Ash
Ash wood is extremely light to nearly white in color. This wood
was formerly used to make tennis rackets and windmills due to its lightweight
and sturdy nature. Floors made from ash wood are surprisingly durable given the
weight of the wood, have excellent shock resistance, and remain smooth despite
high traffic and friction, making the potential for damage minimal. For busy
households with high levels of traffic, ash is an excellent choice.
Bamboo
One of the newest and most popular materials used in the flooring
industry today. Made from grass, instead of wood, bamboo is available in 1,000
species throughout the world, making it a very available and easy to find
choice for floors. Bamboo flooring looks similar to a standard wood floor's
golden blond color, but is available in over 30 colors, making it versatile
enough to appeal to everyone. Additionally, bamboo is a very hard material,
environmentally friendly and cleans as easily as all other wood flooring.
Beech
A white wood with a red tinge, beech is excellent for those
looking to install a durable, shock resistant floor. Beech gained popularity
because it is adaptable and looks great in any room with its clear, smooth
appearance. The average Beech wood tree is 120 feet high with long, straight
grains. The smooth grains are suitable for smaller spaces, making a room appear
to be larger than it is. Beech flooring is a fantastic choice for families with
pets or children, having a natural resistance to daily wear and tear.
Birch
Yellow birch is very common for wood floors. It has a light
yellow or pale appearance, and is typically chosen because of the unique curly
or wavy pattern in the grain. This wood is very strong and durable, making it
an excellent choice for high traffic areas or active families.
Cherry
Cherry wood comes from trees up to 200 years old, and has a
creamy white color. As flooring, it is appealing because of its fine, straight
grain and satiny smooth texture. Though beautiful, this wood is usually
considered too soft for an entire floor or large room and is mostly used in
borders and accents. Cherry wood is an excellent choice if you are looking to
upgrade a room in your home by adding a medallion to your foyer or redesigning
an old staircase.
Douglas Fir
Because of its tan color, douglas fir is often mistaken for
southern yellow pine. This floor is considered durable but can easily dent if
used in a high traffic room. This wood is recommended for rooms that do not
have windows because it can fade easily with sunlight. Small bathrooms or light
traffic areas are ideal places for douglas fir.
Hard Maple
Maple floors are extremely durable and available in a variety of
colors and grades. Typically, the wood is creamy white with a slight reddish
brown tinge and a straight grain, giving a long, linear look to a room. Hard
maple polishes well making it receptive to cleaners and suitable for enamel
finishes.
Hickory and Pecan
The hickories are an important wood group, and split into two
groups; the true hickories, and the pecan or fruit bearing hickories. Hickory
is the hardest, heaviest and strongest American wood, and is most easily
recognized for its very pronounced differentiations in color. Having hickory in
a room allows for freedom in accessorizing the space. You can match paints,
furniture or fabrics to the various light or rich colors in the wood.
Pine
Pine is one of the softer woods. It is not as resistant to
scuffs, dents and abrasions as other hardwoods, but is very often chosen for
floors. Pine is better used in bedrooms, or second living rooms-spaces that get
regular but not heavy traffic. Pine is light tan to yellowish white in
appearance and very similar in both appearance and durability to a douglas fir
floor.
Oak
There are two common types of oak flooring, red and white.
Red Oak
Red oak is white to light brown in color and very similar in
general appearance to white oak, possessing a very long straight grain, and a
coarse texture prior to finishing. The color of wood and grain pattern is more
prominent in red oak flooring, but red oak floors are easier to clean than
white, because they are more porous, making the wood more tolerant of cleaners
and refinishers.
White Oak
White oak is more durable than red oak, making it a better
choice for a house that is well visited. It has a similar look to red oak,
being lightly colored and having a long, straight grain, which can make a room
appear to be larger than it is. Overall, white oak makes the appearance of a
room, clean and simple.
Sycamore
The sycamore wood floor is white to light yellow in appearance
and is preferred for use as a contrast to other woods. Because the wood is only
moderate in weight, hardness and stiffness, it is best used as an accent wood
for borders and medallions.
Walnut
Walnut is one of the most beautiful and rich species of wood
available on the market. They are famous for their blend of creamy white and
dark chocolate colors and their occasional purplish tone. Walnut is a tough
hardwood with a medium density, and is known for growing more lustrous with
age. Cleaning walnut flooring is similar to other woods, but a refinisher like
Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Refinisher can truly make this wood's deep rich colors
come to life.
Solid Wood
Solid wood flooring is made of 100% wood material comes in three
basic types: strip, plank, and parquet. " Strip flooring is the most
commonly installed wood floor and accounts for the majority of installations.
Strips of wood, about 2-1/4 inches wide are nailed to a sub floor. " Plank
flooring is wider than strip flooring, the boards that are cut about 3 inches
wide. They can either be screwed into the floor or nailed down. " Parquet
flooring comes in standard 6" x 6" square blocks. Parquet is very
popular for people who want patterns for specialty designs.
Engineered Wood
Engineered wood is not a natural wood species, but several
layers of different woods, stacked then glued together under heat and pressure.
The benefit to having engineered wood flooring in your home is that it is far
less likely to be affected by changes in humidity and can be installed anywhere
in your home. Engineered wood floors can be cleaned the same way as solid wood
floors using non-water based cleaners and the Orange Glo Hardwood Floor
Refinisher.
Wood Laminates
A wood laminate floor is simply plywood coated with a layer of
veneer, making it appear to be solid wood. Today, there are a wide variety of
choices when it comes to laminate flooring, from colors to thickness. Solid
hardwood floors, at 3/4 inch, are twice as thick as wood laminates, which are
typically 3/8 inch. This method of flooring is less expensive than solid wood
flooring, and great if you need a quick, inexpensive fix and don't want to make
a large investment.
Synthetic Plastic Laminates
Very similar to a wood laminate, plastic laminate is even more
cost effective. It consists of a fiberboard that is thoroughly wrapped in
layers of high-pressure laminate, a similar material to your kitchen
countertop. Though cheaper, the disadvantage is that the floors wear out and
cannot be sanded or refinished. The pattern of the floor repeats because
laminate flooring is actually a photograph of real wood put onto a wood
composite. When walking on laminates, they do not have the same sound as
walking on real wood, but can be cleaned using most any cleaning products.
Grades
Grading refers to the system used by
manufacturers to assess the appearance of hardwood floors. The National Wood Flooring
Manufacturers Association created grades to reflect variances in color (link to
color definition), grain (link to grain definition) pattern and other markings
that occur in wood. The standards are meant to ensure that consumers get the
best quality of wood possible. There are four standard grades your floors will
be categorized into including clear (link to definition), select (link to
definition), number 1 common (link to definition) and number 2 common (link to
definition); however some species may have multiple grades.
Clear
A clear grade notes that wood is light in color and looks
flawless. The clear grade is pure, exposes grains that run evenly and has even
color throughout. The wood is free of knots, discolorations and visible
markings, like a shift in the wood's natural pattern. Upon installation, the
clear grade is exceptionally durable but more expensive than other grades, and
sometimes has limited availability.
Select
The select grade is given to wood that is slightly darker in
color (a mix of light and medium browns), but still looks smooth and flawless.
The wood may contain some natural characteristics such as small knots. It is
more common than clear woods and slightly more expensive than common grades.
Number 1 Common
Common grade wood is the most frequently used in homes because
it is widely available and less expensive than clear or select grades.
Consumers like the medium brown color and mix of natural features like swirls
in the grain or small knots. The common grade has the best overall appearance
to the human eye and looks very natural throughout the entire home.
Number 2 Common
Number 2 common grade has a rustic and raw appearance with a lot
of color variations, from light to dark browns. It also has visible knots and
changes in the grain. This grade of wood is best used in rooms that are used
for utility purposes such as laundry rooms or closets, or where character marks
and a contrast in color are desired.
Cuts
The cut of the wood determines how
the pattern will look once installation is complete. Boards can be cut from a
hardwood log in several directions, exposing rings in different patterns. The
most popular methods of cutting include plain-sawn (link to definition),
quarter-sawn (link to definition) and rift-sawn (link to definition).
Plain-Sawn
The plain-sawn cut of wood is the most common and cost effective
choice when purchasing a floor. The log is cut from top to bottom, exposing the
annual rings. You can actually see the tree's growth rings in the pattern of
the wood, and because this cut produces the most lumber from each log, it is
the most affordable.
Quarter-sawn
The quarter-sawn method for cutting wood means the log is cut at
a 90-degree angle to produce a uniform pattern in the grain. This method yields
fewer and narrower boards per log than plain sawing, increasing costs
significantly. Quarter-sawn boards are typically popular for decorative
applications such as cabinet faces, because the grain has an even pattern.
Rift-sawn
This method of cutting is very similar in appearance to the
quarter-sawn, but the wood is cut at a 30-degree or greater angle. The wood
produces the least amount of boards per log, so this cut is premium and
expensive. It is often favored for fine furniture and other applications where
matching grain is extremely important.
Finishes
When installing hardwood floors in
your home you have two options-purchase factory pre-finished planks or
un-finished wood to be finished after installation. Both methods for finishing
floors are widely accepted, so your choice should depend on the type of
project, your budget, and the experience of your builder or installer. Having
your floors finished at the time of installation can save you money. A builder
often finishes a project in three steps: applying the stain, seal, and finish
coat. Pre-finishing at the manufacturers can take twice as long, thus costing
you more money. However, the benefit to purchasing a pre-finished floor is that
the environment is controlled, eliminating factors like dust, traffic,
temperature and humidity. Finishes are even and consistent due to the strict
controls of manufacturers. Pre-finished hardwoods can cost more than
un-finished wood. However, there are several ways to look at the "real
cost." While pre-finished materials cost more initially, builders can save
time and money during installation and do not have to be concerned about
regulations for stain and finish material waste disposal.
Oil-modified urethane
This is the most common finish for your floor. This finish can
come pre-finished, be applied by a professional or by you, and is available in
gloss, semi-gloss, and satin sheen. The benefit in choosing an oil-based
urethane finish is that it is easy to apply, usually two or three coats, and
dries in up to 8 hours for each coat. This finish turns amber in color as it
dries, is very durable, and must be cleaned using non-water-based cleaner such
as the Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Cleaner. Floors applied with this finish can
be rejuvenated with Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Refinisher.
Water-based urethane
Choosing a water-based urethane finish for your floor is an
excellent choice if you are seeking a high gloss shine. It can come
pre-finished, be applied by a professional or by you. When dry, this finish
leaves a very light, non-yellow color and dries more quickly than oil-modified
urethane. This finish is not as durable as oil-based urethane, but it is an
excellent choice if you are working with a more limited budget or on a tight timeline.
Moisture-cured urethane
The moisture-cured urethane is one of the most durable and
moisture-resistant finishes available. It is most commonly used in commercial,
high-traffic settings like stores or offices because of its durability. This
finish is available in a satin or gloss non-yellow formula, and usually ambers
with age. This finish has a strong odor and is best applied by a professional.
Cleaning a moisture-cured urethane floor is the same as most polyurethane
floors-use a non-water-based cleaner such as Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Cleaner
and vacuum regularly. Floors applied with this finish can be rejuvenated with
Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Refinisher.
Conversion Varnish
The conversion varnish is very similar to moisture-cured
urethane and is a durable finish. It dries clear and non-yellowing in about 8
hours. Though easier to apply than moisture-cured urethane, it is best left to
a professional due to very strong odors. It cleans the same as most
polyurethane floors-use a non-water based cleaner such as Orange Glo Hardwood
Floor Cleaner and vacuum regularly. Floors applied with this finish can be
rejuvenated with Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Refinisher.
Polyurethane
Polyurethane finishes are very strong and durable, and can come
pre-finished, be applied by a professional or by you. The polyurethane finish
is comparable to the strength of lacquer, making it a mainstream choice for
very durable floors. A new trend among polyurethane finishes is adding Aluminum
Oxide particles to the polyurethane finish. This increases the abrasion
resistance of the wear layer. This has become an extremely popular method on
the better grades of hardwood floors to increase durability. Use a
non-water-based cleaner such as Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Cleaner to clean the
floor and vacuum regularly. Floors applied with this finish can be rejuvenated
with Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Refinisher.
UV-cured
UV-cured floors are stronger than normal polyurethane floors.
Though similar to polyurethane, these floors are finished at the factory and
the polyurethane finish is cured with Ultra Violet lights instead of using
heat. This is a more expensive option for finishing your floors, but is
recommended if you need a durable finish.
Acrylics
This finish is extremely hard and durable, acting as a barrier
to dirt, moisture and daily wear and tear. Acrylic finishes must be applied by
the manufacturer and installed pre-finished, making it a more expensive option.
At the manufacturer, the finish is actually forced into the pores of the wood
through extreme pressure. Because of the high price, these floors are mostly
used in commercial settings.
Ceramic
Ceramic flooring is very rare and only applied when specifically
ordered. The ceramic finish requires a technology that injects ceramic onto the
surface layer of the wood, in order to increase abrasion resistance.
Sheen
The level of sheen you choose for your floor should be a
reflection of how much shine you would like your floors to have. Certain
finishes are high gloss and others have a low or satin gloss. With a high gloss
floor, you'll notice scuffs and scratches more readily than low gloss or satin
finishes. High gloss finishes reflect more light and are typically used in more
commercial or contemporary settings, while satin finishes reflect less light
and are favored for more traditional settings, like homes and apartments.
Color
Wood colors range from light colors
to the darke,r richer colors. Heartwood is the center of the tree and the
oldest and most dense section of the log. It is darker and richer in color than
sapwood, which lies closest to the bark. The color difference may be so
pronounced that heartwood and sapwood from the same species are marketed under
separate names. Each species of wood has a range of color, so you'll be sure to
find the color that is right for you.
Grain
The grain refers to the wood's
natural growth pattern, and is viewed in the wood as lines. These grains are
the wood's natural growth pattern and will affect the appearance of the wood.
Depending on how the wood is cut, the grain can either be seen as a wavy or
curly pattern, or more symmetrical in organized lines.
Janka Hardness Test
The Janka hardness test is a
standard in the hardwood flooring industry to gauge the ability of the wood to
tolerate denting and normal wear and tear. It is also a good indication of the
effort required to either nail or saw the particular wood. The test is a
measurement of the force necessary to embed a .444-inch steel ball to half its
diameter in wood. Numbers typical range from the hundreds to the thousands, the
harder the number the harder and more durable the wood.
