Real wood has tons of natural charm – each plank has unique variation in wood grain, mineral streaks, and knotholes, as well as tone and texture. Hardwood floors also take on wear, scratches and other individual changes as they age.
Hardwood Style
Want your wood floors to be especially unique? Try a distressed wood look!
Certain manufacturing processes can give wood an antique or reclaimed look – a much sought-after style, especially for rarer wood species.
Having distressed looks and other styles available out-of-box has made these looks far more affordable, in any color or species you want. Some examples of the distressed style include hand-scraped wood and wire-brushed surfaces. Ask your Carpet Exchange experts for info about the differences between each type!
Hardwood Species
Hardwood flooring colors and styles are as varied as the many types of trees from which they’re harvested. Different types of wood tend to have different common physical and visual characteristics. Some of the more common hardwood species include:
DARK WOODS INCLUDE: Cherry, Walnut, Mahogany & Hickory
LIGHTWOODS INCLUDE: Maple, Oak, Bamboo & Pine
Solid Hardwood
Your traditional wood floor, consisting of wood planks each made using one single, solid piece of wood. Hardwood floors are typically ¾-inch in thickness, meaning that they can be sanded down and refinished time and again throughout the course of their lifespan. This allows you to remove blemishes and wear.
Engineered Hardwood
Crafted from multiple layers of wood and wood products. Typically they consist of a thin slice of real wood, layered above a high-quality composite material like plywood. These floors are less durable, but far more versatile – able to be installed on any grade of your home, including basements. Engineered wood, however, is too thin to be refinished more than once before needing to be replaced, typically available in ½-inch or even 3/8-inch thicknesses.
Hardwood care & maintenance
New hardwood floors are a great way to spruce up your home and may even increase its value. At Carpet Exchange, we have a variety of hardwood flooring options to choose from that will appeal to wide range of budgets and lifestyles.