Are Wood Floors Hard Wood?

If you own wood flooring, it is made from durable hard wood. All wood flooring is made from hard wood. Pictured above is Shaw’s Solid Hickory Wood Flooring. However, there are variations on the ratings of hardness for different species of wood. Each species has a Janka Hardness Scale rating. According to the Janka Hardness Scale, Curupay and Brazilian Walnut are two of the hardest woods for floors. The hardest woods are uncommon or rare.

Common Hard Wood

Oak is a traditional hardwood floor here in the United States. Most of us have some experience with oak floors and know that they last for generations if installed properly.  Walnut also remains a popular choice for wood floors, although it rates lower than Oak on the hardness scale. As you can see, the floor above, hickory, rates much higher than oak or walnut. The hardness of a particular flooring remains only one deciding factor because these particular woods vary in grain, color and style.

Wood flooring is identified by color, grain and how the log is cut. Logs can be plain, quarter and rift or live sawn, which changes the appearance of the grain.

Pictured below are some common woods used for flooring and furniture in the United States.

Solid Wood vs Engineered Wood

If you are looking for a floor that will last a lifetime, solid hard wood floors are a very good choice because they can be sanded down and refinished several times throughout the course of wear. Engineered wood floors may allow for this once because their surface layer is very thin compared to solid hard wood floors. Engineered wood floors are much easier to install than solid hard wood floors. Solid wood flooring planks must be nailed down, whereas engineered wood floors are typically click-lock systems. Engineered wood floors can be installed in basements if installed properly, but solid wood flooring is not typically recommended for basements. Engineered Floors can be installed over heated floor systems too, whereas solid wood is not recommended. Engineered Floors are built to last and may last up to twenty years if proper care is taken, while solid hardwood floors may last up to 100 years. It really matters on the budget, because they both are durable and stylish. Solid wood floors are more expensive and cost more to install.

To learn more about solid wood flooring for your home or office space, feel free to schedule a consultation with us. We are always happy to see new clients.

Article by Judy Wilson

Front End Designer, Graphic Technologist and Writer with 20+ yrs experience.