Hardwood floors are a classic choice: they’ve been a traditional flooring option for many cultures and civilizations for centuries. A practical and decorative choice, to many, hardwood flooring lends a sense of permanence to an interior. The range of options including finish, surface, stain, and species make hardwood a very attractive choice.
There are two methods of hardwood construction:
- Solid Hardwood is cut directly from the log, milled, sanded, stained and finished. It can be installed on and above grade level. ¾” is the standard thickness. Board lengths are random. In addition, solid hardwood is available unfinished and prefinished. The advantage of prefinished hardwood is that it is already sanded, sealed, and sometimes stained. Because the finishing process is done in a controlled setting, the products come with longer warranties.
- Engineered Hardwood is made with cross-ply construction. The top layer is peeled off the log and glued to additional layers of wood for dimensional stability. Engineered floors can be installed above, on or below grade, in a basement for example.
There are two major styles of wood flooring available:
- Strip Flooring is a traditional look, with strips ranging from 2-1/4 inches to 3-1/4 inches wide.
- Plank Flooring offers a wider range of styles including exotics. These boards are at least three inches wide, but usually larger.
There are so many different species of wood it would be hard to cover all of them so let’s just talk about what’s most popular. Red and White Oak, Maple, and Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba) are the most widely used and represent a good cross section for your consideration.
- Red and White Oak: These are the most common choices for wood flooring. Its consistent graining and availability make it an excellent value.
GRAIN: Consistent, and sometimes rippled grain pattern.
COST: Ranges from $4-6 per square foot. - Maple: It’s slightly harder than oak and has a subtle grain pattern. Because of the lack of pores on the surface, only a few stain options are available.
GRAIN: It has a very fine grain pattern.
COST: $5-7 per square foot. - Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba): This beautiful wood has dark, rich, natural color tones that get darker the older it is. It is one of the only woods that actually improves in appearance as it ages.
GRAIN: Has a medium-spaced salmon-colored grain that gets darker with age.
COST: $6-8 per square foot.
Other species offering high style:
- Bamboo
- Hickory
- Cork
- Ash
- Walnut
When considering what species to choose, there are three important factors that affect the cost. These are grade, width, and finish. Grade is primarily determined by color consistency and the occurrence of natural characteristics such as knot holes, pin holes and mineral streaks. The ”cleaner” the grading, the more expensive it is.
Hardwood flooring adds a richness to any home. Beyond the just the practical side of durability, structural stability and the added value wood brings, nothing compares with the elegance, warmth and beauty of natural hardwood floors.