5" Live Sawn Red Oak, Glued Down and Site Finished

The room started as bare subfloor — old adhesive residue, remnants of the previous flooring, and the stack of new material acclimating against the far wall. Live sawn red oak from Hickman Woods, 5-inch plank, cut through the log so every board carries a mix of flat, rift and quartered grain.

An install like this lives or dies on the prep. The subfloor was cleaned and primed with Wakol PU 280, which locks down the surface and gives the adhesive something consistent to bond to instead of dust and old glue.

The floor went down in Wakol adhesive spread with the Applicator 90, with cleat assist through the install to hold each board tight while the adhesive grabbed. Glue plus mechanical fastening keeps wide live sawn plank flat and quiet through the seasonal swings we get here.

Sanding was the Bona PowerDrive running on the Bona HEPA DCS dust containment system: 60 grit green ceramic for the first cut, then 80 and 100 grit mesh, finishing with the multi-head at 120. That sequence leaves a scratch pattern fine enough that a clear finish reads as wood rather than film.

Loba Easy Prime went down as the sealer, followed by two coats of Loba 2K Duo in satin. No stain — live sawn red oak has enough character on its own, and the after photograph shows exactly that: knots, mineral streaks, and grain that changes board to board.