Hickory Hardwood Floors
Hickory is one of the more popular of the choices that you might find in today’s list because it’s hardness and durability – hickory is able to be used in high-traffic areas and successfully avoid damage, dents, dings and scratches.
Hickory accepts stain very well. However, hickory has a grain pattern that is rather deep, which makes it a little difficult to stain evenly. Staining hickory is entirely possible, but it may be a good idea to have a professional stain this type of floor, unless you are confident in your experience level. Fortunately, hickory naturally comes in a variety of shades, so staining might not be necessary.
Hickory’s unique grain patterns is part of the appeal for many of its consumers! It offers a rich, distinct look and is therefore often used in wide planks. The biggest downside to this unique appearance is that some consider it to be an acquired taste; some future home buyers might not appreciate it as much as others. Hickory is one of the more expensive woods used for flooring because each Hickory tree takes about 200 years to mature.
The above image of a desk could very likely be maple, as it has the same light color and swirling groove patterns.
Maple Hardwood Floors
In a hardwood popularity contest, Maple is second only to Oak! Like both Oak and Hickory, Maple is very durable. Well,if you choose hard maple, it is very durable.
Soft maple also exists, and comes from kinds of maple tress, such as silver maple and red maple. Soft maple is often used for palettes, crates, furniture and veneer. Typically, soft maple isn’t recommended for flooring.
Hard maple comes from sugar maple trees, and black maples trees. Hard maple is used for flooring, furniture, cabinets, and many other wood finished products.
Maple wood comes in light neutral tones that can be warm or cool, and it’s grain patterns wave and swirl, but there is much less depth in the colors of the grains. Maple is a very dense wood which is difficult to stain, so it is best to appreciate it in its natural shades, but because it is so dense, it is a great option for high-traffic areas.
Mahogany Hardwood Floors
Mahogany is harder than many other types of wood, including oak! This gives it even more durability. It is also known to be one of the more cost-effective wood options. Mahogany also has a deeper color than most other woods that we have discussed in today’s post, and one unique thing about mahogany is that it can actually change color over time. Freshly harvested mahogany may start pale and tan, but as it is exposed to sunlight, it turns into a rich combination of red and dark brown tones. Of course, not everyone feels the same way about the possibility of their floor changing colors, so this might not be the floor for everyone.
Because mahogany is one of the hardest wood we’ve discussed so far, we recommend hiring a professional to install it, as it is difficult to cut and fit into difficult areas such as around corners, and uniquely shaped edges.
The guitar shown above is a great example of mahogany that is matured. Freshly cut mahogany can be much lighter in color.
While there are many other different types of wood used for hardwood floors, we have covered some of the most popular options at this point! Join our newsletter to receive notifications and stay tuned with our blog.
Do you have a specific question that wasn’t answered in today’s post? We’re more than happy to help. Give us a call at (970) 266-6800 for assistance today.
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