper care and maintenance, hardwood flooring can last a lifetime"

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