There is no question that there is something very appealing about a hardwood floor in any room of the house. However, when you are choosing hardwood flooring in Burnsville, MN you actually have several different choices to consider.
First, if you are choosing solid hardwood flooring in Burnsville, MN you will be choosing a floor that is made from one solid piece of natural wood. This is very different than engineered flooring which is a composite wood base with a natural wood layer over the top. Both are good flooring products but many people prefer the solid wood option.
There are several different species of wood commonly used for solid hardwood flooring in Burnsville, MN. Understanding the characteristics of each species can help you to decide which options are best for your home.
Oak
Red Oak has always been a popular option for hardwood flooring in Burnsville, MN because if its beauty as well as the wood’s natural hardness. There is actually a hardness scale for wood that is used by the U.S Forest Service, the Janka Harness Test, and Northern Red Oak is listed at 1290, which is considered the minimum hardness for most flooring.
Red oak is not a dark red, but does have a slight pinkish tinge in the grains. It can also be darker brown and tan and tends to have a noticeable grain that varies from board to board for a very unique look.
White oak is harder than red oak and is mostly light to darker golden brownish to tan color. The grains tend to be linear and have a slight gray rather than red tint and this makes it a very common hardwood flooring in Burnsville, MN.
Maple
Maple is harder yet but tends to be a much lighter shade, often almost a cream color, with slightly darker grains. It is possible to have darker streaks through the maple and the grains can vary considerably between boards.
There are also softer woods used for specialty hardwood flooring in Burnsville, MN. These can include Yellow Pine, American Cherry, Walnut and Birch. Despite being softer these woods all have exceptional colors and features that make them a popular option for various rooms in the house.
