The floor’s choice to install in your house may seem to be an unimportant but vital decision you may have to make when building a house or undertaking renovation. Though there are many different options, including carpet and terrazzo, some people prefer oak wooden floors.

Not all hardwood flooring is created equally, and choosing a product goes beyond selecting your preferred color. Some other factors you need to consider depend on aesthetics and performance.

Here are some things you need to consider when selecting a hardwood floor:

  1. Your preferred Finish

There are many types of products on the market. You can use oil to oil-like hybrids that penetrate, prefinished urethane finishes, or hybrids to site-finish polyurethanes. However, finishes fall into two categories: polyurethane or oil.

If you prefer using an oil finish, you’ll get a matte, natural, and soft appearance. However, oil finishes aren’t resistant to damage and stains as polyurethane, which creates a hard topcoat on the wood surface. This topcoat makes polyurethane more resistant to wear and tear and can benefit you more if you have children.

Oil finishes can be scratched easily though the scratches aren’t easily noticeable. You can also touch them up on a spot-to-spot basis, especially when there’s a problem. However, with polyurethane, you may need to replace a buff or board and recoat the entire floor section in case of problems.

Oil finishes enable you to perform maintenance efficiently, though you have to do it frequently. But polyurethanes require less maintenance, though it’s expensive.

  1. Wood Choice

Most homeowners in North America prefer using oak hardwood flooring for a good reason. It’s very durable, not easily stained, and has an attractive natural grain. Designers prefer using white oak because it lacks the pinkish qualities of red oak, is readily available across the region, and is cheap.

Another popular choice is the walnut. Though it’s softer than oak, its deep color makes it perfect for rooms that need a darker finish. If you intend to change color, it would be best to augment natural materials little by little till you achieve the shade you want. Walnut can be an excellent choice for you if you like a reacher, warmer tone. Other hardwood choices that you can select include maple, cherry, ash, and hickory. Your choice largely depends on your preferences.

  1. The Choice of Grain Pattern

Logs can be cut in three different ways: rift, quarter and plain sawn. Depending on how they’re cut, they yield different grain patterns: plain yields a traditional grain with patterns called cathedrals.

Rift-sawn, on the other hand, gives a linear, consistent grain with no cathedrals. Quater-sawn and rift almost share similarities, though they have more irregular and have 3D rays striking the plunk.

Most designers prefer using plain varieties or a mixture of the rift and quarter-sawn hardwood flooring. The combination is excellent because it produces some figuring, though you don’t need to overdo it. There’s no good or bad woodgrain. Your choice will depend on where you want to use them.

The Bottom-line

The type of wood you use will determine the durability of your floor. When you select a type of hardwood flooring, you may want to choose one with these qualities.