A Guide to Hardwood Floor Species

Hardwood floors are highly attractive and can increase your home's value. If you properly maintain your hardwood floors, they can serve your house for a lifetime. However, selecting the best hardwood floor species can be difficult because there are soo many types of hardwood species. Read on to know the main hardwood floor issues to consider.

Oak

Oak is available in white and red varieties, but red oak is the most popular hardwood flooring type. The red oak has warm tones, with the color ranging from rusty brown to golden red. On the other hand, if you want to install wood in high-traffic areas, choose white oak. White oak has grain patterns with slightly varying colors. 

Maple

Maple is another popular hardwood floor that dominated US homes in the 20th century. Homeowners love maple hardwood due to its hardness, elegance, and affordability. In particular, maple's pale color and creamy appearance made it the preeminent choice for many homeowners. Similarly, many people were attracted to the diverse patterns that ranged from curly patterns to straight lines. 

Today, maple flooring is more common in old homes, but that doesn't mean you can’t put maple flooring in a modern home. Modern design methods have introduced new possibilities for maple hardwood flooring. For example, if you fancy mahogany or a cherry look, you can choose dark-stained maple and get a similar look. Just remember that only a professional should do the staining to prevent a blotchy appearance. 

Hickory

Hickory, also known as pecan, is the hardest hardwood floor that is commercially available. Although red oak diminished hickory's popularity, the rise of engineered wood has made hickory popular again. Today's hickory hardwood floor products come with a rustic look, but you can also get designs with brown or creamy colors. 

Bamboo

Bamboo is not a tree but grass, yet some bamboo species are very hard. The species has become popular for hardwood flooring due to the following reasons:

•  Bamboo is cheaper than oak, although prices can vary.
•  Bamboo is eco-friendly and can reduce your carbon footprint.
•  Bamboo can grow to concrete floors, reducing the insulation cost.

Unfortunately, bamboo floors are not the easiest to maintain and can accumulate stains and dents.

Walnut

Walnut is available in a limited variety of tones and colors, but the tree does create a great floor. If you have a large space, install walnut to get depth. This wood brings a sense of luxury and warmth that is hard to get from other woods. Nevertheless, walnut is not as strong as oak and may not be ideal for a high-traffic room.

Cherry

Many homeowners rarely consider cherry for hardwood flooring because the wood has a distinctive appearance suitable for specific spaces. Cherry is available in a natural red stain that can be rich and dark or lighter red. Since these tones fade due to exposure to sunlight, the wood is more suitable for areas with minimal or no natural light. The main benefits of cherry wood are the beautiful finish and luxurious feel.

Ash

Ash hardwood floors have unique colors and grain patterns. While the grain usually has straight patterns with occasional swirls, the color varies greatly. 

You can get brown or even yellow ash hardwood flooring. The color depends on where the specific tree grew. These color variations bring richness and variety to any room and allow homeowners to pair ash hardwood flooring with virtually any interior décor.

Hardwood flooring can be durable and attractive, but only if a hardwood expert installs it. Fortunately, you can always count on Assured Quality Woodcraft to provide unmatched hardwood installation and modeling. We have been dealing with hardwood flooring for the last 35 years and have garnered invaluable experience. Contact us for outstanding services at affordable rates.