There’s nothing more classic than a beautiful hardwood floor. It’s easy to decide to put hardwood floors in a home because they’re beautiful and simple to care for. The difficult part is choosing the type of wood to use. With so many wonderful options out there, we created the ultimate wood species guide for floors to make choosing easier.
Classic Oak Floors
Oak is a popular choice for homeowners and builders alike. It’s considered highly durable and comes in either red or white oak.
Red oak is lighter than white oak, and that sometimes confuses people. It has just a hint of pink undertones and a beautiful heavy grain that’s easy to see. White oak is darker than red, with chocolate hues. The grain is also sometimes dramatic and features noticeable swirls.
Maple Hardwood Floors
Maple is considered a clean-looking wood for floors. Its creamy blonde color with the slightest grain patterns makes it a perfect choice for contemporary-style homes. There are soft maples, but most prefer hard maple for flooring.
Hickory Floors
Harder still than other hardwoods, hickory’s perfection lies in its imperfections. Hickory flooring beautifully and unapologetically incorporates knots, spirals, patches, and other organically occurring flaws to give any room a rough-hewn yet honest appearance. Along with such an authentic aesthetic, hickory is some of the most durable hardwood on the market, comparing favorably with oak varieties and offering high resistance to both scratches and water damage.
Walnut Floors
Walnut floors are seldom stained because they are so naturally beautiful. This flooring is also less common, which helps walnut make a big impact in a home. Because of its wide variations in color tone, walnut is a great option when you want plenty of shades to choose from. It’s also great at hiding scratches and dents, which is good news for those with little ones and pets.
Use our ultimate wood species guide for floors as you choose your new wood flooring. Keep in mind—as long as you choose a hard, durable wood for your floors, you can’t go wrong.
Today, engineered hardwood makes wood flooring a more durable option for everyday living. At From the Forest, we are proud to offer USA-made engineered hardwood flooring in several options. Browse our online store or contact us for more information; let’s bring beautiful yet durable flooring into your home.