Hardwood Flooring Species From A to W

 

A hardwood that comes in several varieties including, red hardwood, Oregon and western species. Color is consistent from pinkish brown to almost white. This material usually contains no distinct grain but can have moderate straight uniform grain. Alder is a soft hardwood that can be worked well. It has low tensile strength, is light weight, low shock and dense wood. Since it is a light softer hardwood it can be nailed, screwed and painted or stained.

Alder is used in many products from flooring to furniture and kitchen cabinets, often used when a rustic effect is desired.

Ash

Color ranges from white, through cream, to a light vinyl flooring atlanta brown. Usually a straight grain with uniform texture. This species is heavy and hard which makes for strong floor with high tensile strength. With large pores this wood accepts most any stain.

Ash is used for flooring, furniture and sporting good. It was once the preferred wood in making tennis rackets. It machines well, good for nails, screws and glue. Dries easily with little degrade or difference in performance.

Black Walnut

A tight grained hardwood that polishes to a very smooth finish that improves with age. It's color is a dark brown onto a purplish black. When its kiln dried it's color usually leads to a dull brown and air drying creates a purplish-brown.

With a beautiful grain it is often straight grained which can sometimes have waves or curls, but can vary greatly and grows more lustrous as it ages. It is a hard wood with a medium density and moderate crushing and bending strength with low stiffness.

Works well when machined, nails, cuts, screws and glues well. Stains easily with slow dry time. Used in flooring, cabinets, gunstocks, carvings, instruments, millwork and much more. It is also a sought after veneer material.

Cherry

Is known for its impressive beauty and woodworking qualities. It is one of the easiest wood species to work with, from high luster flooring to high end cabinetry. With an excellent resistance to moisture, it shows minimal swelling and shrinking, making it very versatile as a flooring product.

Color is a reddish brown that darkens with exposure to sun light and age. Grain is straight with a smooth texture. Cherry is medium density and strength and stiffness. The hardwoods grain pattern is quite distinctive with small gum pockets and pith flecks running through it. It nails and glues quite and can be finished with a smooth finish when sanded.

Hard Maple

As one of the hardest of all maple species, it is one of the most reliable types of wood. It produces a straight grain, uniform texture and nature strength. Makes an excellent choice for flooring, furniture and popular as a veneer. Works well in residential, commercial and industrial applications.

Color runs from cream to a light reddish brown. Hard maple has uniform texture and is usually straight in grain. It can also exhibit burl or birds eye grain patterns. Takes stain well and can be polished for a high quality finish.

Since this hardwood ranks high on the hardness scale, it is advisable to pre-drill before nailing or screwing.

Red Oak

Because it is one of the most abundant hardwood species it makes it one of the most popular after maple and cherry. Color ranges from a white cream color to pale brown, often tinted with red. Straight grained with a coarse texture.

Red oak is quite heavy and strong. It is also very hard with a high shock resistance. With these characteristics, it had outstanding wear resistance and durability. It machines well but pre-drilling is good practice if nailing or using screws.

White Oak

One of the most common flooring choices, because of its durability and strength which is also impermeable when it comes to moisture. For these same characteristics it has been used for many years and ship lumber and for wooden barrels.

The color is nearly white to a dark gray brown for the heartwood.

The color ranges from white to a dark gray brown. Most of the wood is straight grained with a medium to coarse texture. It's grain can vary depending on sawing and slicing angles.

White oak is a very hard and strong wood with great wear resistance, that holds nails and screws quite well. It machines well and because of its hardness, it's recommended to pre-drill before using nails or screws.