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Real hardwood is a timeless choice for flooring. It complements just about any décor, goes well with various decorating styles in furniture and art, and comes in an array of shades and colors.
Types
Solid hardwood is the most sought after type of flooring, as it has the longest lifespan and can be refinished several times before it has to be replaced. Coming in standard thicknesses of ¾ inches for standard, and 5/16 inch for thin profile, they are sawn in three different ways.
Plain sawn is the most common cut. Quarter sawn is the result of sawing logs into quarters before taking flooring boards. Finally, rift sawn uses wood cut at an angle before boards are cut for flooring. The latter is the more stable of the three and is therefore more expensive.
Engineered hardwood is produced when real hardwood veneer is glued to a core material. It is more stable than regular hardwood, as it doesn’t expand and contract with atmospheric/climate changes.
Reclaimed hardwood, also known as recycled hardwood, uses wood from such things as logs brought out of lakes and rivers, boats that have been sunk and even old barn wood. While not its own type, it is a much more sustainable option for hardwood, and can be found in either engineered or solid form.
Species
The particular species of hardwood gives your floor different looks, textures, stability and life span. Some are much harder than others and will last much longer. Others have interesting patterns in the grain that create particular patterns. And still others, like cherry, have an interesting color that make them preferred over others.
Some of the species of domestic wood include:
• Red and White Oak
• Maple
• Cherry
• Hickory
• Ask
• Pine
• Walnut
• Birch
You can also find exotic hardwood that has a more varied color and grain pattern than some domestics do.
• Santos Mahogany
• Brazilian Cherry
• Kempas
• Tigerwood
• Rosewood
• Brazilian Walnut
Let Us Help
If you have any hardwood flooring questions, feel free to contact us at our Flooring Master showrooms in Tampa, Orlando and Apopka, FL.
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