Wood Flooring Descriptions and Options
There are many different options for wood flooring including both hardwoods and softwoods. Hardwoods are generally more durable and more resistant to damage from impact, but if you maintain your softwood floor it should last just as long. Other wood flooring options include plank widths, patterns, and stain colors.
Hardwoods
Oak: Two types of oak floors; red oak and white oak. This hardwood is much prized for the beauty of its dark grain and texture, as well as the richness of its coloring after polishing. It is also extremely durable. White Oak is fine grained and has hint of yellow to grey in it. Red Oak is much more common. As its name implies, it has a reddish tint and shows more grain.
Maple: This wood varies in hardness, toughness and other properties. In general, it has a lighter color and a less pronounced grain. It also has a fine, uniform texture, and is resistant to abrasion and has no characteristic odor.
Walnut: This hardwood flooring gives your home a wonderful natural feel. Walnut is warm and inviting, rich in color and magnificently veined.
Cherry: This hardwood flooring is loved for its grain and its warm, homely colors. Each board exhibits a fine, closed grain. Cherry also takes a finish very well. (Light to natural finishes are recommended).
Mahogany: Mahogany is a deep, rich red that darkens further upon exposure to air. Its grain is subtle, very fine and even. It is very strong and durable and take stains and finishes well. Ash: Ash floor has a light natural color. The color varies from near pure white to grey and the flooring is graded accordingly.
Bamboo: Bamboo flooring is also considered an option for wood flooring even though it is technically a grass. It is a natural resource that can be harvested every five years. It forms a very hard wood, which is stronger and more stable than most woods. When seasoned, bamboo remains light and exceptionally tough.
Softwoods
Pine: Pine flooring has a beauty and a character all of its own. It is easily re-colored, easily repaired, easily maintained and easy to fit.
Birch: The color of birch is affected by both the species of birch and the part of the tree that is used. It has a fine, even, straight grain with a uniform texture. It is similar to pine, but it tends to have more knotholes.
Floor Maintenance and Cleaning Instructions
Vacuum or Dust mop regularly. Place Chair Pads on any piece of furniture that sits directly on the hardwood. We recommend cleaning with specialty hardwood flooring cleaners only. DO NOT USE any type of paste wax, Pledge, Endust, Mop-n-Glo, Murphy’s Oil Soap, Furniture Polish, Orange Glo, Bruce Floor Cleaner, Cleaners with Petroleum or Ammonia. If you have any questions please call us or go to the contact us page before you try a new product.