When it comes to choosing the right type of wood for your hardwood floors, there are a variety of options available. Maple is a good choice if you're looking for a consistently toned wood that's lighter in color. The color variations are minimal between the boards and the veins are subtle. Sugar maple is the hardest type of maple and, therefore, the most used for floors.
It's also a great choice for a hardwood floor that lasts. American cherry is a softer wood that offers a wide range of tones and a satin finish. It tends to redden with age and is photosensitive. When using American Cherry, it is recommended to wait at least six months after installation before using any carpet, as this allows the wood to darken evenly. Wider planks are the best choice with this wood, as it has a high grain and will look smoother, as opposed to thinner planks that will make the grain look too dense or overwhelming.
American cherry wood can be easily scratched, so routine soil maintenance is important. American walnut is a beautiful, sturdy wood, and that means a higher price. However, it's a great choice for hardwood floors. It's durable and offers a range of brown tones, from light chocolate to dark chocolate. Some homeowners opt for Brazilian walnut, as it is an even harder type of walnut tree.
American walnut tends to lighten over time, which is a factor to consider when choosing wood stain. The grain also tends to have a fairly wide variety, giving the wood an interesting and classic look. Walnut floors tend to add warmth to a room and have a wealth of colors that homeowners love. Birch is a light, fine-textured wood that looks like maple. Yellow birch and sweet birch are the two types of birch most used on floors, as they are hard and durable.
Birch has a large natural color variation, giving floors great depth. The grain is generally straight and the wood is popular because it's easy to work with and looks beautiful in a home. Its light color brings light to a room. It is recommended to use a harder variety of birch, such as sweet birch, in high-traffic areas, such as the living room or kitchen area, while you can use a softer variety, such as paper birch, in areas such as a bedroom. Alders belong to the birch family and are considered a soft hardwood, often used as a less expensive alternative to maple or cherry. There are several varieties of alder, including western alder, Pacific coast alder, Oregon alder, and red alder.
Alder is easy to work with, with a fine, uniform texture and generally with straight grain patterns. The colors range from light tan to reddish brown, although alder accepts dyes well, allowing you to customize them for a richer or deeper color if you wish. With very little tonal variation between boards and great durability, Brazilian chestnut is an excellent choice for hardwood floors. Its color has a slight range from medium blonde to intense chocolate brown giving each board a unique pattern but an overall uniform appearance thanks to its distinctive veining. Brazilian chestnut is almost three times harder than red oak and has low sensitivity to light; it only darkens slightly with age. In the form of solid wood it is not suitable for basements but the designed Brazilian chestnut is fine for use in basements and ideal for use in any other room in the house besides the bathroom.
Like wenge wood sapele is another African hardwood which has gained popularity in recent years because genuine mahogany is listed as an endangered plant species. It offers the same richness of color as genuine mahogany and has very distinctive and remarkable grain pattern making it ideal for giving rooms comfort and character. It is harder than red oak and has proven to be very stable like hardwood floors. Sapele is also fairly lustrous wood darkening over time highlighting the warm dark reddish brown color commonly found in genuine mahogany. Originally from South and Central America Timborana floors are slightly harder than maple floors and quite resistant to dents and wear caused by foot traffic as well as decay. It has beautiful golden brown tones with slightly reddish tone which darken with age developing their brown and red hues. Timborana can be difficult to sand so professional refinishing with this wood is recommended its complex color tones adding luxurious touch to any room.
Although technically soft wood Australian cypress is harder than red oak making for very durable and durable floors. Its medium honey color and dark knots on boards give it rustic look while grain pattern and cream-colored veins give it distinctive character. It has natural resistance to termites and can acclimate well to any climate although takes little longer than other species. Australian cypress has high levels of resin making sanding difficult but added benefit being sustainably harvested different from general types of hardwood floors, which may also include engineered (artificial) or laminate wood. They are very durable option good at coping with human trafficking however wood often contains yellow stains of mineral deposits which darken if exposed to water so important properly seal these floors extend their appearance lifespan. Continuously exploring new techniques issues related hardwood floors homes offices important ensure right type flooring chosen best suit needs home environment.
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