Learn The Basics About Hardwood Flooring Styles For Your Home

Hardwood is a wonderful flooring option. The perfect blend of beauty and performance, hardwood floors can last over 100 years if properly maintained. Renowned for their ability to add value to a home at resale time, few other flooring options offer the stunning look and extreme durability of hardwood flooring. For all these reasons, hardwood remains a sought-after and in-vogue flooring option. 

With that said, there are various considerations you must make when selecting the right hardwood flooring. When looking at hardwood floors for your home, you’ll have to decide on species, hardwood finish, gloss level, and plank size. 

This blog will better educate you on the basics of hardwood flooring styles. That way, when it comes time to make those fun decisions for your home, you are better prepared.

Hardwood Species 

There is a wide variety of hardwood flooring species available. Each one comes with its own look, feel, and level of performance. What is outlined below only reflects some of the hardwood flooring species available at Flooring 101. 

Oak Hardwood Flooring

Oak is an incredibly popular hardwood flooring species. It is durable hardwood flooring that can take on messes quite well. Oak is available in both red oak and white oak options. With each one comes its own set of advantages and distinct looks. 

Maple Hardwood Flooring

Maple floors are gorgeous and performance-driven. Maple provides exciting grain patterns and a smooth feel underfoot. It is also lighter in color and provides an airy look within the home. 

Walnut Hardwood Flooring

Walnut is a popular hardwood flooring option offering extreme beauty and style. While not quite as hard as oak flooring, walnut is easy to clean and offers warm, inviting tones.

Hardwood Finishes

At Flooring 101, we know that the finish of your hardwood floors can make all the difference. That’s why we’re proud to offer a wide range of finishes, including: 

• Traditional Finish – understated yet popular
• Distressed Finish – rustic, worn, and trendy
• Color Washed Finish – versatile, stylish, and beautiful 
• Hand-scraped Finish – cozy, warm, and functional

Hardwood Gloss Levels

There are four basic gloss levels for your hardwood floors. With each level, the luster grows, and the sheen becomes more evident. Generally speaking, the more glossy the hardwood floor, the more upkeep and maintenance are required. The levels of gloss are as follows:

• Matte – a more natural hardwood look
• Satin – a popular choice for homeowners as it offers some luster, but not too much
• Semi-gloss – higher luster that is quite shiny but won’t hide dirt
• Glossy – commonly used in gymnasiums and bowling alleys. Glossy floors require constant upkeep

Hardwood Plank Sizes

Traditionally, hardwood flooring planks are about 3 inches wide. Though, in recent years, plank thinner or widened plank sizes have been used to achieve different stylistic looks in the home. 

Thin hardwood planks (under 2.5 inches) achieve an elegant look in a small space. Wide hardwood planks (5 inches or larger) can work well if you want a more contemporary, rustic look with fewer seams.

Whatever plank size you select, your hardwood floors will look great. 

Trust Flooring 101 For All Of Your Hardwood Flooring Needs

Now that you know all of the basics of hardwood flooring. It’s time to shop! Contact the team at Flooring 101 to learn more about our robust hardwood offerings today.