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Type of Flooring Hard Wood
Some of the things to consider when you are comparing different types of wood flooring is how hard the wood actually is. The National Hardwood Flooring Association recognizes the Janka scale which bases its rating on the hardness and density of the wood. On this scale, white oak is nearly dead center. Brazilian walnut wood floors are the hardest wood and Eastern White Pine wood flooring is the softest. In general conversation though, most use oak hard wood floors as a reference point. It's not surprising since it is the most common type of wood floor and the most familiar, but it's also a good standard for general conversation because it is the middle ground between hard and soft hardwoods. You maybe wondering just why the hardness of a wood floor is all that important. In general, isn't any hardwood floor durable? The answer is yes, but the main concern in the softer woods, pine hardwood flooring, cedar wood floors, and teak hardwood flooring for example, easily dent. If something heavy is drug across it, gouges can be left in the aftermath. For some this will be an appeal, dents and gouges in the floor can give a floor character and stressed wood floors can set the tone if you have a rustic interior design. Some woods on the other end of the scale are Brazilian walnut wood floors, mesquite wood floors, and mahogany wood floors. These floors, of course, don't have the same concerns with dents and scratches. Another advantage is many of them have a natural color that is deep, vibrant and rich without the use of stains. Unlike other types of flooring, hard wood has something often referred to as 'character'. In general, it is a reference to the face of the board. How much grain does the wood have? Is it varied or straight? Are there a lot of worm holes or knots in the wood? How will it take a stain? Should it be stained at all? These are some of the questions that define the character of your hardwood. Unlike wood hardness, character is truly a matter of taste. It has zero to do with the durability of the floor. Maple hardwood flooring, for example, has a very straight tight grain and normally a very clean face. Depending on the grade, oak hard wood floors can be either straight grained and clean or they can have wide varied grades. Maple and pine hardwood flooring do not stain well and, in fact, maple hardwood flooring is rarely stained. On the other hand, solid oak flooring is quite the opposite. In the end, when you are making final decisions about your flooring, hard wood gives you many options and it's important to examine both the hardness of the wood and the character of the wood before making a decision about which type of hardwood is best for you.
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