American cherry is sought after for its warm, rich color, which ranges from pinkish brown to deep red. As a fruit tree, it’s a member of the rose family, and it grows all over the United States and Canada. In colonial America, cherry was used for fine furniture, inlays, and paneling. Today, it’s a very popular choice for kitchen cabinets, and Shaker-style furniture.

One of the best things about American cherry is the way the color deepens with age. Over the years, it develops a gorgeous patina that polishes beautifully. It has a fine, straight grain.

With a hardness of 950 on the Janka hardness scale, American cherry is softer than many of the most popular woods used for flooring. Red oak, for example, has a hardness of 1290. Consequently, it’s a poor choice for high-traffic areas, commercial settings, or homes with dogs. It’s often used as an accent wood around the edges of a floor where there’s less wear and tear.

It’s also more expensive than other wood flooring options, so before you buy American cherry, make sure it’s an appropriate choice for your room.

Due to its reddish color, Jatoba is often called Brazilian cherry. It grows mostly in Brazil, Chile, the West Indies, and parts of Mexico. The principle difference between Jatoba and American cherry is the hardness. Jatoba measures 2350 on the Janka scale — more than 80% harder than red oak.

This makes Jatoba a better choice for wood flooring in rooms that will receive an average amount of traffic. Like American cherry, it will darken over time, especially if it’s exposed to direct sunlight. The finish that’s used will also affect this process.

Because of it extraordinary hardness, Jatoba is difficult to work with, so it’s a poor choice for do-it-yourselfers. Unless you’re a seasoned woodworker, you’ll likely get better results if you hire a professional to install jatoba wood flooring.

If you can afford it and plan to use it in a room that receives little traffic, real cherry wood will produce a look that’s unsurpassed in its elegance and sophistication. If you want the appearance of cherry with greater durability and affordability, choose jatoba.

Read about walnut wood flooring here.

Rated 1010 on the Janka hardness scale, walnut isn’t as hard as oak, but it has something else going for it. It’s color. Why should that matter? These days, you can apply a walnut finish to almost any wood and end up with something that is about the same color. So what’s the big deal about walnut’s deep, chocolate brown hue.

There are two things. First of all, because the color of walnut is natural and not applied, each of the planks in your walnut floor will be subtly different. This will give your walnut floors a depth and richness you wouldn’t have with another species that was finished to look like walnut. It’s like the difference between dyed hair and natural hair.

Black Walnut

The other advantage to walnut flooring is that because the color is natural, it goes all the way through. So scratches, dents, and other mars hardly show. When finished with a satin finish, walnut floors continue to look good after years or normal wear and tear. If your floors are damaged, you probably won’t need to refinish them because what’s under the surface looks the same as the surface.

Walnut has quite a bit of color variation. The sapwood is a grayish white, while the heartwood is a warm, rich brown. Some older growth even appears purple streaks that are almost black. You should look for wood that is uniformly dark and has a straight, open grain.

Sometimes, stumps are cut into veneer that has a burled grain, which is unsuitable for flooring. Some trees that grow in poor soil twist as they grow, resulting in a curly grain that can add some visual interest to your floors. Walnut flooring will darken with age and develop a lustrous patina.

It’s available as solid wood and engineered wood flooring. And because it’s very stable, it’s good to use over radiant heating systems.

If you’re looking for something unusual and dramatic for your home, American black walnut has a lot to offer.

Read about other types of domestic hardwoods here.

Black Walnut Image Flickr: heyerin

Although many people assume that solid wood flooring is the best you can buy, that may or may not be true, depending on a number of factors.

First of all, let’s explain what engineered wood flooring is. It’s made by sandwiching together several layers, usually a veneer, a core, and a base. The veneer or top layer is the one you see and it can vary in thickness. Generally speaking, the thicker, the better.

One of the advantages of engineered wood flooring is that it’s easier to install than solid wood flooring. It can be glued down – which is essential if you have concrete sub floors – stapled, or floated. And it’s easier to saw and nail than many solid woods. If you want to install your floors yourself, they’re your best bet.

It can even be installed over tile or vinyl, as long as it’s clean and level. Check to make sure the moisture level is less than 4% first.

Because the grain of the core is perpendicular to the grain of the veneer, it’s actually more stable than solid hardwood. It warps less and is better suited to homes in high-humidity zones or for summer homes that are unheated in winter.

The best thing about solid wood is that if it gets worn, it can be sanded down and refinished. But people forget that even though the wood is ¾” thick, it can only be sanded down to the bottom of the tongue on the side of the plank. In most cases, that’s only about 5/16” thick.

An engineered wood floor with a veneer of 3/16” can usually be sanded three or four times. It should have a lifespan of 60 to 80 years.

Most engineered flooring comes pre-finished, which eliminates all the hassle of sanding and finishing your floors after they’re installed. With 3 -10 layers of urethane already applied, they’ll look good for years with proper care.

These days, you can find engineered wood flooring in virtually every wood, color, and finish. Even hand-scraped and distressed styles are available.

As a rule, engineered wood floors are less expensive than solid wood floors. But if you sell your home, prospective buyers will pay the same price. This is not true for laminate floors which don’t look like real wood.

Another benefit is that they’re environmentally responsible. The wood required to produce one square foot of solid wood flooring will yield approximately four times as much engineered product.

Read about other kinds of wood flooring.

Hardwood floors can last for decades, even centuries, under the right circumstances. Or they can need refinishing – or worse yet, replacing – in a relatively short period of time. So how can you make sure that the wood flooring you choose will provide beauty and utility for years to come?

Although virtually all wood will scratch, some wood is much more resistant to scratching and other wear. One of the most important aspects determining wear is the hardness of the wood.

Wood hardness is evaluated using a measurement called the Janka Scale. It measures how much force it takes to press a .444” steel ball into the wood until it reaches half its diameter.

This calculation translates into a number that represents the pounds per square inch of force required to embed the ball. Most often, the ball is pushed into the side of the plank, resulting in a measurement of the “side hardness.” But sometimes, the end of the wood is also tested. The result of this measurement would be “end hardness,” which is obviously less important for wood flooring.

The results are expressed differently in different countries, so if you’re comparing results, make sure they’re all stated the same way.

The higher the number, the greater the wood’s ability to resist dents and other wear. It also indicated how hard the wood will be to saw and nail. Some wood that would be great in terms of wear would be very difficult to install. So if you’ve chosen extremely hard wood for your floors, you may want to leave the installation to a professional.

There are several other factors that affect wear, especially if you’re using engineered wood flooring. The thickness of the top layer, the material used in the core, and the direction of the grain will all make a difference.

The more traffic you expect in a room, the higher the Janka rating you should consider. With a Janka score of 690, Southern Yellow Pine is not a great choice for high-wear areas. A high-heeled shoe, dog paw, or pebble stuck in a sole could easily damage a pine floor.

Red Oak, the most popular American wood flooring, has a Janka score of 1290. And it’s durable enough to work well in most situations. If you need something more wear resistant, hard maple scores 1450. It’s used for basketball courts and bowling alleys. Santos Mahogany scores 2200; Brazilian Cherry scores 2345; and Brazilian Walnut scores 3680.

Although there are exceptions, the harder woods are often more expensive.

Understanding the Janka Scale and the importance of hardness in wood flooring will help you select a floor that performs beautifully in your home.

Read more about hardwoods here.

Most of the reclaimed boards that are used in wood flooring today are over 100 years old and were originally used in barns, farmhouses, and other construction in American northeast and midwest.  Typically, timber flooring planks are wider than most of today’s flooring.  In fact, widths of 10’, 12” and even wider are common.

Around the turn of the 20th century, builders weren’t often choosing lumber for its appearance.  So not much first grade or clear wood was used for flooring. As a result, these old boards have lots of imperfections like knots , cracks, and uneven or coarse grains.  This is all part of what makes timber floors one of a kind.  No two boards are alike.

Because wood is a sustainable product and reclaimed wood is recycled from a previous use, timber flooring is also ecologically responsible.

The most common reclaimed woods are red and white oak — still the most popular woods for flooring today.  Oak is hard, even grained, and works well in almost any situation.  Because it’s readily available, it also has the advantage of being more affordable than some other species.

Not all reclaimed flooring is hardwood.  In fact, softwoods like eastern white pine, hemlock, and Douglas fir make beautiful wood floors, those are less durable than hardwoods.  The color ranges from light to dark brown, and older boards have a rich patina.  These make especially popular timber floors for kitchens and family rooms.

Although it’s technically a softwood, heart pine is almost as soft as oak. In fact, it’s the hardest softwood.  There are usually lots of knots and coarse grain.  And the pale, golden color sets off furniture and area rugs.  It was originally used in docks and warehouses, so it’s quite rustic and creates an informal, casual room.

One of the most widely planted share trees after the Civil War, the American elm is pale with a tight, straight grain.  Most of the trees were wiped out by Dutch Elm Disease, so supply of Elm is limited.  But it makes a less rustic timber floor than most other reclaimed woods.

If you can find it, old chestnut is one of the most desirable reclaimed wood for timber flooring.  A fungal blight in the early 20th century wiped out American chestnut, so the supply is scarce.  Not only is chestnut extremely durable, it has a rich, dark color that only comes with age.

Several small lumber and flooring companies sell timber flooring.  If you can’t see the actual boards before you purchase them, be prepared for the color and texture to be different from the samples in the showroom.

Read more about antique oak flooring here.

How do you know when it’s time to refinish your oak flooring? The finish will start to lose its luster and you’ll see lots of superficial scratches on the surface. The next step is figuring out what kind of finish your floor has now. Because you’ll need to use the same kind when you refinish your oak floors.

Can I refinish my wood floors myself?

Refinishing hardwoods floor isn’t hard. But it is messy because it produces a lot of sawdust. And if you use an oil-based polyurethane, the fumes can be pretty noxious. So if you have respiratory problems, it’s probably best to hire professionals to refinish your floors.

Professionals usually charge between $1.50 and $3.00 per square foot. That price should include materials.

If you do tackle it yourself, you’ll need to rent a sander or two, buy sandpaper, miscellaneous supplies like tack cloth, and whatever stain or finishes you choose.

No special skills are required. But you will need to take care in order to get results that you’ll be happy with for years to come.

Sanding your oak flooring.

First, empty the room, removing all furniture, carpets, window treatments, etc. Remove the nails from any baseboards or quarter round, and take them off. To make them easier to reinstall, number them and put the corresponding number on the wall.

Go over the wood flooring and remove or countersink any nails, carpet tacks or staples. These can tear the paper you use to sand the floors – which is annoying, because you have to stop work, and expensive, because it wastes sandpaper.

Once your room is prepared, your next stop is the equipment rental store. There are several types of sanders you can rent. A drum sander is the choice of professionals, but they can be hard to control. And if you don’t keep them moving they can sand down one spot so quickly that it will leave a dip in your floor. Or worse, remove the entire veneer.

An orbital sander is easier for beginners to manage. Have the person you rent the sander from demostrate it for you and make sure you’re comfortable with it before you leave the shop. Most big sanders won’t reach all the way to the edge of the floor, so rent an edging machine or a palm sander for the hard-to-reach spots.

You’ll need several grades of sandpaper, usually 36-, 60-, 80-, 100-, and 120-. Start with the coarsest (36). Run the sander back and forth with the grain in smooth, even strokes. Always keep the sander moving when it’s turned on. Otherwise, you may sand one area too deeply. And be sure to use a respirator every time you sand.

When you finish sanding your wood floor, vacuum up all the sawdust with a shop vac, and go over the floor with a tack cloth to make sure all the dust has been removed. Then, repeat the process with every grade of sandpaper. By the time you get down to the 120-grade, your oak floor should be soft as a baby’s bottom.

Use the edger or palm sander to prepare the parts your couldn’t reach with the bigger sander. Then, clean the floor as thoroughly as you can, removing any remaining dust. The cleaner you get the wood, the better the finish will be.

Finishing your oak floors.

If you want a shade that’s darker than the natural color of your wood flooring, you’ll need to apply a stain. For subtle changes, apply the stain with a rag. For a more dramatic difference, use a brush and remove the excess with rags. Do a test in the back of a closet or some other inconspicuous place to make sure you like the color.

Let the stain dry completely. Then apply a second coat if you want more color.

Otherwise, you can start applying the polyurethane finish. There are two main types of polyurethane used for finishing hardwood floors: oil-based polyurethane and water-based polyurethane.

Oil-based is a little easier to work with because it takes longer to dry, so it’s easier to blend and go over any mistakes. It yellows a little with age. The downside is that the fumes can be quite strong. Water-based product dries very quickly, which can sometimes result in streaks where wet polyurethane was applied over partially dried finish.

Stir the polyurethane well, don’t shake it – that can cause bubbles that will end up in the finish. Then apply it evenly with a brush or roller. Go with the grain, working as quickly as you can.

When the first coat has dried thoroughly, sand lightly with the finest grade of sandpaper and then apply another coat. Wait at least three days before reattaching the baseboards and moving furniture and rugs back into the room. Then, sit back and enjoy the renewed beauty of your wood flooring.

Read about finishes for wood flooring here.

Because wood and water do not mix, wood is a poor choice for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and other settings with a lot of moisture.  Wood floors will fade in direct sunlight.  And although the cost can be amortized over a lifetime of use, wood flooring is very expensive.

Vinyl flooring, on the other hand, is ideal for areas where spills are common.  It’s easy to install and care for.  Although it’s very durable, it’s kinder to your feet and your glassware than hardwood floors.  And best of all, compared to wood flooring, vinyl floors are really inexpensive.

Types of vinyl flooring.

There are two main kinds of vinyl flooring.  Inlaid vinyl floors are impregnated with color granules that are baked into the material.  This results in a richer color that resists fading.  Printed vinyl flooring applies ink to the top of a sheet of blank vinyl.  So over time, the pattern may wear and the color may fade.

Vinyl flooring comes in a variety of thicknesses with different backings.  Some vinyl flooring is backed with felt, and others are backed with another layer of vinyl.  The main difference is in how the flooring is installed.  

Sheet vinyl comes in rolls that are 6’ or 12’ wide.  The sheets are cut to length after the room is measured.  Vinyl tiles come in either 12” or 18” squares.  Self-adhesive vinyl tiles are a snap to install.  And if one if damaged, it’s easy to replace.   The squares can also be mixed and matched to create an interesting pattern.

Caring for vinyl floors.  

Most vinyl flooring has a no-wax surface, so all that’s required to keep them looking good is occasional dusting and going over them with a damp mop from time to time.  One of the key advantages to vinyl floors is that spills can simply be wiped up.  If you’ve ever dropped a plate of spaghetti, you know what a benefit this is.

If you’re installing vinyl floors in a high-traffic area, upgrade to a floor with a urethane surface coating.  This will reduce scuffs and scratches more than the basic no-wax finish.  For commercial settings, vinyl flooring with an enhanced-urethane wear layer will provide even more scuff resistance.

There are products made specifically for cleaning vinyl floors available in the cleaning aisle of your local grocery store.  In most cases, they are added to the mop water and don’t need to be rinsed.

If you don’t want to wait a century for your oak floors to get that gorgeous luster, you can buy antique floors that have been salvaged from old barns in the American northeast and mid-Atlantic states. 

In addition to the rich finish, antique oak flooring usually has some nail holes, saw marks, and cracks that add even more character.  There may even be worm holes and other traces of insects.

Because barn builders weren’t concerned with appearance, the oak they used was a lower grade than what most home builders use today for flooring.  So the wood originally had more knots and coarse grain patterns than clear grade lumber would have.   Some board may have a beautiful ripple-grain effect known as “tigering.”  All in all, these little peccadilloes  make antique oak flooring truly unique.

With antique flooring, no two floors, or even boards, will be exactly alike. 

Uneven sizes also add to the appeal.

Unlike traditional wood floors which usually have planks that are all the same width, antique wood floors often use planks ranging in width from 3” to 12”.  The boards are often random in length as well.  And since the original finish is uneven – giving the boards much less uniform color than a traditional wood floor – antique wood flooring makes a strong statement.

Instead of the neutral palette provided by a new, red or white oak floor, an antique oak floor will provide lots of drama and visual interest.

Since most antique oak floor boards are a little uneven, most have beveled edges to minimize the differences.  Another option is to buy boards with a worn edge that replicates the wear that would occur naturally over decades of use.

Although the old boards are milled to modern specifications with tongue-and-groove joinery, those looking for an even more rustic look can use visible square-head nails to install the boards.

Where to use antique oak flooring.  

Conventional oak floors can be used to enhance virtually any decorating style, adding warmth to modern interiors or sophistication to traditional ones.  Antique oak floors work best with early American, country, rustic, or lodge-style decors.

Because genuine antique wood flooring is recycled, it’s environmentally responsible too.  Most reclaimed flooring is solid, but some manufactures offer an engineered antique wood floor which is suitable to use over concrete sub floors.

Learn more about conventional wood flooring.  Or learn more about oak flooring.

What you should know before you buy bamboo floors. 
 
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has established principals of responsible forestry that members must follow in order to receive their certification.  This makes it relatively easy for consumers to know that the hardwood floors they are purchasing were grown, harvested, processed, and distributed responsibility.
 
Unfortunately, there’s no certification process for bamboo forests, most of which are in China.  And when it comes to responsibility, there’s a pretty big disparity among bamboo floor producers.
 
Because bamboo flooring is selling so well in the United States, many Chinese producers are using fertilizers and pesticides to maximize their output.  In some cases, they’re harvesting the bamboo before it’s fully mature.  And the use of adhesives that contain urea formaldehyde in the lamination process or finishing is pretty common.
 
Formaldehyde emits Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that are hazardous to human health, especially to those with asthma or other respiratory problems.
 
As a general rule, the less expensive the bamboo flooring, the more likely it is to contain dangerous amount of toxic chemicals.  There are manufacturers who do not use urea formaldehyde or use low-VOC compounds for bonding and finishing.  And reputable wood flooring companies will be able to provide you with specific information about the amount of VOCs emitted.
 
Don’t install inexpensive bamboo flooring until you know whether or not it complies with American VOC emission guidelines.  You certainly don’t want to risk making yourself or your family ill in order to save a few dollars.
 
Although bamboo is touted for it’s hardness, bamboo that’s harvested before it’s completely mature, steamed to create a darker color, or processed with cheap compounds will not stand up to much wear and tear.  Although bamboo floors are generally less expensive than hardwood floors, bamboo flooring is an investment that you should be able to amortize over many years of use.
 
To check the hardness and finish of a bamboo floor, scrape the face of the flooring with a quarter.  If the finish flakes off, don’t buy it.  If it passes that test, see if you can mark it with a fingernail.  If it scratches easily it probably won’t be durable enough to stand up to every day traffic.
 
To extend the life of your bamboo floors, use area rugs to protect them and clean them according to the manufacturers recommendations.

Learn more about bamboo floors here.   Or learn about other kinds of wood flooring here.

Aside from the appearance, which is elegant and sophisticated, what attracts most people to bamboo floors is bamboo’s renewability.  Unlike hardwoods that can take up to 150 years to mature, bamboo reaches maturity in five to seven years.

What’s more, harvesting doesn’t kill the plant. The root system remains intact and after the stalk is cut, new shoots sprout up. 

Harvesting the bamboo stalks. 

Bamboo is harvested by hand when it’s  mature.  The stalks are put through a machine that splits them, cuts them all to the same length, removes the knuckles or knots, and peels off the skin. 

Bamboo should be harvested during the lower-moisture season — fall or winter.  Bamboo that’s cut down in summer may end up splitting when it’s dried because of the higher moisture content.   And the stalks should be processed right after cutting to prevent the growth of mold. 

To kill off insects, starches, and sugars, the strips are boiled in water and preservatives.   After boiling, the strips are air dried and then kiln dried for up to five days to reduce the moisture content.  A moisture content greater than 10% could result in boards that crack or ripple in dry climates. 

Bamboo is naturally a beautiful, pale color.  But carbonization can be used to darken the wood if a darker colored bamboo floor is desired.  Steam heats the bamboo until the sugar in it caramelizes, resulting in warm, amber color.  The steaming process softens the bamboo, so generally speaking, the lighter the bamboo, the harder it will be and the better it will wear. 

Making solid bamboo flooring.

After the boards are produced, they’re graded, and the strips are glued together — 15 strips face up for horizontal flooring and 19 strips side by side for vertical floors.   The strips are heated and pressed together to form boards called blanks. 

Most bamboo flooring is made in China, where formaldehyde-based glue is often used in the manufacturing process.  These bamboo floors can emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that can cause health problems.   Reputable manufactures ensure that their flooring complies with safety standards.  Inexpensive flooring may not be in compliance. 

The blanks are cut to the desired length and then milled into floor boards with tongue and groove edges.   A sanding belt is used to smooth out the boards and give them a uniform surface. 

Before being shipped, the boards are coated, usually with an aluminum-oxide urethane finish. 

Making strand-woven bamboo flooring.

Bamboo that’s over 50 feet tall is referred to as timber.  It’s used to make strand-woven bamboo flooring.  The timber is shredded, and the fibers are bonded together with an adhesive resin under extreme pressure.   The fiber mixture is molded into blocks which are later milled into boards.

Strand-woven bamboo flooring is not only beautiful and distinctive, it’s some of the hardest, most durable flooring you can buy.  In fact, it has twice the hardness of red oak. 

Learn more about the different types of bamboo flooring here.