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Hardwood flooring types Hardwood Floors Real hardwood floors are comprised of wood planks that are shaved down to uniform or near-uniform thickness and installed directly over floor joists. Wood flooring planks are harvested from several tree species, such as maple, cherry, oak and walnut, offering a wide range of colors, grains and textures. You can also choose several types of stains and finishes, making color and texture options nearly infinite. Hardwood is a long-lasting flooring option because you can refinish it multiple times. Furniture scratches, foot-traffic patterns and general wear-and-tear detract from its appearance, but refinishing hardwood flooring revives its dated look. Installing hardwood flooring is typically more expensive than other flooring types, but hardwood adds value and creates a classic look that never goes out of style. Flooring installers recommend installing wood flooring in rooms with low humidity because moisture may cause it to expand and contract. Wood flooring's hardness is measured on the Janka hardness scale, which is a measurement of the amount of force required to drive a .44-inch steel ball halfway into a piece of wood. (The higher the score, the harder the wood.) |
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Common Hardwood Flooring Types: Cherry: Color varies from reddish brown to creamy, pinkish-white. It has fine grain, smooth texture and stain adheres easily. Cherry has low resistance to photosensitivity. Janka hardness score: 950 Walnut: Know for its rich, dark-brown color and swirling grains with chocolate hues, walnut is strong but lightweight and soft. It has high resistance to photosensitivity. Janka hardness score: 1010 Oak: Color ranges from pinkish-light wheat color to rich golden brown. Oak is dense and hard, but exudes warmth. Oak has moderate resistance to photosensitivity. Janka hardness scale score: 1290 Maple: Color varies from creamy white to golden tan. Maple has uniform texture, straight grain and high resistance to photosensitivity. Janka hardness score: 1500 Hickory: It's known as one of the hardest and strongest of American hardwoods. Color ranges from light blonde to reddish brown and dark brown. Hickory has medium to high resistance photosensitivity. Janka hardness score: 1820 |
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