Hardwood Flooring : The Many Options
After tearing out that dirt-encrusted, coffee-stained, threadbare wall-to-wall carpeting, you realize that the underlying floor has also decided to go south. Seized by the desire to lay down some gorgeous hardwood flooring, you're standing at your local hardware shop gaping at the vast array of options available. Luckily, you came prepared with this helpful guide.
Solid hardwood flooring:
This type of flooring consists of single strips of solid wood cut to size. There are three types of this particular flooring: Strip, Plank, and Parquet. Solid hardwood flooring can come unfinished or pre-finished.
- Strip flooring comes in set widths and variable thicknesses.
- Plank flooring only comes in two thicknesses but the width can vary.
- Parquet flooring is made up of geometrical patterns made up of individual slats fastened together with adhesive or other fastening.
Engineered hardwood flooring:
This type of man-made flooring combines strips of real wood with those of other materials such as less expensive wood, plastic laminate veneer, or wood chip composite. These layers are glued together, usually with the grains of each layer perpendicular to each other to provide strength and resistance to warping due to moisture.
Wood flooring is measured for hardness on the Janka scale. Softer woods will have lower hardness ratings while harder woods will have higher hardness ratings.
Oak hardwood flooring
(Janka rating for Red Oak: 1290, for White Oak: 1360):
Red oak is more popular but is not as durable as white oak. Red oak has a warmer color while white has more burls and swirls. Oak resists moisture absorption and finishes well.
Cherry hardwood flooring (Janka rating: 950 - 3190):
This light brown wood has varieties that span the Janka scale. American and African Cherry varieties are too soft for an entire floor and are more appropriate for decorative and low-traffic areas. Brazilian Cherry flooring, however, has a Janka rating of 2350. This wood varies in color from light to reddish brown, appearing more red when exposed to sunlight. Brazilian cherry flooring resists warping and shrinking and ages well.
Mesquite flooring (Janka rating: 2345):
This hard, dense and strong flooring has dark reddish brown to light brown coloring that is characterized by bark and mineral streaking. Mesquite tends to split easily but otherwise it is quite workable.
Bamboo flooring (Janka rating: Engineered: 1690, Strand: 3014):
Bamboo flooring comes in two main colors: natural, which is similar to beech, and carbonized, which is similar to oak. It is often considered the more eco-friendly of the woods due to its rapid maturation and for being a renewable resource. However, the use of certain glues in the lamination process and deforestation involved in planting some bamboo plantations offsets these claims.
Mahogany flooring (Janka rating: 2200):
The beautiful dark reddish brown coloring and resiliency of mahogany flooring make it one of the more desirable wood floorings available. However, it is somewhat difficult to cut due to its hardness but it resists shrinking, warping and swelling. Mahogany is often used for high quality furniture and boating.
Teak flooring (Janka rating: 1155):
Although fairly soft, teak is easy to work with, has a beautiful grain with mellow gold to brownish-red hues, and resists fungus and insects. However, its long maturation and the limited places in the world where it can grow make it scarce and thus very expensive.
Knowing about the different benefits each type of hardwood flooring has to offer makes it much easier to pick the right type of wood for your home.
