WOOD FLOORS


Wood floors add warmth and a touch of distinction and class to your home. However, with so many choices - type of wood, type of floor, finish, ... how do you choose?
Let's start with some basics.
Flooring is available in a variety of Types, Styles, Lengths, Thicknesses and more.

First-Material Style
Home wood flooring can be solid wood, engineered (i.e., laminate or Pergo®) or parquet.
In solid wood flooring you have the basic choice of unfinished or pre-finished.
Unfinished flooring is often finished on-site with an oil-based or a water-based finish.

Solid 3/4" thickness solid wood floors have a long history and continue to be very common so I'll continue on with details on these.
Hardness ratings are given which can be used as an indicator of relative durability and wear-resistance
$ are shown to give a relative cost comparison between the different wood types

Type of Wood

Red Oak
hardness rating: 1290
This floor features Red Oak with Wenge feature strips and Granite inlays. The installation is by Legendary Hardwood Floors in Terre Haute, IN.
$
http://www.woodfloors.org/consumer/whyTypesSpeciesDetail.aspx?id=15




White Oak
hardness rating: 1820
This office floor features solid White Oak planks, with American Walnut feature strips. The floor is job-site finished, using an oil-based surface finish. Installation by Universal Floors, Washington, DC.
$
http://www.woodfloors.org/consumer/whyTypesSpeciesDetail.aspx?id=16


Maple
hardness rating: 1450
This kitchen floor features 1,210 square feet of solid Maple and Steamed Walnut. The floor is job-site finished, using a water-based surface finish. Installation by Hammer Hardwood Floors, Inc., Perry, Iowa.
$$
http://www.woodfloors.org/consumer/whyTypesSpeciesDetail.aspx?id=13




Hickory
hardness rating: 1820
This floor features hand-scraped hickory with hickory plugs, and leather inserts with a faux alligator finish. The installation is by Birger Juell in Chicago, IL.
$$
http://www.woodfloors.org/consumer/whyTypesSpeciesDetail.aspx?id=12



Select Brazilian Cherry
hardness rating: 2820
This bedroom floor features 200 square feet of solid Brazilian Cherry, in a custom basket weave pattern, with custom accent blocks featuring Wenge, Maple and Red Oak. The floor is job-site finished, using an oil-based surface finish. Installation by Majestic Wood Floors, Frederick, Maryland
$$$
http://www.woodfloors.org/consumer/whyTypesSpeciesDetail.aspx?id=2

Parting Thoughts
Wood offers a home a solid, yet forgiving warmth with great environmental advantages:
- Wood is a natural and renewable resource
- Wood has a very easy care and ease of cleaning
- Wood may decrease the potential for alergen-sensitivity in the home
- Wood floors will give your home years of beauty and enjoyment

Ackowledgement
Thanks to the following for their invaluable contributions to this article:

• Direct Carpets of Minnesota - Bruce (763)425-8936 and Greg (763)425-6075 for their expertise as hardwood floor suppliers
• Photos courtesy of the National Wood Flooring Association (http://www.woodfloors.org/)