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Domestic Hardwood Flooring
RED OAK
Color: Heart and sapwood are similar with sapwood lighter in color; most pieces have a reddish tone.
Grain: Is open, slightly coarser than white oak. Plain Sawn boards are the most commonly used and have a plumed or flared grain appearance; Rift Sawn has a tighter grain pattern. Quarter Sawn has a fleck, iridescent look to it and is sometimes used when radiant heat is applied.
Hardness: 1290 on the Janka scale.
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WHITE OAK
Color: Heartwood is light brown; some boards may have a pinkish tint or a slight grayish cast. Sapwood is white to cream.
Grain:Is open, with longer rays than red oak. Occasional crotches, swirls and burls. Plainsawn boards have a plumed or flared grain appearance; riftsawn has a tighter grain pattern, low figuring; quartersawn has a flake pattern,
Hardness: 1360 JankaScale.Aproximately 5% harder than Northern red oak Durability: More durable than red oak. Tannic acid in the wood protects it from fungi and insects
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BIRCH
Color: Sapwood is creamy yellow or pale white in yellow birch; heartwood, sometimes called Red Birch, is light reddish brown tinged with red.
Grain:Medium figuring, straight, closed grain, even textured. Occasional curly grain or wavy figure in some boards. May have fleck look or iridescence in Quarter Sawn cuts.
Hardness:1260 Janka Table, 2% softer than Northern red oak. Durability: Hard and stiff; very strong.
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ASH
Color: Ash Wood Flooring heartwood is light tan to dark brown; sapwood is creamy white. Similar to white oak but more yellow.
Grain: Bold, straight, moderately open grain with occasional wavy figuring, and can have strong contract in grain in plainsawn ash wood flooring boards.
Hardness: 1230% Janka Table, aproximately 2% harder than Northern red oak
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CHERRY (AMERICAN)
Color: Heartwood is dark to reddish brown, lustrous; sapwood has a light brown to pale with a light pinkish tone.
Grain: Fine, frequently wavy, uniform texture. True quartersawn has distinctive flake pattern. Texture is satiny, with some gum pockets.
Hardness: 950 Janka Table. Aproximately26% softer than Northern red oak Durability: Strong, moderately hard. Usually considered too soft for high-traffic areas.Often used for accents and borders.
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MAPLE
Color: Maple Heartwood is creamy white,light reddish brown streaks. Sapwood is pale to creamy white.
Grain: Closed, tight, grain, with medium figuring and uniform grain texture. Occasionally shows small circle like iredecense or bird's-eye figuring.
Hardness: 1450 Janka Table, 12% harder than Northern red oak Durability: Dense, strong, tough, stiff, often used in bowling alleys and sports floors
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WALNUT (AMERICAN)
Color: Heartwood ranges from a deep, rich dark brown to a blackish purple. Sapwood is nearly white to tan. Difference between heartwood and sapwood is great. Often used for inlays,borders,or medallions.
Grain: Mostly straight and open, but some boards have burled or curly grain.
Hardness: 1010 Janka Table, 22% softer than Northern red oak Durability: Moderately dense, very strong. However not recommended in high traffic areas.
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HICKORY (PECAN)
Color: Pecan heartwood is reddish brown with dark brown stripes; sapwood is white or creamy white with pinkish tones.
Grain: Pecan is open, occasionally wavy or irregular. Hickory is closed, with moderate definition; somewhat rough-textured.
Hardness:1820 Janka Table, 41% harder than Northern red oak Durability: Combination of strength, hardness, toughness and stiffness not found in other commercial wood. Considered the hardest Domestic Wood.
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