Why Choose Wood Flooring?

Wood floors are the right choice if you are looking for a beautiful, long-lasting, durable, hypoallergenic floor which requires very little maintenance. Wood floors will also increase the value of your home. Ask your realtor, wood floors sell!
 

Grades of Oak Flooring

After selecting the type of wood flooring you like the best, the next step is choosing which species and grade you prefer. Oak hardwood flooring is graded on a scale which is listed below:

Quarter sawn red or white oak: Has the least amount of color variation and a very tight grain pattern with very little soft grain, usually flawless—without knots or mineral streaks (dark lines).

Select and better plain sawn red or white oak: Has little color variation and for the most part has a lot of open soft grain in a variation of patterns but, there are no mineral streaks (dark lines).

# 1 common quarter sawn red or white oak: Has less color variation than plain sawn and a very tight grain pattern with very little soft grain. Because it is # 1 common it will have some flaws such as knots and mineral steaks (dark lines).

# 1 common plain sawn red or white oak: Will show more of the natural character of the wood flooring. You will see more color variation and pronounced grain patterns. It is a mix of heart and sap wood with an occasional knot. Because it is plain sawn it will have a lot of soft grain in a variation of patterns with mineral streaks (dark lines).

# 2 Common oak: (character Grade): Will show dramatic variations in color and character. You will see obvious color variations. It is a mix of sap and heart wood and you will get a lot of large knots in # 2 common. Purchase # 2 common oak only if you like knot holes or if you are looking for a floor with an extreme rustic appearance.
 

Wood Types / Hardness

The higher the number the harder the wood.

Douglas fur 660 - Southern Yellow Pine (shortleaf) 690

Southern Yellow Pine (longleaf) 870 - Black Cherry 950

Teak 1000 - Black Walnut 1010 - Heart Pine 1225

Yellow Birch 1260 - Red Oak Northern 1290

American Beech 1300 - Ash 1320 - White Oak 1360

Australian Cypress 1375 - Hard Maple 1450

Wenge 1620 - African Pedauk 1725 - Hickory 1820

Pecan 1820 - Purple Heart 1860 - Jarrah 1910

Merbau 1925 - Santos Mahogany 2200

Mesquite 2345 - Brazilian cherry 2350