View Poll Results: Which hardwood looks best?
African Natural Cherry
4
12.90%
White Oak Natural
2
6.45%
Brazilian Cherry
11
35.48%
African Natural Steamed Cedar
5
16.13%
White Oak Butterscotch
3
9.68%
Canadian Hard Maple Natural
4
12.90%
Espresso Oak
1
3.23%
None
1
3.23%
Voters: 31. You may not vote on this poll
Help me choose my hardwood
08-15-2005, 11:08 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Help me choose my hardwood
Having trouble settling on hardwood color for a new home. This will be the base for all other decorating (i.e. paint color, furniture, will be chosen afterwards and will need to fit with the wood).
Here are a few selections. Let me know which you like best.
African Natural Cherry
White Oak Natural
Brazilian Cherry
African Natural Steamed Cedar
White Oak Butterscotch
Canadian Hard Maple Natural
Espresso Oak
Here are a few selections. Let me know which you like best.
African Natural Cherry
White Oak Natural
Brazilian Cherry
African Natural Steamed Cedar
White Oak Butterscotch
Canadian Hard Maple Natural
Espresso Oak
08-15-2005, 11:12 AM
#3
Senior Moderator
I have the white oak natural in my place and while its pretty plain IMO its very easy to keep clean since it shows no dust.
Of those choices I like Espresson Oak the best followed by the Butterscotch.
BTW what width are you getting? 3" is nice.
Of those choices I like Espresson Oak the best followed by the Butterscotch.
BTW what width are you getting? 3" is nice.
08-15-2005, 11:28 AM
#5
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by dom
I have the white oak natural in my place and while its pretty plain IMO its very easy to keep clean since it shows no dust.
BTW what width are you getting? 3" is nice.
Depends on price. I'd love to do 3 inches.
08-15-2005, 11:35 AM
#6
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by fdl
Do you have any wood furniture that is very dark? and if so, how does it look against the lighter hardwood. I wonder if this contrast is a good thing or a bad thing.
Depends on price. I'd love to do 3 inches.
Depends on price. I'd love to do 3 inches.
Funny that you mention, we just bought a dinning room set on Friday and its a dark wood. We were wondering how its going to look as well. Our bedroom set, which is also dark looks ok I think.
But I mean what can you do, buy white oak furniture?
And I think having all your furniture match the floors would be pretty difficult and maybe too much? But I'm no interior decorator.
08-15-2005, 11:47 AM
#7
Burning Brakes
Brazilian Cherry is one of the most durable and stable hardwoods out there (see link below), not to mention totally stunning. I build houses for a living and one of our models has Brazilian on the floor. (PM me if you think pics of that would help!) We have white woodwork with it, but many of our customers have choosen stained woodwork. I fully intend to put Brazilian Cherry in my own house... 
Janka Hardness Scale
Janka Hardness Scale
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08-15-2005, 12:25 PM
#10
Go Giants
Originally Posted by zeroday
+1 for brazillian cherry
Do want to go to light or too dark. Too light and you see all the dirt. Too dark and it makes the room look dark.
08-15-2005, 12:42 PM
#11
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Whiskers
Do want to go to light or too dark. Too light and you see all the dirt. Too dark and it makes the room look dark.
08-15-2005, 01:55 PM
#12
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Don't do maple, too soft, dents easily. Do oak and go lighter, keeps the house light. Butterscotch is too red, imo. White Oak Natural is nice. Luckily, you are in Canada and some of the best hardwood floors come from there. Get a named brand like Mercer or Mohawk. If you can get Mirage, even better. It is mucho dinero however.
08-15-2005, 02:00 PM
#13
Originally Posted by BigPimp
Don't do maple, too soft, dents easily. Do oak and go lighter, keeps the house light. Butterscotch is too red, imo. White Oak Natural is nice. Luckily, you are in Canada and some of the best hardwood floors come from there. Get a named brand like Mercer or Mohawk. If you can get Mirage, even better. It is mucho dinero however.
08-15-2005, 02:00 PM
#14
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by BigPimp
Don't do maple, too soft, dents easily. Do oak and go lighter, keeps the house light. Butterscotch is too red, imo. White Oak Natural is nice. Luckily, you are in Canada and some of the best hardwood floors come from there. Get a named brand like Mercer or Mohawk. If you can get Mirage, even better. It is mucho dinero however.
Its my understanding that maple is much harder than oak, and more durable
08-15-2005, 02:05 PM
#15
Originally Posted by fdl
Its my understanding that maple is much harder than oak, and more durable
and I learned some interesting stuff. Apparently brazillian cherry is more dent resistant than maple or Oak.http://www.ifloor.com/articles/wood/basics.html
08-15-2005, 02:06 PM
#16
Senior Moderator
Description of Wood Types
Oak: Although over 60 different species exist, oak is separated into two main varieties: white and red (also known as black oak). Oak is heavy, durable, and light in color with coarse texture and highly visible grain. Of all of the hardwoods, oak is the most predominantly used.
Maple is a hard resistant wood, so strong in fact that is often used in the floors of bowling alley lanes. It has a fine texture and even grain. Rock and sugar maple are the most common of the maple species.
Oak: Although over 60 different species exist, oak is separated into two main varieties: white and red (also known as black oak). Oak is heavy, durable, and light in color with coarse texture and highly visible grain. Of all of the hardwoods, oak is the most predominantly used.
Maple is a hard resistant wood, so strong in fact that is often used in the floors of bowling alley lanes. It has a fine texture and even grain. Rock and sugar maple are the most common of the maple species.
08-15-2005, 02:08 PM
#17
HARDNESS, INDENTATION RESISTANCE
Janka Test in lbs. Brazilian Cherry 2812 lbs vs. Maple:1445 lbs.
Brazillian Cherry is almost twice as strong as Maple.
I'm thinking my sister's floors must be something other than maple. maple does seem to be stronger than oak from what i've been reading.
Janka Test in lbs. Brazilian Cherry 2812 lbs vs. Maple:1445 lbs.
Brazillian Cherry is almost twice as strong as Maple.
I'm thinking my sister's floors must be something other than maple. maple does seem to be stronger than oak from what i've been reading.
Last edited by zeroday; 08-15-2005 at 02:11 PM.
08-15-2005, 02:37 PM
#18
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by dom
Description of Wood Types
Oak: Although over 60 different species exist, oak is separated into two main varieties: white and red (also known as black oak). Oak is heavy, durable, and light in color with coarse texture and highly visible grain. Of all of the hardwoods, oak is the most predominantly used.
Maple is a hard resistant wood, so strong in fact that is often used in the floors of bowling alley lanes. It has a fine texture and even grain. Rock and sugar maple are the most common of the maple species.
Oak: Although over 60 different species exist, oak is separated into two main varieties: white and red (also known as black oak). Oak is heavy, durable, and light in color with coarse texture and highly visible grain. Of all of the hardwoods, oak is the most predominantly used.
Maple is a hard resistant wood, so strong in fact that is often used in the floors of bowling alley lanes. It has a fine texture and even grain. Rock and sugar maple are the most common of the maple species.
ya, thats what I thought.
08-15-2005, 02:40 PM
#19
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Yeah rock maple is what butcher blocks are made of...they're super strong.
Oak is plenty hard enough, but doesn't have the nice texture/character of the cherry woods.
And before you buy, look up LumberLiquidators website for pricing. They are great for selection & the prices are awesome. Got my butcher block tops & hardwood flooring from them.
Oak is plenty hard enough, but doesn't have the nice texture/character of the cherry woods.
And before you buy, look up LumberLiquidators website for pricing. They are great for selection & the prices are awesome. Got my butcher block tops & hardwood flooring from them.
08-15-2005, 02:45 PM
#21
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by zeroday
how much more is the brazillian cherry when compared with the rest (sq ft price)? i'd say it's the clear winner considering it's the hardest and IMO the best looking choice.
the site i got those pics from has it listed between $5-$6.
08-15-2005, 02:47 PM
#22
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08-15-2005, 02:49 PM
#24
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08-15-2005, 02:51 PM
#25
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Originally Posted by fdl
thats really cheap chris. How thick is it thoguh, i dont think it says. Also, are they quality cuts of wood?
Oh, and quality wise...I've been satisfied and they use this company on 'extreme home makeover'...so those nice products you see are the same stuff they stock.
08-15-2005, 03:47 PM
#26
Burning Brakes
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Last month I installed hardwood floors in my condo. I went with Cherry wood - the color is in between your 2 choices - Brazilian Cherry and African Cedar.
Once again, I will take pictures next time I go there. I'm still in the process of remodeling.
Once again, I will take pictures next time I go there. I'm still in the process of remodeling.
08-15-2005, 05:17 PM
#27
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I would go with the african cedar just because anything thats pretty light colored that you put in a room with too dark of a floor will pop out and drown out all the other colors in your room...
just my
just my
08-15-2005, 08:09 PM
#28
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How's the lighting in the room? Does where you want to put the hardwood floors get a lot of light? If it does, I'd go with African Natural Cherry. If the room is kind of dark, then the Maple. For me, I wouldn't want dark wood in a dark room, or vice versa.
08-15-2005, 09:18 PM
#29
Burning Brakes
Originally Posted by BigPimp
Don't do maple, too soft, dents easily. Do oak and go lighter, keeps the house light. Butterscotch is too red, imo. White Oak Natural is nice. Luckily, you are in Canada and some of the best hardwood floors come from there. Get a named brand like Mercer or Mohawk. If you can get Mirage, even better. It is mucho dinero however.
08-15-2005, 10:53 PM
#31
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by eclipse23
Lighter floors make a room look bigger, consider that.
right, which is why i woudlnt go too dark. Although I think wall color will have a much bigger impact.
08-15-2005, 10:55 PM
#32
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Originally Posted by fdl
right, which is why i woudlnt go too dark. Although I think wall color will have a much bigger impact.
08-15-2005, 11:43 PM
#33
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
Thought I would share some info I found...
Dear Donna,
I am about to have hardwood floorboards put in my lounge and through to the dining room (these rooms are joined by French doors). I am not entirely sure which hardwood to choose. I would like it to be quite a light colour. I like cherry wood and light oak.
My problem is that I have got a lot of mahogany furniture, which I'm not really keen on anymore, but I can't afford to change it because of the cost of the floor. I want a wood which I can live with for a long time and that will go with anything. What do you think - cherry or oak?
I would very much appreciate your advice.
Many thanks,
Maureen Graham.
Our Homes And Property expert replies:
Hello Maureen,
When it comes to flooring, if you go for a type of wood that is too light in colour then it will clash dramatically with your furniture, so I think it's best to go for a warmer shade of wood such as cherry. This will still compliment your existing furniture but will also go with most decorative styles, be they traditional or modern, when you come to re-decorating it.
I am about to have hardwood floorboards put in my lounge and through to the dining room (these rooms are joined by French doors). I am not entirely sure which hardwood to choose. I would like it to be quite a light colour. I like cherry wood and light oak.
My problem is that I have got a lot of mahogany furniture, which I'm not really keen on anymore, but I can't afford to change it because of the cost of the floor. I want a wood which I can live with for a long time and that will go with anything. What do you think - cherry or oak?
I would very much appreciate your advice.
Many thanks,
Maureen Graham.
Our Homes And Property expert replies:
Hello Maureen,
When it comes to flooring, if you go for a type of wood that is too light in colour then it will clash dramatically with your furniture, so I think it's best to go for a warmer shade of wood such as cherry. This will still compliment your existing furniture but will also go with most decorative styles, be they traditional or modern, when you come to re-decorating it.
Selecting a flooring will depend largely on the room that you are flooring. Wood finish and plank size will be determined by the room's size. Choose lighter colors and a narrow width board to visually expand smaller rooms. To make larger rooms more warm and appealing, choose darker wood tones and a wider board. Once your selection has been narrowed based upon the room, you should then make decisions based upon coordinating or contrasting with the existing color and wood schemes (or new schemes when redecorating) in the room. The wood finish you select should complement but not dominate the room. The style of the flooring and its planking should also be consistent with your decorating styles (i.e. contemporary, country, formal or casual). The quality of the flooring you select should meet or exceed your expected traffic flow for the room. You may also consider having the floor's pattern match the natural traffic flow of the room. Finally, the amount of natural light a room gets as well as the type of processed light in a room will effect the floor's appearance. It is important to view your flooring selection in relatively the same lighting that your room produces.
08-16-2005, 07:04 AM
#34
The Creator
personally, i like the african cedar... a bit more dramatic/unique than any of the others.
cherry will look nice too, it has a fair bit of imperfections that give it some character. though i think everything here depends on the color stain youre planning on... some woods look good light... some look good dark.
cherry will look nice too, it has a fair bit of imperfections that give it some character. though i think everything here depends on the color stain youre planning on... some woods look good light... some look good dark.
08-16-2005, 07:20 AM
#35
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Originally Posted by SaraWI
Those brands you are naming are engineered floor manufacturers. In this part of the country, we have access to solid hardwood. The solid hardwood is probably going to run between $6-10/ square foot where the engineered would run $9-12/sqft. Engineered is more stable, but if you choose a wood like brazilian cherry or white oak, you don't need to worry so much about stability. Engineered floors can typically only be refinished a couple of times, where a solid hardwood can be refinished over and over. Brazilian cherry has dropped dramatically in the past year due to increased demand. My second choice, if money was really tight would be the oak. It's closer to the $6/sqft area (installed).
08-20-2005, 04:08 PM
#36
Instructor
Originally Posted by BEETROOT
Out of those, I picked the first one. Personally, I'd go with bamboo 
I also love the bamboo! I have a new house and it has the oak floors. They are beautiful, but my yellow lab has already gouged the wood in about 10 places. I can post pics if you want to see what the oak looks like.
08-21-2005, 09:01 AM
#37
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Bamboo is now being favored by the eco-conscious, as it is a rapidly renewalbe wood source, increasingly featured in wood flooring and furniture. The Brazilian Cherry is currently a very popular tone, a bit lighter and less colorway demanding than the traditional cherry.
I personally detest oak, because the grain is wide, radically varigated and creates soft areas in the floor. As a result, the floor wears in odd and uneven ways, and the graining becomes a visual 'pattern" of a random nature that, in my opinion, takes away from - a nice oriental rug, patterned and textured upholstry fabrics. A wood floor is supposed to be BACKGROUND, not the essense of the room. Some oaks that are dark-stained can work, but that is, for me, only because the grain is subdued.
The Brazilian Cherry is a reasonably quiet "traditional" color, less controlling than the darker cherry, which speaks of dark leather and heavy woods....... You will find it more accepting of other wood tones in the room when you start to fit the space out.
In my opinion, medium-tone and dark colors enhance and enlarge a room; light surfaces and flooring define light and shadow very crisply. When that occurs, there is no ambiguity about the size of the room, and in fact, in some cases, the room may "close in". Medium to dark floors, and offwhite to light grey tones on the walls can help obscure shadow lines, and enhance the sense of space.
We tend, of course, to associate dark wood with luxury, a traditional connotation that comes from the use of dark walnuts, mahogany and rosewood in the late victorian era. Teak mitigated that for a time, but there is still a tendency to see a darker floor as a more luxurious material.
I personally detest oak, because the grain is wide, radically varigated and creates soft areas in the floor. As a result, the floor wears in odd and uneven ways, and the graining becomes a visual 'pattern" of a random nature that, in my opinion, takes away from - a nice oriental rug, patterned and textured upholstry fabrics. A wood floor is supposed to be BACKGROUND, not the essense of the room. Some oaks that are dark-stained can work, but that is, for me, only because the grain is subdued.
The Brazilian Cherry is a reasonably quiet "traditional" color, less controlling than the darker cherry, which speaks of dark leather and heavy woods....... You will find it more accepting of other wood tones in the room when you start to fit the space out.
In my opinion, medium-tone and dark colors enhance and enlarge a room; light surfaces and flooring define light and shadow very crisply. When that occurs, there is no ambiguity about the size of the room, and in fact, in some cases, the room may "close in". Medium to dark floors, and offwhite to light grey tones on the walls can help obscure shadow lines, and enhance the sense of space.
We tend, of course, to associate dark wood with luxury, a traditional connotation that comes from the use of dark walnuts, mahogany and rosewood in the late victorian era. Teak mitigated that for a time, but there is still a tendency to see a darker floor as a more luxurious material.
08-21-2005, 10:46 AM
#38
Burning Brakes
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Alittle off topic, but...
1. Why no red oak?
2. Years ago, I helped a friend of mine who installs hardwood floors for a living put in a hardwood floor in a dining room for a doctor in Barrington, Illinois ($$$$$$$).
We were instructed to stain it JET BLACK!
After we did, and put two coats of polyurethane on it, let it cure and put back the jet black furniture back in, I must say, against the white walls, it was one of the most beautiful rooms I have ever seen.
2. Years ago, I helped a friend of mine who installs hardwood floors for a living put in a hardwood floor in a dining room for a doctor in Barrington, Illinois ($$$$$$$).
We were instructed to stain it JET BLACK!
After we did, and put two coats of polyurethane on it, let it cure and put back the jet black furniture back in, I must say, against the white walls, it was one of the most beautiful rooms I have ever seen.
08-26-2005, 05:04 PM
#39
Drifting
Originally Posted by Pushing_Tin
I have a new house and it has the oak floors. They are beautiful, but my yellow lab has already gouged the wood in about 10 places.
I have oak / birch engineered hardwood and a 90lb chocolate lab. The dog is well behaved in the house, but his weight and his nails scratch up the floor. Not really a big deal, but something to think about.
I'm a clutz and have dropped a few heavy objects on the floor (impact wrench
) and that made a nice gouge.
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