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What sort of floor is the best? Or rather, what type of flooring is suitable for the climate you experience and your needs? Concrete is an option and so is natural stone. They're both very durable. But nothing beats hardwood floors in terms of beauty and even durability if chosen well and maintained properly. Hardwood floors are species of angiosperm trees, mainly deciduous. They're not actually hard and some hardwoods are, in fact, softer than softwood. Examples of popular floors made using hardwood are red oak, ash, maple and cherry. Each has different characteristics and workability as well as varying in price. Keep in mind that hardwood is generally expensive compared to concrete, some natural stones and engineered wood. • Red oak, like all trees, consists of different species. But color variations are not many and unlike the name, its color isn't red at all but rather a brown shade with a pinkish tinge. It can, however, be stained a reddish hue if that's your preference. Dark grain lines are distinctive. • Ash has no pinkish tint but tinges of white which gives it a light brown color. There are larger grains and knots as well as color variations. Ash is often used to manufacture tool handles and baseball bats which means it's very durable. As such, it's ideal for heavily used rooms. • Maple is a popular hardwood used in bowling alleys and gym floors. Since it can endure heavy use, it's perfect for flooring in houses and high traffic interiors. It has a light brown color with slightly darker grain lines. This combination makes it an ideal choice if you're looking to brighten rooms. Incidentally, 'soft maple' tends to be a bit dark in color with grey, brown and reddish streaks while 'hard maple' has a lighter and more uniform shade. • Cherry is one of the more popular hardwoods used since centuries in a variety of woodworking applications. Its color can range from a pinkish brown to a reddish brown. The color deepens over time. Smooth grains and small knots are a few other characteristics. Other varieties of hardwoods like aspen, beech, birch, elm and ebony are also popular and should be considered when shopping for hardwood floors. Now we take a look at what exactly the benefits of hardwood flooring are considering the other options available. We've heard a lot about how hardwood stains, gets scratched, scuffed and loses its color. How much this is true depends on you, the user, since as with all flooring, hardwood does need a little maintenance. • It's rarely necessary to replace hardwood flooring. When scratches and stains do occur, it's simply a matter of resanding and refinishing it. Expect to see scuffs and scrapes in high traffic areas but regular polishing and refinishing will ensure its maintained for years. • Hardwood is versatile whether you want it in a house with traditional or modern décor. If you get bored of the color a year later, just resand and stain it with a different color. • Pollen, dust and dander don't collect on hardwood which is great if you have allergies. Daily maintenance in the form of sweeping and vacuuming and regular polishing or waxing (if the floor can be treated with the two) will not only extend its life but increase the value of your house. If you are looking to design and install hardwood or timber flooring systems to any demanding specification then Granwood Flooring is the best place to be. For more details visit their website granwoodflooring.com.au.
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