Solid wood flooring in Dubai

Each solid board or block is cut from a single piece of timber, usually a hardwood such as oak. There is no core and no printed layer: what you see on top runs all the way down. That gives solid wood its two main traits. It can be sanded and refinished again and again, so scratches and wear can be taken out years later. And it moves more than any other flooring as the air around it gets more humid or drier. In Dubai that second point decides where solid wood belongs. It suits rooms that stay air-conditioned through the year, away from wet areas and from doors that are open to the garden or pool for long periods.

• Good fitBedrooms, living rooms, studies and upper floors that stay cooled and closed.
• Think twiceGround-floor rooms with a damp slab, rooms with large garden doors, and homes left without AC for long periods.
• Not suitedBathrooms, laundries, kitchens next to the sink, and any area that gets wet.

Once laid, a solid floor and an engineered floor of the same species look the same. Engineered wood is the steadier choice where humidity changes and can often be floated over existing tiles. Solid wood can be refinished more times and is the traditional choice for parquet laid and finished on site. We set out the trade-off for your rooms at the site visit. For solid, engineered and parquet floors compared side by side, see wooden flooring in Dubai.