Choosing the right wood flooring for a holiday home requires careful consideration. The floor must withstand varying conditions, regular use, and support the desired atmosphere. A well-chosen wooden floor for a holiday home combines practicality, durability, and aesthetic appeal.
Thanks to the unique three-layer structure and birch plywood core, Timberwise plank floors offer a durable solution that can be sanded 2–3 times, significantly extending their lifespan. Made entirely of wood from top to bottom, Timberwise floors bring genuine warmth and the authentic feel of real wood to any space. Oak, birch, Douglas fir, and pine are especially popular choices. Douglas fir and pine provide a traditional softwood look, while hardwoods like oak, ash, and birch are more wear-resistant and offer a classic appearance. The selection of wood grading—from minimal knots to rustic charm—allows you to set the tone from understated to richly characterful.
In vacation homes where indoor temperatures can fluctuate significantly, three-layer engineered wood flooring is less prone to movement and warping. This structure provides better resistance to moisture and temperature changes than solid wood. Timberwise’s three-layer structure reacts up to six times less to climate variations compared to traditional plank floors, making them an excellent choice for unpredictable environments.
Holiday homes often face greater moisture levels and increased wear and tear
In locations with high humidity variations, such as near the sea, glue-down installation becomes even more important. Gluing the flooring down improves its durability and helps prevent movement, especially in semi-heated or cold spaces, as well as in homes left unoccupied for long periods. Notably, gluing is also possible with floating plank, which can actually enhance performance in variable conditions. Adhesive strengthens the joint and helps the floor stay stable and long-lasting despite large moisture differences. In older holiday homes where basefloors might not be perfectly even, gluing also improves adhesion and minimizes floor movement.
JAS standard ensures quality
Timberwise products undergo regular testing under the demanding JAS1 standard. This includes boiling the parquet in water for several hours—an extreme test that Timberwise floors pass with no damage to the adhesive joints. This proves their resilience under fluctuating conditions like Finland’s variable climate or the extra demanding needs like walking on the floor with wet feet.
Surface treatment and color – Choose the perfect finish for your floor
A wax-oiled surface gives a natural, breathable, and warm finish that can be maintained over time. UV-cured wax-oil does not require regular maintenance like traditional natural oils and can be touched up locally without treating the entire floor. In contrast, a lacquered surface finish is highly durable—ideal for rental cottages or spaces exposed to abrasive dirt like sand. When a lacquered surface needs maintenance, the entire floor must be sanded and refinished. Do you have large windows in your vacation home? Even in direct sunlight, Timberwise floors remain pleasantly warm to the touch without becoming too hot.
Choose a color that complements the rest of your interior. Light tones visually enlarge smaller spaces, while darker shades add richness and warmth—and serve as a great backdrop for colorful décor. Timberwise flooring works beautifully with log walls, CLT structures, painted or wallpapered surfaces. All Timberwise wood species are also available unfinished, allowing you to stain them on-site to your preference.
A genuine wooden floor adds warmth, resilience, and natural beauty to your holiday home. Choose a product and shade that truly match your personal taste—trends come and go, but the best floor is one that feels good, suits the spirit of the space, and retains its value for decades.
What to consider when choosing a floor?
1. Durability
How do you use your space? Will people walk with shoes, wet feet, or ski boots? Will there be high-traffic areas?
- Yes – Choose hardwoods like oak or ash, which are more durable than softwoods.
- No – In addition to oak and ash, birch, Douglas fir, and pine are also suitable.
2. Overall Style
What’s the general look of the holiday home? Do you prefer minimalism or a more rustic atmosphere?
- Minimalist – Go with the Select grade, the most uniform in color and with fewest knots (oak, ash). Natural wood color and grain variation is still present.
- Somewhere in the middle – Choose Classic or Natural grades, which include some knots and natural variation (oak, ash, birch, Douglas fir, pine).
- Rich and rustic – Go with Vintage, Natural, or Olive grades for a lively, knotty appearance where small scratches blend right in (oak, ash, Douglas fir, birch, pine).
3. Floor base conditions
‘Is your vacation home an older building or a brand-new build with smooth base?
- Older property – Choose traditional glue-down parquet for floating installation or glue the whole floor down. These options are more forgiving. Always glue down patterned parquet. Check the subfloor level—very uneven surfaces are problematic for any floor type.
- New building – You can choose any installation method: floating or traditional glued-down. Patterned parquets must be glued.
4. Climate & humidity conditions
Is your holiday home by the sea, by a lake, inland, or in northern cold climates?
- Coastal or cold inland climates – Use traditional glue-down for floating install or glue-down the floor. Patterned parquet must be glued.
- Lake or inland region – You can use floating or glue-down installation. Again, patterned parquet must always be glued.
5. Heating in the Off-Season
Is the property kept unheated in the off-season, or is there constant base heating? Note: The product warranty applies when conditions are maintained at 18–24°C with 35–60% relative humidity. Outside these ranges, wood may develop hairline cracks or splits.
- Unheated – We recommend hardwoods like oak or ash, which handle temperature and humidity fluctuations better than softwoods.
- Base heating maintained – Any wood species is suitable, provided conditions remain stable.
Still unsure which flooring suits your holiday home best?
We’re here to help! Flooring is an investment you feel under your feet every day. That’s why it’s important to choose the right wood floor—and we’re happy to guide you every step of the way. Visit our showrooms without an appointment and explore your flooring options at your own pace with the help of a professional. Once you’ve made your choice, our certified installers will take care of the installation with precision.
Download our ABC Guide to choosing parquet flooring to find the best fit for your holiday home. The guide walks you through different wood species, surface treatments, and colors—so you can make your flooring decision with ease and confidence.