Keep in mind that solid hardwood can be sanded and refinished, but some kinds of engineered hardwood cannot.
Hardwood is the preferred choice for flooring among Dallas interior designers and homeowners alike. While tile both looks and feels cold, wood has a sense of warmth, making it a good choice for living spaces and bedrooms. A wood floor with rugs is also more interesting than wall-to-wall carpet, easier to clean, and more hypoallergenic.
If you’re shopping for hardwood flooring for the very first time, you may be experiencing some “analysis paralysis.” Between choosing your wood species, sawing method, plank width, grain pattern, stain and finish, there are a lot of decisions that need to be made. Before you shop, I recommend going over the following checklist to help narrow down your options.
1. Choose between solid or engineered hardwood
Solid hardwood is the more traditional option, but engineered hardwood—in which a thin upper layer of wood is bonded to layers of plywood and composite material—is becoming more and more popular.
The advantages of solid hardwood are that it’s quieter underfoot and has a longer lifespan. If the wood veneer on engineered hardwood is too thin, it can’t be sanded and refinished in the future. The advantage of an engineered hardwood floor is that it is less likely to shift as the wood expands and contracts because different layers of the board create opposing forces on the wood. This makes engineered hardwood the best choice for rooms where moisture can be an issue, like basements and bathrooms.
Seen here are 5” quarter-sawn white oak planks. If you look closely, you can see the irregular patterns of the grain.
2. Choose your wood species
Oak is the most commonly used wood in the US because it is affordable, easy to stain, and durable. Cherry, maple, hickory, walnut and ash are other options, each with their own unique colors and grain patterns. Exotic woods, like Cumaru, Brazilian Koa, and Brazilian Cherry tend to be harder than domestic woods. No matter the species, try to select a wood that is already close to the stain color you want.
3. Choose your cut
Keep in mind that wood planks can also be cut in three different ways, yielding three different grain patterns. The most common and affordable method is plain-sawn, which creates the classic grain pattern with curving V-shaped marks (called cathedrals). A quarter-sawn plank has an intricate pattern of irregular growth rings. The most expensive method, rift-sawn, produces a series of very fine, straight lines.
4. Choose the plank width and pattern
In the past, two to three inches was the standard width for wood floor planks. Today, the latest trend is to use planks that are four to seven inches wide. Wider planks are associated with luxury homes and are an appropriate choice for large rooms. Of course, horizontal planks are not the only kind of wood flooring pattern. I think herringbone patterns go well with entryways, dining rooms, or studies.
The planks in this Kessler Park home are on the thin side, at about two and a half inches wide, which is typical of that period in time.
5. Choose your stain and finish
Dark and light stains are suited for different styles of homes. While light wood floors are a good choice for modern or casual homes, dark wood floors are more traditional and sophisticated. Prefinished wood is already stained with a topcoat applied, so you’ll be able to see what you’re getting. Having the wood finished on-site, however, allows you to choose your own stain color and sheen.
Different finishes can really transform wood flooring. The same wood plank in a mid-gloss, high-gloss, matte, distressed, or wire-brushed finish will look completely different. I suggest staying away from hand-scraped finishes, as they look dated. For high-traffic rooms, I recommend looking into polyurethane coating. It’s a new type of coating that is highly protective and often used for basketball courts. Bona Traffic HD is the brand I recommend: it’s durable but also looks like a beautiful wax.
When we redesigned this 1927 home, we kept the oak hardwood floors but sanded and re-stained them in a darker color.
Do all the different options make your head spin? Try looking at design magazines and focusing on the examples of wood flooring you see. You’ll get a better sense of what stain colors and grain patterns you gravitate towards.
At my firm, we typically use wood flooring with rugs in our projects, so we are very knowledgeable with the different types available and what the latest trends are. When in doubt, it never hurts to consult a professional before you take the plunge! To schedule a free consultation with us, call our Dallas office at 214-651-7665 or send an email to info@chambersinteriors.com.