Making the Right Choice: Hardwood Floors in San Jose, CA

When it comes to choosing the type of wood for hardwood floors San Jose, it can be hard to know what the best choice is. With dozens of hardwood options to choose from, it’s important to know what suits the decor and function of the particular space the hardwood is being installed in. Three of the most popular hardwood flooring choices are oak, maple, and hickory. In terms of appearance, all three of these options are very nice. In terms of design and style, the final choice will ultimately be made by the homeowner taking into account how well they suit a space and their individual tastes.

Oak Hardwood Floors in San Jose

Of the three options being discussed, oak is probably the most widely used type of wood and is generally regarded as a fairly high-quality hardwood flooring choice. The two predominant types of oak flooring are red oak and white oak in which the difference is mainly in coloring. There are literally hundreds of color variations within these two main categories of oak flooring, which stem from the origin of the wood, the age of the wood, what type of finish was used in the processing of the wood, and a number of other factors.

While not as dense as maple, oak is a very stiff and dense wood and is incredibly resistant to wear and tear. While it can be dented, the strong and predominant grains in oak are great at hiding imperfections.

Maple Hardwood Floors

Maple is a very popular choice for hardwood flooring due to its light colors, subtle grain, and clean lines. The downside to such a clean and almost perfect look is that it very predominantly shows all of its imperfections and damage. When it comes to hardwood flooring, maple is typically the hardest wood used.

There are about 150 different types of maple available, but the sugar maple is the only one that’s actually classified as a hard maple wood. One downside to maple is that after extreme exposure to sunlight, it can show some yellowing, which has lead manufacturers to include a UV protective finishing to prevent it from changing color.

Hickory Hardwood Floors

Hickory hardwood flooring has lots of character and is perfect for spaces that are intended to make bold statements and expressions. Hickory is perfect when spaces need to pull off rustic or country-style looks, and is available in a variety of natural color variations from creamy white to darker browns. Typically, hickory planks are a little bit wider than most other hardwoods.

Hickory is one of the most durable hardwood flooring options available, making it a great solution for high traffic areas that take more abuse than most other areas of a home or commercial environment.

Speaking with a hardwood flooring professional is one of the best ways to fully understand which wood flooring option is best for a specific space and need.