You can’t go wrong with a hardwood floor since it’s ageless and inherently attractive. But if you’re looking for the wood that will best suit your needs, you’ve come to the right place. So, which type of wood is ideal for hardwood floors?
There are many excellent hardwood flooring alternatives available, and your preferences and budget are what determine the ideal one for you.
To assist you in making a decision, we combed the market and narrowed the options down to five. Continue reading to find out why they’re so popular and how you can use them.
1. Oak
Oak is our preferred pick for hardwood flooring for a variety of reasons. For starters, it gives your house a classy and sophisticated appearance. Oak is also more widely accessible and less expensive, making it simple to find and purchase. This type of flooring is quite popular due to its durability. It is ideal for high-traffic parts of the house, such as the living room and rooms where children and dogs spend a lot of time.
Mullican Flooring St. Andrews Solid Oak Hardwood Flooring
You can pick between red and white oak when purchasing oak flooring. Although both are fantastic choices, each has its aesthetic qualities, such as color and texture. As a result, you may make your decision depending on your particular style and preferences.
In terms of color, red oak is pinkish and lighter, while white oak features a dark golden brown tint. Red oak also has heavy straight grain, whereas white oak’s grain is smoother with longer twirls.
The Solid Oak Hardwood Flooring by Mullican has a smooth surface with a medium gloss finish that gives it a chic appearance to elevate the look of your home. Its texture also makes it easy to maintain and perfect for high-traffic regions in your home, such as the hallways.
The flooring comes with a lifetime finish warranty so that you can be sure of its durability. The wood flooring offers a unique combination of micro-beveled edges and square ends with a clean and lovely appearance. Furthermore, you can install the flooring above grade or on grade using nail down or staple down methods.
2. Maple
Maple wood is a relatively common choice for hardwood flooring. While maple wood is neutral and will complement any home décor, we particularly love how this light and neat design looks in modern homes.
Maple wood also stands out for its durability. Since it is denser than oak, it proves to be excellent for high-traffic areas. In addition, we recommend using maple wood in larger rooms since its calm appearance will not overwhelm the space or give it a crowded feel.
The almost invisible grains and clean surface also make maple a superb flooring option for most homes as it blends in and enhances the appearance of any room. Since the wood does not stain well, it usually comes in a natural light tone.
Smooth Southern Maple Series – Juliette Silver
This solid maple hardwood for flooring by BuildDirect is prefinished to give your floor a fresh appearance. You also have the option of sanding, staining, and coating it if you need it to match your preferred style.
Moreover, the wood has a dark gray color that easily blends in with your current home décor. The wood comes with a protective coating that makes it moisture and scratch-resistant for enhanced durability. The maple wood flooring uses a nail-down installation method and comes with a 25-year residential warranty. As a result, you can be sure of its quality and worth.
3. Cherry
Cherry hardwood is an excellent option that is commonly used because of its warm tint and spectacular grains. Homeowners love this hardwood flooring for its smooth and even finish. It is comfortable to walk on and also simple to clean and maintain.
Furthermore, the hardwood is available in both prefinished and unfinished options. We recommend using this type of flooring in low-traffic areas such as bedrooms since the wood is more prone to damage.
Although there are various types of cherry hardwood, the most common ones include Brazilian and Black Cherry. Brazilian Cherry wood looks fantastic because of its soft red tone, which gets darker when exposed to sunlight. Its medium to rough texture also makes it stand out. On the other hand, Black Cherry wood has a light brown hue that darkens into a reddish-brown over time.
Prefinished Solid Natural Brazilian Cherry
The Prefinished Solid Brazilian Cherry flooring has a Janka hardness rating of 2350, meaning you can be sure it will stand the test of time. Its hardness makes it an excellent choice for flooring for high-traffic areas such as the living room and hallways.
It also has a natural and rich color that gives it an impressive appearance to revamp your home’s style. The color is also timeless, so you can be sure it will always be in fashion. The wood has an aluminum oxide finish for enhanced protection against scratches and damage. It comes ready to install and allows you to place the rectangle planks edge to edge using nail installation methods.
4. Walnut
Walnut wood is an excellent choice for hardwood flooring. It is favored mainly because of its beautiful color and grains. With proper care, it can also be quite durable. Walnut wood is brown with a purple tint. Its color darkens over time, giving it a luxurious appearance that can revamp any space.
The wood is also easy to clean. What’s more, it is known to be an insect repellent. You will also love that it is moisture-resistant, making it perfect for humid areas. Walnut wood flooring comes in two options: Brazilian and American Black Walnut. Both are excellent choices, and the selection just depends on your preference.
Mullican Engineered Walnut Hardwood Flooring
This engineered walnut hardwood flooring by Mullican is a perfect choice if you want a flooring option that complements your rustic or country-styled home. Its planks have beveled edges and ends that make them stand out on the floor, so you’ll be sure to wow your visitors.
Furthermore, the ultra-low gloss finish makes this walnut hardwood from Mullican perfect for high-traffic areas as it perfectly conceals dents and scratches. Its finish also makes it an excellent pick for homes with energetic kids and pets. On top of that, the wood has a urethane finish for added protection, which comes with a 25-year warranty.
The number of options for installation is also a great plus point. For example, you can use floating, glue down, nail down, or staple down installation methods. In addition, you may install the flooring above grade, on grade, or below grade.
5. Hickory
Although hickory is not as common as the other hardwoods on our list, it stands out because of the unique rustic feel that gives it a timeless appearance.
The hardwood is especially appealing because of its beautiful colors. Its sapwood is creamy, while the heartwood is golden brown. You also have the option of staining it for a darker appearance to match your style.
Moreover, hickory hardwood is relatively durable because of its toughness, making it an excellent choice for high-traffic areas and homes with pets and kids. As a result, you won’t have to keep worrying about unnecessary scratches and dents.
Jasper Engineered Hardwood – Handscraped Collection Hickory
The Jasper Engineered Hardwood has a beautiful light brown hue. The distressed finish of the wood makes it a great choice if you want to make a statement in your modern house or go for a rustic cottage look.
The beveled edges of the wood will grab attention, and you’ll be sure to wow your visitors. It also has a urethane finish for further durability and protection. In addition, the low gloss hides scratches, dents, and scuffs, making this flooring ideal for high-traffic areas.
Hardwood flooring is relatively simple to install. You can do so in various ways, including floating, gluing down, nailing down, and stapling down. Since the hardwood is prefinished, it comes ready to install.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are the different options for hardwood flooring?
Solid Wood Flooring
This style of flooring has solid wood planks all the way around. Despite the high cost, solid wood flooring is a classic option because of its traditional and timeless aesthetic. Furthermore, the flooring can be sanded and refinished at any moment to keep it looking new.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Engineered hardwood flooring is made out of numerous layers of plywood on the floorboard. A thin veneer of solid wood covers the top layer, also known as the wear layer. Engineered hardwood flooring can also be sanded and is sometimes durable. On top of that, the flooring is more resistant to temperature fluctuations and moisture.
Repurposed Hardwood Flooring
Repurposed hardwood flooring uses solid wood that has been used before, such as in offices or barns. The natural aging of reclaimed wood is attractive to the eye, making it an ideal choice for those who want a vintage rustic style. It also stains nicely, giving it a lovely appearance.
2. What Is The Best Way To Care For Hardwood Flooring?
With appropriate care and upkeep, hardwood flooring can survive for decades. While the hardwood finish will be the key determinant of adequately caring for the floor, most people will find that general maintenance is the same. Here are some handy tips:
- Clean the waxed floor with a suitable wood floor cleaner (e.g., use vinegar and water for a polyurethane-coated floor)
- Wipe up spills and stains as soon as possible
- Avoid using harsh chemicals to clean the floor
- Use furniture pads to avoid scratches and damage
- Dust regularly using a clean dust mop or soft broom
- Remember to sand and refinish the floor
Conclusion
You can be confident that any type of wood you choose for your hardwood floor will be sturdy, elegant, and never go out of style. They also come in various pricing ranges, allowing you to pick one that best fits your budget.
When it comes to hardwood flooring, there is no such thing as superior wood. As a result, you’ll only be fighting one battle: your unique preferences. And we hope that our guide to the best wood for hardwood floors can assist you in that endeavor.
