Which Species is Right for You? Part 2: A Quick Look at Each
Buying a hardwood floor on look alone can sometimes get you in trouble later down the line. We've broken down a few highlights of different species of wood to help you make an informed decision for your future investment.
Once you've read up on Part 1: Learning the Lingo, then you're ready to dive into the attributes of each specie.
White Oak
Story: White Oak possesses a unique closed cellular structure that makes it water and rot-resistant. As such, it has served a special role in the history of woodcraft, being used for everything from whiskey barrels to warships. In fact, there is even a tract of land with a dense White Oak population in Crane, Indiana that has been set aside as lumber supply for repairs to the old warships of the U.S. Navy. It is known as “Constitution Grove."
Look: The heartwood of White Oak is light to dark brown and its sapwood is a lighter color of the same shade. White Oak has a medium to coarse texture and is often marked by long, beautiful grain patterns.
Durability: Renown for its resistance to water damage, White Oak is also hard and heavy and thus one of the more resistant hardwoods in regards to wear and marring. It has a Janka score of 1360.
Available As: Reclaimed Antique Oak, Reclaimed Hit Skip Oak, Reclaimed Resawn Oak, Reclaimed Oak Trophy Room, Traditional White Oak, Traditional Mountain Oak
Red Oak
Story: Also known as the Champion Oak, the Red Oak composes the largest single species group in Eastern American forests and continues to be the backbone of the lumber industry. It takes its name from the deep red color its leaves take on every fall.
Look: Red Oak is characterized by the warm pinkish red color of its heartwood, which beautifully contrasts with its light brown sapwood. While often having pronounced grain patterns, they are not as prominent as those of its cousin the White Oak.
Durability: Hard and heavy, its high resistance to marring is only slightly less than White Oak with a Janka Score of 1290.
Available As: Reclaimed Antique Oak, Reclaimed Hit Skip Oak, Reclaimed Resawn Oak, Reclaimed Oak Trophy Room, Traditional White Oak, Traditional Mountain Oak
Pine
Story: Amongst many of the Northern Native American tribes, the Pine tree was a symbol of longevity and wisdom. Perhaps the uniformity of its growth or the stoicism of its unfading green set against the long, white winters—something about the Pine gave it a special place in legend. Unmistakable softness and warmth give its timber a “rustic lodge" feel that infuses any space with the same mystical sense of the wilderness that garnered such reverence from Native Americans.
Look: Pine flooring varies from the light clean look of Old Growth White pine to the more rustic, dark brown look of Tobacco Pine. In general, it is a lighter, amber wood and it yellows with age.
Durability: While it will still make a floor that will outlive its house, Pine is a softwood and does tend to be far more easily worn and marked by use than the average hardwood. Some seek this abrasion that occurs over time, and makes the look of the floor representative of the patterns of their lives, while others wanting to maintain a clean, untouched look would be best to choose a harder species.
Available As: Reclaimed Tobacco Pine, Reclaimed Heart Pine, Reclaimed Heart Pine Hit Skip, Reclaimed White Pine, Traditional White Pine
Douglas Fir
Story: Defined by versatility Douglas fir has been utilized for structural timber, furniture making, interior design, and of course, flooring.
Look: Usually straight-grained and marked by clear growth rings, Douglas fir has light, reddish brown heartwood and extremely light sapwood.
Durability: Like Pine, Douglas Fir is a durable softwood that will maintain its strength forever but will also show wear and tear in the form of marring and abrasion.
Available As: Reclaimed Douglas Fir
Wormy Chestnut
Story: Because of its straight grain, strength, and high resistance to decay, Chestnut was at one time among the most commonly used and commercially sought after hardwoods in the country. Tragically, a disease known as Chestnut Blight was introduced in America around 1900, and by 1940 almost all mature Chestnut trees had been wiped out. Our Chestnut flooring has been reclaimed from those barns, factories, and houses that were fortunate enough to use this beautiful material before it became extinct.
Look: Prominently marked by insect-bored wormholes, Wormy Chestnut possesses arguably the most distinct look of any hardwood. Its tan color can range from a light golden hue to a deep chocolate.
Durability: With slightly less than half the Janka Hardness score of Oak, Chestnut is one of the softer hardwoods available. While still far more resistant to wear than Pine, it will mark just as easily under direct force. Translation: it will handle a sliding chair just fine, but will show it if you drop the scissors.
Available As: Reclaimed Wormy Chestnut, Reclaimed Antique Trophy Room
Maple
Story: A cold-weather tree, the American Maple favors Northern climates and low temperatures. Its sap has long been used to make sugar, syrup, and taffy. As such, the Maple tree and its leaf became symbols of bounty for both Native Americans and Settlers alike. The bounty of the Maple does not end with its sap, as the strength and durability of its wood are matched by its clean, beautiful look.
Look: Characterized by lighter tones, Maple has creamy white sapwood often marked by a soft reddish brown tinge, and heartwood that varies from very light brown to a dark reddish brown.
Durability: A very hard wood, Maple is exceptionally resistant to marking and wear.
Available As: Reclaimed Factory Plank, Reclaimed Beech-Maple,
Hickory
Story: There is a reason that Andrew Jackson, the President known for his toughness and hard head, was given the moniker “Old Hickory." While there are some species that are harder and some that are stronger, no other species has Hickory's combination of hardness and strength. This quality has long been recognized, and Hickory has been the wood of choice for bows, tool handles, wheel spokes, and until very recently—baseball bats.
Look: The sapwood of Hickory is white and its heartwood ranges from light brown to deep reddish brown. This contrast between light and dark wood in nearly every board, along with its often-swirling grain patterns, give Hickory a striking and bright contemporary look. In reclaimed Hickory insect bored wormholes often add to an already strong character.
Durability: Put simply, Hickory is the hardest and most durable commercially available hardwood. With a Janka score of 1820 its resistance to wear and marking is unmatched.
Available As: Reclaimed Hickory, Traditional Hickory, Traditional Vintage Hickory,
Walnut
Story: Used for the ornamentation of both everyday objects and those reserved for special occasions, Walnut has historically been used for gun stocks, furniture, paddles, and even coffins. It is so highly valued that its harvest is closely regulated and forestry officials must work to stop “walnut poachers."
Look: The reason behind the demand for Walnut lies in the signature chocolate shades of its heartwood. If only two words could be used in this description they would be “dark" and “beautiful." With hues ranging from caramel to deep coffee brown, the richness of its colors is unparalleled.
Durability: Walnut is a medium-strength hardwood. It lies almost exactly in between White Oak and Pine on the Janka hardness scale, and is fairly resistant to marking and wear.
Available As: Reclaimed Walnut, Reclaimed Antique Trophy Room, Traditional Walnut, Traditional Gunstock Black Walnut,
Cherry
Story: Found throughout the Eastern United States, the Cherry tree has long been a staple of both American legend and American homes. Whether it was being axed down by a President still in his youth, or used as the premier wood for kitchen cabinetry, the wood of the Cherry tree has been deeply interwoven into the fabric of America.
Look: Cherry's striking red-brown heartwood is accented by pale brown and pink sapwood. Like Hickory, this pronounced contrast between heartwood and sapwood gives Cherry an attention-grabbing personality.
Durability: Cherry is a softer hardwood and has medium resistance to marking and wear.
Available As: Reclaimed Antique Trophy Room, Traditional Cherry, Traditional Pioneer Cherry,