Choosing hardwood flooring for your home used to be relatively easy. Most floors were made of solid hardwoods, such as maple, chestnut, oak or poplar. Fast-forward to the present and you will find that not only are there numerous domestic and exotic species of hardwood flooring to choose from, but engineered"hardwood flooring options as well.
Bamboo
Bamboo falls under the category of an exotic hardwood, even though it is a member of the grass family and not a tree. It is one of the few hardwood flooring options that is considered environmentally friendly because it is a renewable resource. Bamboo floors are engineered for strength and durability. They are characterized by vertical striations and come pre-finished from the factory in a natural light-tan color or a carbonized honey color. It is sold in standard dimensions of 3 ¼ inches wide, ½ inch thick and 6 feet in length and is glued, nailed or stapled to the subfloor. Bamboo flooring tends to scratch easily if dirt remains on the surface and it is easily stained by spills from food and drink.
Laminate
Laminate floors are made from a composite of fiberboard and other materials, which are compressed under heat to form an extremely durable flooring material. The top layer is actually a computer-generated photograph of the species of wood it is supposed to resemble, oak or ash, for example. Most laminate floors consist of a tongue-and-groove system that floats over a plywood or concrete subfloor. No nailing or gluing is required, making it easy to install yourself. Laminate floors require an underlayment similar to plastic sheeting so that the floor behaves like a hardwood floor in use. Laminate flooring is very realistic-looking, as well as stain- and scratch-resistant. It is an excellent option for those on a budget.
Engineered Wood
Engineered wood floors are a composite of three to five layers of hardwood with a thin layer of veneer in the desired hardwood species on the top and bottom surfaces. Engineered wood is the flooring option that most closely resembles solid hardwood flooring. Engineered wood floors are durable and available in a variety of styles. Boards range in size from approximately ¼ to ½ inch in thickness, 2 1/4 to 7 inches in width, and 12 to 60 inches in length. Engineered wood is prefinished in the factory with a polyurethane finish and is more stable than solid hardwood flooring, allowing it to be installed below grade in a basement. Engineered wood is nailed, stapled, glued or floated over a concrete or plywood subfloor.
Longstrip
Longstrip flooring is similar to engineered flooring in that it is a composite of thin wood boards glued together to create a durable flooring material. Softwoods such as pine are used in the middle and bottom sections, while a domestic or exotic hardwood is used for the top layer. A series of three vertical lengths of boards are joined together to create the final product, which is approximately 7 1/2 inches wide and 86 inches long. The tongue-and-groove planks are either glued or stapled to a concrete or plywood subfloor or float above it.
Solid Hardwood
Solid hardwood flooring remains a favorite choice for homeowners. Hardwoods such as oak, maple and ash are harvested, sawn and fashioned into tongue-and-groove boards of various lengths and widths, ranging from 12 to 84 inches in length, 2 ½ to 5 inches wide and ¾ inch thick. The floor is laid piece-by-piece over a plywood subfloor and nailed into place. Moisture causes solid hardwood flooring to expand and contract, so it should not be used below grade in a basement or over a concrete subfloor.
Available unfinished or prefinished from the factory, hardwood flooring can be a bargain, depending on the species and grade of wood used. The most expensive grade is clear, which is free from knots or blemishes, followed by select, which has small knots and a light color grain. Common, which is characterized by larger and more frequent knots and a darker graining pattern, is the least expensive grade.
An Overview of Five Popular Hardwood Flooring Species
When it comes to choosing flooring for your home, hardwood floors offer a classic look that is durable and easy to maintain. As you may have discovered, there is a large selection of hardwoods to choose from-more than 50 different species. With options ranging from hardwoods native to North America, such as oak and maple, to exotic hardwoods like Brazilian Cherry from South America, how do you determine which hardwood flooring is best for your home and lifestyle?
Here is a brief overview of five of the most popular hardwood floors available today.
American Cherry
American Cherry is a domestic hardwood native to North America. It is a fine-grained wood with a slightly wavy graining pattern and lovely satin texture. The heartwood, which is the inner wood, is light to dark reddish-brown, while the sapwood or outer wood is a lighter version of this color. Cherry hardwood flooring is softer and less durable than most other hardwood species and is suitable for residential use but not for commercial flooring. As cherry hardwood flooring ages, it dramatically changes color to a darker red-brown. The change in color occurs rapidly, typically within weeks or a few months.
Brazilian Cherry
Brazilian Cherry is imported from South America and is the hardest and densest of the five species discussed here. Visually striking in appearance, it is suitable for both residential and commercial flooring, although it may scratch easily. The sapwood is grayish-white in color and the heartwood is a salmon-red to orange-brown color that ages quickly to a reddish-brown color, often flecked with dark streaks. Of interest is that using a water-based finish tends to slow down the oxidation process and retain the original color for a longer period. Brazilian Cherry is readily available and comparable in price to domestic hardwoods. It is the most popular exotic hardwood floor and increased competition among retailers often keeps the price low.
Maple
The sugar maple tree, also native to North America, is the source of maple hardwood flooring. With its fine-grained, uniform texture, Maple is harder and denser than many other hardwoods, including oak. The heartwood is a pale cream to light reddish-brown color, while the sapwood is white to cream color, both of which age over time to a golden version of the original colors. Suitable for both residential and commercial applications, Maple hardwood flooring is difficult to stain and does best with a neutral finish. The grain may also be difficult to match up when laying flooring planks. Maple flooring is also susceptible to swelling in high humidity and shrinking under conditions of very low humidity.
Red Oak
Red oak has a somewhat coarse texture with a distinctive graining pattern. Both the heartwood and sapwood of Red Oak are reddish in color. Over time, it develops an amber hue. The hardness of red oak is the standard against which all other hardwoods are compared. With regard to hardness, Red Oak falls in between Cherry and Maple. It is suitable for both residential and commercial flooring, accepts stain well and can be bleached. Red Oak is the most popular domestic hardwood flooring material.
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White Oak
White oak is characterized by a distinctive graining pattern and was the wood of choice for Mission furniture. There are many variations in color and texture; however, the heartwood is usually light brown with tan or greenish undertones and the sapwood is white to cream in color. Over a period of time, White Oak flooring ages to a golden color. White Oak accepts stain quite well and is an excellent flooring material for both residential and commercial use. Unlike Red Oak, White Oak flooring is not suitable for bleaching.
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Hardwood floors are often a sought after feature for potential homeowners. These floors have a classic beauty and are quite durable if they are cared for properly. Well made and cared for hardwoods can last for decades if not longer. |
Are you partial to the vintage look? Then get busy and start beating up your hardwood floors. |
