5 Most Popular Home Wood Flooring Choices

Selecting hardwood flooring starts with the right wood species. These five options are the most popular for color, character and durability.

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5 Most Popular Home Wood Flooring Choices

Posted by Gary Ashton on Monday, November 11th, 2019 at 10:14am.

Popular Wood Flooring Species for the HomeMost Goodlettsville homeowners know hardwood is one of the best choices for flooring in the home. It is durable, reasonably simple to maintain, and can last for decades. It is also preferred by home buyers of all ages. Knowing which kind to buy can create some confusion, especially for homeowners who are unfamiliar with wood flooring in general. Considering the most popular types of wood flooring helps homeowners make the best choice.

1. Brazilian Cherry

Homeowners looking for a very hard wood surface with tons of color and character may want to start with Brazilian Cherry. This exotic hardwood comes from Brazil and features a deep red color, which gets darker in the year after installation. People like it because it is easy to sand and re-stain and can last up to 100 years with good maintenance. Some homeowners worry about the sustainability of this species, largely because it often comes from forests prone to overlogging. However, it is possible to get Brazilian Cherry from a sustainably grown forest.

2. Hickory

For a native hardwood featuring a unique style and won't necessarily break the bank, hickory is often a good choice. This species has the flexibility to look:

  • dark
  • light
  • withered
  • elegant

Similar to maple, the character of the individual boards can vary quite a lot. Some planks may be as light as a medium cream, while others range to copper or coffee tones. The wood takes a stain very well, allowing homeowners to tailor the look to suit the design of the room. Harder than oak or maple, hickory tends to be more durable and scratch-resistant. Because it takes longer to regenerate, it may be more expensive and less available than more common species.

3. Oak

Oak flooring has the benefit of constancy. As the most common wood species used for flooring the U.S. for decades, it has the color and consistency homeowners have come to expect. There are two types of oak used in solid boards: red oak and white oak. The red is lighter with a pink tinge. White oak is actually darker, with more golden hues, which can turn yellow over time. This species tends to be the least expensive for homeowners to buy, making it highly accessible to those making home improvements on a budget.

4. Maple

Like oak, maple flooring is extremely popular in the U.S. As a native species that grows well in a variety of regions, it also often costs less than other varieties. The choice of basketball courts everywhere, maple flooring features a high level of durability and a consistent color. There are options offering more character, like a fiddleback or bird's-eye pattern, but they can dramatically increase the cost per plank.

5. Bamboo

Although bamboo is technically a grass, bamboo flooring is proving to be equitable to hardwood flooring in a variety of ways. It cannot be a solid plank, but the manufacturing process provides a similarly durable result. Manufacturers take strips of bamboo stalks, dry them and then use high pressure and glue to seal them. The result can look like an exotic hardwood with lots of color variations and character. Homeowners interested in environmentally friendly upgrades often choose bamboo because the grasses regenerate in a few years, instead of decades.

Selecting an ideal wood flooring for the home requires a careful analysis of budget and the best species available. By choosing one of these popular options, homeowners can ensure they get a good investment for years to come.

 

Gary Ashton

The Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX Advantage

The #1 RE/MAX team in the World!

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