Hardwood Flooring Species

Hardwood Floors Species From A to Z

Domestic Hardwood Flooring Wood Species like Red Oak, White Oak, Maple and more have always been used for Hardwood Flooring in homes across the United States. These domestic species are perfect for traditional settings or for complementing existing cabinets or furniture. Red Oak Natural is still one of the most sought after wood species. Because of this, the hardness of any wood species are usually compared to the Janka Hardness Rating of Red Oak (which is 1290). With some exceptions, domestic wood species unless stained a particular color have a tendency to have lighter color tones.

ALDER

Alder is a hardwood which comes in different varieties including red hardwood, Oregon and western variety. The color is uniform from a brown with a hint of pink to almost white. While sometimes this wood has a parallel, uniform grain, most of the time it does not have any recognizable grain. In the hardwood family, alder is among the softer types, and is malleable. Alder has a low rigidity, is of a lighter weight, and is compact and low shock. Because it is a softer hardwood, alder is very versatile and can be stained or painted, as well as screwed or nailed.

This wood creates a rustic effect when used in many facets, such as flooring, furniture, and kitchen cabinets.

Ash

This wood’s colors span from white to beige. Ash has a linear grain with texture that is consistent. Because this variety is stiff and weighty, it is great for a very secure floor that has a high, flexible strength. This wood admits almost any stains because it has broad pores.

Ash can be utilized for flooring, sporting goods, and furniture. Years ago, it was the favored wood used to make tennis rackets! Ash sands nicely and works well with nails, glue, and screws. This wood hardens easily, without deterioration or alteration in performance.

Black Walnut

Black walnut is a close-grained hardwood which burnishes to a very sleek finish, and continues to beautify with time. This wood’s colors are a dusky brown and a purplish black. When air-dried, this wood takes on a purplish-brown color; when kiln-dried, it is more of a flat brown.

While periodically it has waves or curls, because of its elegant grain, most of the time it is straight grained. Black walnut’s grains differ greatly, but it always becomes more luminous as time goes on. This wood is not very stiff, but has a moderate solidity, as well as medium compressing and bowing strength.

The material performs well when machined. While it does take a long time to dry after it is stained, it nails, screws, glues, and cuts very nicely. It is employed in flooring, cabinets, carvings, gunstocks, instruments, millwork and in making other items. Black walnut is a very desirable finish wood.

Cherry

Cherry is a dramatic wood, especially used in woodworking. Because it is one of the simplest woods to work with, it can be utilized as shiny flooring to expensive cabinetry. Cherry has a superior opposition to dampness, so it minimally highlights swelling and shrinking. That makes it a very adaptable flooring material.

Its color is a ruddy brown which deepens when exposed to light and time. Having a smooth feeling, it has a parallel grain, is moderately dense, and has an even strength and stiffness. Cherry displays a recognizable grain pattern: small gum pockets and pith flecks which flow through it. This wood nails and glues well, and can be stained with a fluid finish after being sanded.

Hard Maple

Hard maple: it’s one of the most dependable varieties of wood, because it’s one of the hardest maple woods. With a linear grain, it has a smooth texture and a natural stability. This wood is a wonderful choice for use as flooring or furniture, and it is also a sought-after finish wood. It can be used in residential, commercial, and industrial settings.

Its color can be creamy white to a light ruddy brown. While it normally has a parallel grain, sometimes it may display burl or bird’s eye grain patterns. Hard maple accepts stains nicely and may be sanded for a beautiful finish.

Note: It is recommended that you pre-drill before nailing or screwing because this hardwood is very hard.

Hickory

Hickory is one of the toughest woods with a strength that rivals steel. It is a beautiful wood that cabinetmakers in particular have long admired, highlighting its striking contrasting patterns of clear yellow and rich brown heartwood.

These qualities make a natural Hickory floor nothing short of amazing – a rich, bold flooring that commands attention in any formal or informal setting.

Red Oak

After maple and cherry, red oak is one of the most prominent woods, especially because it is a very abundant hardwood variety. Its color spans from a light cream color to a beige or tan, which may have a reddish tone. This wood has a straight grain with an unrefined texture.

Red oak has a superior wear resistance and sturdiness over time, due to the fact it’s a very dense, secure wood, and is very firm with a high resistance to shock. While it can be sanded smooth, pre-drilling is recommended if nailing or using screws.

White Oak

White oak is a very typical choice for flooring, due to it being impenetrable to dampness, as well as its lastingness and strength. Because of these characteristics, it has been used in the past for ship lumber and wooden barrels.

Its colors range from an off-white to a deep gray-brown for the heartwood.

While its grain can change depending on slicing and sawing angles, most often the wood has a linear grain with a medium-smooth to rough texture.

White oak is a strong and dense wood which resists deterioration and holds nails and screws well. It sands nicely, but due to its hardness, it is advised to pre-drill before using nails or screws.