How do I pick the best hardwood flooring?

Below are a few factors to keep in mind while picking the best hardwood floors for your home:

Select Solid or Engineered Flooring

You first need to decide whether you want solid or engineered hardwood floors. Solid hardwood floors are made entirely of one piece of wood, while engineered floors have a plywood or HDF core with a wood veneer on top.

If you look forward to installing longer hardwood floors, you should go for engineered floors. However, solid floors are better if you want a classic look and feel.

Pick Your Grain Pattern

Mostly logs are cut in two ways to produce boards for hardwood floors, i.e., flat sawn and rift sawn. The log is cut parallel to the growth rings in the flat-sawn method, resulting in a cathedral grain pattern. This method is cheaper and faster, so most of the boards you see in the market are flat sawn. However, these boards are less stable than rift-sawn boards and are more likely to cup.

Rift sawn boards are cut at a 45-degree angle to the grain, resulting in a straight grain pattern. As a result, these boards are more stable and less likely to cup. However, they are more expensive and not as widely available.

Consider Wood Types and Right Finish

The king of hardwood floors is oak, but other options are available. Maple and hickory are also popular choices for hardwood floors. Each type of wood has its unique grain pattern and color.

Moreover, make sure to pick the right finish for your hardwood floors. There are a few different options, including water-based, oil-based, and natural finishes. Water-based finishes are the most popular type as they are easy to apply and dry quickly. On the other hand, oil-based finishes take longer to dry, but they provide a more durable finish. Finally, opt for a natural finish if you want something eco-friendly and non-toxic.

Consider the Janka Hardness Rating

The Janka hardness test is a way of measuring the hardness of wood. The higher the Janka rating, the more resistant the wood is to wear and tear. When choosing hardwood floors, you should always go for something with a high Janka rating. This way, you can be sure that your floors will last for a long time, even with heavy traffic.