Understanding
Hardwood Flooring and other products
When choosing Hardwood flooring and other wood products, it
is important to understand the different wood varieties and grades. Over the past few years, more and more people
are using man made products in their home which offer perfection to the eye and
create expectations. Natural wood
products are never uniform because every tree is an individual and no two logs
have the same mineral streaks, knots or burls.
Wood from the same tree can vary in color, grain and character marks
making the wood unpredictable. No two
boards from the same log are twins. Character marks are part of hardwood and
should be expected in any wood product.
Character marks include Knots, Mineral Streaks, Grain, and Growth Rings.
The character marks reflect the history of the tree and provide clues as to the
trees past life. . Logs generally have very few clear boards but
when they do these boards are given the highest grades. Oak
Wood Flooring can be graded
·
Clear (most expensive and least amount of
character)
·
Select
·
No 1 Common
·
No 2 Common
·
No 3 Common ( most character)
It is important that you understand the type of grading that
you have selected for your floor because the higher the number, the more
natural character marks your wood will have in it.
In the Northern Part of the United States Red Oak and White
Oak are the easiest species to obtain and generally result in a lower costing
wood. Close behind is Poplar, Ash,
Maple, Cherry, Fir and Alder. The
hardness of the tree is something else that you want to consider when choosing
your floor. In areas like Minnesota
where temperatures vary, you may want to consider purchasing a floor that
provides the most amount of stability during the year. The following is a list of wood products
starting with the hardest and moving towards the softest:
·
Brazilian Cherry
·
Santos Mahogany
·
Hickory
·
Hard Maple
·
Cypress
·
White Oak
·
Ask
·
American Beech
·
Red Oak
·
Yellow Birch
·
Heart Pine
·
Walnut
·
Yellow Pine
·
Douglas Fir
