Hardwood | Styles

The number of hardwood choices, patterns, colors, textures and price points can intimidate even the most experienced shopper. Knowing the basic styles can provide you with a firm foundation upon which to begin your hardwood-shopping journey. Choosing your ideal hardwood style is all about knowing the right combination of aesthetics, performance and budget that meets the needs of your lifestyle.

Personal Style

designs: medallions, running on the diagonal, or creating borders

Types

1. Pre-finished:

ready for installation
boards already sanded, stained and finished
harder, better - protected surface
wider variety of wood species
save hours of labor and cleanup
extended finish warranty

2. Unfinished:

allow you to have a custom job
you choose the wood species
it’s sanded and stained on site
can level the surface after installation
no extended finish warranty

Location

look at installation site for location limitations
solid floors - susceptible to moisture, not recommended for basements, or concrete slabs

Grain and cut

styles are result of the species available
species: red oak, white oak, maple, cherry, white ash, hickory or pecan
each species has unique graining and texture
graining on the boards determined by the way it has been cut
two cutting processes. “Sliced Cut” -more uniform pattern and “Rotary Cut” - displays a larger and bolder graining pattern

Color

each species gives choices of color and finishes
choose coordinating or contrasting with cabinetry and furniture
darker woods- more formal
natural colors- more casual

Finish

different types for pre-finished or job site finished
lower gloss levels - better for active rooms
lower gloss or matte finishes minimize dirt and scratches
high gloss finish for formal décor

Upkeep

no more waxing and scrubbing
pre-finished - hard, durable, urethane-based finishes
chips of Aluminum Oxide added to increases the urethane finish’s life

Floor protection

factory finished: several coats applied to the surface
many companies apply 6-10 coats of a ultra-violet (UV) cured urethane
UV cured urethane: difficult to duplicate on a job site finish
factory finishes - more consistent and durable
do not wash your floor with a mop
water is not a friend of hardwood
floors won't watermark like old waxed floors
UV cured finishes do make floors easier to maintain than waxed floors

Pre-finished choices:

uv-cured – factory finishes cured with Ultra Violet lights versus heat
polyurethane – clear, tough and durable applied as a wear layer
acrylic-urethane – different make up than Polyurethane, same benefits
ceramic – advanced technology allowing ceramics to increase wear layer resistance
aluminum oxide – added to urethane finish for increased abrasion resistance
acrylic impregnated – acrylic monomers injected into cell structure for hardness, then finished with a wear layer

Job-site hardwood flooring

start with a bare (unfinished) floor, then sand, stain, and finish
if subfloor is acceptable you can have a custom stained
can have a floor to match existing trim
advantage: smoother floor between planks
process is messy and takes several days

Methods:

Water Based Urethane – water used as part of the makeup of the finish
Solvent Based Urethane – oil used as part of the makeup of the finish

Moisture Cured Urethane – similar make up as solvent based urethanes, finish needs moisture to cure

Board widths

boards come in various sizes
narrower board widths called “strips”
wider boards called “planks”
board width visually impacts a room
narrow boards expand a room
wider boards work well in a larger room

Edge knowledge

floors come in either a beveled edge, or a square edge
each edge creates a specific look and feel

Edge types:

square edge: edges all meet squarely for a uniform, smooth surface (contemporary and formal)
eased edge: boards slightly beveled to length and/or the end joints, hides irregularities, plank heights, also called micro-beveled edge
beveled edge: distinctive groove, informal and country décor, beveled edges sealed completely, dirt easy to sweep or vacuum out of the grooves

Species Guide

Pine

Hardness – Janka hardness test

measures the force needed to embed a .444 inch steel ball to half its diameter in a piece of wood
higher the number the harder the wood
one of the best methods to measure the ability of wood species to withstand indentations
general guide when comparing various species
construction and finish also important in the durability and ease of maintenance

HARDNESS RATING

Douglas Fir 660
Southern Yellow Pine (shortleaf) 690
Southern Yellow Pine (longleaf) 870
Black Cherry 950
Teak 1000
Black Walnut 1010
Heart Pine 1225
Yellow Birch 1260
Red Oak(Northern) 1290
American Beech 1300
Ash 1320
White Oak 1360
Australian Cypress 1375
Hard maple 1450
Wenge 1620
African Pedauk 1725
Hickory 1820
Pecan 1820
Purpleheart 1860
Jarrah 1910
Merbau 1925
Santos Mahogany 2200
Mesquite 2345
Brazilian Cherry 2350

Red Oak

Red Oak is the most abundant growing species in the United States. The sapwood of Red Oak is white to light brown while the heartwood has a pinkish reddish brown tone. It comes in four different grades:

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Quartersawn

highest quality with almost no knotholes or color deviation.
Smooth Finish suggested.

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Select

Second highest quality with few knotholes and very slight color deviations. Smooth finish suggested.

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#1 Common

Third highest quality with more pronounced knotholes and color
deviations. Suggest hand scraped or smooth.

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#2 Common

Lowest quality with many knotholes and color deviations. Suggest hand scrape only.

Cherry

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American Cherry grows primarily in the Midwestern and Eastern United States and is very hard and dense. The sapwood varies from a rich red to reddish brown and will darken with age. The sapwood tends to be a creamy white.

Hickory/Pecan

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Hickory is the hardest, heaviest, and strongest American wood. The sapwood of hickory is white and the heartwood is pale to reddish brown. It can be finished smooth or hand scraped.

Maple

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Growing in the Pacific Northwest, maple tends to be light but a very dense wood. Generally there is no marked difference between the sapwood and heartwood. Because of its density, maple is not recommended for high humidity areas. Smooth Finish suggested.

Pine

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Tends to be a soft wood that absorbs moisture very well and is recommended for high humidity areas. The sapwood in pine is usually light yellowish-white while the heartwood tends to be yellowish-orange. Can be finished smooth or hand scraped.

Reclaimed Pine

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Same characteristics as Pine, however it is recycled from old buildings (usually barns).

Walnut

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Walnut grows primarily in the Eastern United states. The sapwood tends to be white while the heartwood ranges from a deep chocolate to purplish black. Walnut is great for borders and is finished smooth.

Mesquite

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Mesquite grows primarily in the Southern United states and is known for being a very hard and durable wood. The sapwood tends to be pale while the heartwood is reddish brown. Mesquite usually contains lots of knotholes and a smooth finish is recommended.