There’s a wide variety of solid hardwood flooring available on the market, including common hardwoods and some exotic types you might not be so familiar with. If ypu want hardwood flooring, and want something a little more unique, you can use all kinds of different types of wood. Each one has its own benefits and downsides, and will provide something a little special for your floor. Let’s take a look at some of your options.

Domestic And Traditional Woods

With a Janka hardness rating of 1260, red oak has a strong open grain and is the most common species used in hardwood flooring. This sturdy material has been used for years, is highly attractive, and has a beautiful color. It’s a popular choice for restoring old houses and for installation in new ones.

White oak is more frequently used in timber framing, but is also common in floors. With a light brown heartwood and creamy sapwood, this tree provides a striking look. The grain is tighter and less pronounced than red oak, and is uniform and straight in good examples. Over time, this wood, rated at a Janka hardness of 1360, will change color, becoming more amber in appearance.

For strong floors that resist denting, maple is a good choice, which is why it’s been used in basketball courts and bowling alleys for years. It has a rating of 1450 on the Janka hardness scale and it has a closed grain and a very uniform texture. Colors range between creamy white to a light red or reddish brown. There are three major grades of maple - first grade, known for whiteness and uniform color; select grade, with some brown heartwood mixed in the white sapwood; and rustic maple, which is variegated and includes both types of wood.

Cherry flooring has been prized for cabinets and furniture, and makes an outstanding chice for hardwood floors that ranges from light brown to reddish brown and has a very fine grade. Sapwood is white to light reddish brown. This wood has a Janka hardness of only 950, and is musch less soft than oak.

Another extremely prized furniture and flooring wood is Black walnut. It is about twenty percent softer than oak with a hardness rating of 1010. Ranging from soft brown to chocolate in the heartwood, and light tan to dark brown in the sapwood, the texture of this wood is fine but curly. Finished walnut is extremely elegant in appearance.

Ash rates at a hardness of 1320 and is a stunning floor that will last a long time, with creamy sapwood and tan to dark brown heartwood. The grain is bold and open, and makes for a striking looking floor.

Beech has a hardness of about 1300 on the Janka scale, and a pale white sapwood with a reddish brown heartwood. Boards have variations in color, with a straight, closed, consistent grain.

Birch is white to creamy yellow or light reddish brown and is equal to red oak in hardness. Its texture is even and its grain is straight and closed, though some boards show waves and curliness in the grain.

Exotic Woods

Jatoba, also called Brazilian cherry, is a reddish brown wood with a golden glow and an interlocking grain. Sturdy, tough and weighty, it has a Janka rating of 2760, and darkens over time and when exposed to light.

Tigerwood, also from Brazil, has a darker orange background color with brown veins and makes for a really striking floor. Its hardness rating is 2160.

Australian cypress looks like rustic pine but is harder than oak, and ranges from cream to light brown to honey gold, with prominent dark lines and knots. Over a few months, it will darken slightly from light exposure.

Originating in South Africa, Santos mahogany is seventy percent harder than red oak and has a consistent dark red brown color and a grain that is consistent and straight. is smooth and even in consistency and offers a really elegant feeling combined with great strength and rigidity.

Cumaru, or Brazilian chestnut, is incredibly durable and hard, with a rating of 3540. It is also naturally resistant to decay, causing it to be used outdoors in many cases. Consistent in color - yellowish brown to light brown - it has a taut and even grain and makes a robust floor that is gorgeous and will stand up to lots of abuse.

Hickory is unusual in hardwood floors, but its high hardness (1820) and incredible character gives it a real country charm. The sapwood is white with light brown to brown contrasting dark streaks

Professional Hardwood

To learn more about choosing the best hardwood flooring for your home, visit http://professionalhardwood.com . If your looking for the best price on oak flooring, maple, brazilian cherry or any kind of primium hardwood, you are guaranteed to save big when you buy direct from Professional Hardwood.

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Before you take the decision of laying hardwood oak floors in your home, you need to consider the benefits as well as problems associated with oak flooring. We generally prefer engineered oak floors as it gives a cosy look to the ambiance.

Since laying engineered oak flooring is pretty expensive, it will naturally increase the value of your dwelling.

If the hardwood oak flooring in your home has been looked after with a lot of care, then it will last for years to come.

An exceptional feature of oak flooring is its durability. If maintained correctly, then it will last for many years to come.

Another reason for our preference of oak is that you will find oak in a wide range of tones and hues. So, you do not have to worry about matching your new hardwood oak flooring to the theme of the dwelling as there are plenty of looks available for you.

The negatives of oak floors, on the other hand, mostly due to its maintenance process. Despite its hard wearing properties, oak is vulnerable to heavy objects like bed legs so you should take necessary precautions with items placed on the floor with such items as rugs,

Not only that but the oak needs to be protected from strong sunlight so it would be advisable to keep window blinds closed during intense sunlight. Again, oak can start drying out after some period of time. To prevent this, you need to maintain the floor with natural oil occasionally.

Ultimately, the advantages of oak hardwood floors, are far too many for homeowners to seriously consider the disadvantages of installing oak floors. The fact is that it imparts such a lovely feel to the home that people crave to have oak floors.

To buy oak flooring, you can source a dealer and ask for the details. Since oak is is relatively expensive, a lot of dealersoffer credit terms so that more homeowners are able to have this dream flooring in their homes.

Technorati Tags: Carpets, hardwood flooring, home improvement, Installing Flooring, Oak Flooring, Wood Flooring