Oak and ash look very similar from a distance, both being ring-porous woods. Ash tends to have a whiter tone (unless you get some dark heartwood). Red oak tends to have reds, yellows, and often some blacks in it (I was once told there were 35 different color gradings for red oak). White oak tends to be browner. But all that said, any wood can have all the color bleached out of it. The way I tell is to look for medullary rays. Ash has none, red oak shorter ones and white oak longer ones. What medullary rays look like depends upon the orientation of the wood as cut from the log, as the rays go radially. Plainsawn will show just short lines, quarter or rift sawn will show large figure.

If you found it at Globus (excellent company BTW) then you will purchase from Globus. The cork dealers keep their colour line-ups a little different. In your situation, you can use a floating floor to save some money...but the glue down tile (which is a Globus specialty) is the way to go. A properly installed glue down cork tile WILL COST the same amount as a STONE or HIGH-END tile installation. The TOTAL cost of the job will be equal. The 'issue' with cork is it is a STRONG yellow. Gold/brass is really it's natural colour. To get RID of those tones and create a gray, you MUST use a deeper gray. As soon as you go LIGHTER you go YELLOW. And I've seen it. It is DISTURBINGLY UGLY....like FUGLY type ugly. The COOL thing about cork, even with HEAVY STAINING is it LIGHTENS. Yes. That strong gold/brass turns BLONDE. As in Lady Gaga blonde! Marilyn Monroe blonde! Gwen Stefani blonde! Now imagine the deeper gray sitting on a very pale wood....it is LIGHTER. Globus is a company that is IMPRESSIVE. If I could afford Globus (I'm in Canada so I would go with Duro Design Cork = same type of product/line/colour options) I would go with Globus. A properly installed Globus cork floor = 150 years of service. Only STONE has that type of durability.

Thanks everyone, I actually asked the neighbor today who has been next door for 40 + years what he knew about the house and if he had seen the floors before they got covered over. He said that in the past 10 years a family came in and put down all the laminate. However, the man who lived here before lived here for most of his life and had everything covered in carpet so I’m hoping that’s good and it protected the wood. I also removed a piece from the first floor and found what I think is face-nailed oak strip flooring. I wonder why face-nailed flooring on one floor and t & g upstairs.

Oak floor.....and the statement about vinegar "wearing away the finish" depends on the finish. shellac probably will...solvent based poly won't be harmed by a weak vinegar solution and it will remove some dirt. I have lived with wood floors all my life. Varnish and paste wax when I was a kid, Had Bruce prefinished floors in the first house which had to be paste waxed every 6 months....and one drop of water left too long left a black mark....then on to oak with a shellac finish which wore easily....and finally to oil based poly. best yet! Oh and i am talking about a long time frame, I am 84.