Purpleheart
Hardness: 7.9 Stability: Average
Purpleheart, and yes it is purple! The color really has to be seen to be believed, certainly not to everyone’s taste but if you are looking for a very hard wood floor with a difference then this could be it. Purpleheart will move with the seasons but finishes well and will catch the eyes of every visitor to your home.
Red Oak
Hardness: 5.5 Stability: Average
Probably the most popular wood used for flooring, it has a deeply defined grain, which is instantly recognizable. Red Oak will take stain well and is a hard-wearing floor. Pale yellowish brown with a pinkish hue, Red Oak is always a good choice.
Rustics
Hardness: Various Stability: Various
The Rustic versions of these woods simply contain knots, open knots, checks, cracks, and natural growing marks. All other characteristics are identical. For some this is exactly what they are looking for, the so-called blemishes are as nature intended and only serve to enhance the style of the floor. The prices are also very attractive. Rustics can produce a floor of unique quality and unrivaled character, and for some the rougher the better.
Southern Yellow Pine
Hardness: 2.9 Stability: Average
Southern Yellow Pine is harder & more durable than white pine, as its name suggests Southern Yellow has a more yellow color and is available with or without knots. With its distinctive straight grain and pale light giving color it gives a fresh open feel to any room. Easy to stain, it can again be made to look like a mature floor in no time and yet is still relatively inexpensive.
Spooky Maple
Hardness: 5.0 Stability: Average
Great name! Incredible look! Spooky maple is indeed a different kind of look for a hardwood floor; the stripes in the floor were created by little worms which made their home in the tree before it was cut down. Don’t worry they aren’t there any more, but the work they did will give you a casual floor that will have every visitor talking.
Tiete Rosewood
Hardness: 10 Stability: Average
Tiete Rosewood is a pale pinkish red color with hints of dark reds and purplish vein like streaks. Very hard with a muted yet elegant grain pattern, this wood will exhibit a subtle degree of color change over time, darkening to a slight more reddish hue.
Tiger Oak
Hardness: 5.7 Stability: Average
What is Tiger Oak? A Red Oak tree that is grown in areas where there are mineral deposits in the soil. The tree absorbs the minerals as it grows and so creates a dark fleck or stripe in the grain pattern. Generally a rich reddish brown in color, the effect can be truly stunning. Some 20% harder than Red Oak, it is a beautiful and practical floor. Sadly it is often hard for us to find, and when available the price can reflects its rarity.
White Oak
Hardness: 5.8 Stability: Average
Well White Oak is really brown to yellowish brown – not at all white as its name suggests. Slightly harder, more durable and stable than Red Oak it is truly a sturdy, rich looking floor which will add a touch of class and stability to any home. Perhaps the finest wood for staining, White Oak will enable you to blend the color to suit your décor. A little less common than red, white oak is a floor that can be made to look as if it’s been in your home for years with very little work.
