Installing hardwood floors is one of the most popular home improvement projects because it can add a touch of elegance and warmth to any residence. This upgrade typically provides homeowners with a 106% return on investment, making it an excellent way to increase the value of your home.

But with more than 50 species available, how do you determine where to start? After you choose the right species for your needs, keep reading to get professional tips on other features that will affect how your hardwood flooring looks and works, like its method of construction, finish, and maintenance requirements. Let’s take a look at the most common hardwood floor types:

• Oak: If you’re looking for the most popular type of hardwood flooring, this is it. “At least 70% of the floors we put in are oak,” Red and white oak are both durable, well-priced, and light in color, making them easy to stain. Oak also has a strong grain pattern that hides scratches, dents, nicks, and other small flooring imperfections.
• Maple: If you’re working with a tight budget, maple is an ideal wood for your floors. It’s widely available and though it doesn’t look or perform cheaply, its price tag reflects that. The namesake of the Maple Syrup we all know and love, sugar maple in particular produces exceptionally dense and durable floors with a beautiful grain parentage. Varying in tones from creamy white to reddish brown, depending on the variety of maple you choose, this flooring can be stained any color to compliment your home perfectly.
• Ash: For a change from the typical oak or maple, but don’t want something too out-of-the-ordinary, go for domestic ash. Ash is even tougher than oak and can withstand more traffic in high foot traffic areas. Like oak, ash has strong graining and light gray color tones.
• Walnut: People often select domestically grown Black walnuts for mid-tone wood floors because it makes a room appear warmer and more inviting. The grain pattern is mostly straight, but depending on the cut, there can be some movement to it. 
• Cherry: Cherry is slowly making a comeback in home flooring as people are becoming more nostalgic for the classic style it offers. Its manufactured resurgence is also due to how cherry now resembles many exotic, tropical hardwoods that have become increasingly difficult to find because of global supply chain issues.

Before you decide on a type of hardwood flooring for your home renovation, think about how the room will be used and what sort of design aesthetic you’re going for. Consider factors such as moisture resistance, comfort, warmth, and cleaning/maintenance frequency. You should also decide if you’re open to refinishing the floors down the line. Come visit us today and one of our team experts will help you make the right decision for your needs!

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