There are styles of hardwood flooring for every taste—from traditional solid oaks to exotic Brazilian cherry, there are plenty of options to choose from, so it’s no wonder why people have gravitated toward wood for so long. But before you go shopping for flooring, determine your budget per square foot for your materials.

With the open-concept floor plans of homes today, most builders and homeowners are installing the same wood throughout the homes’ first level (excluding the laundry room or a full bathroom). This creates an uninterrupted foundation for all living spaces.

Another trend is larger plank sizes for the wood itself. The traditional strip (2-inch) or plank (3-inch) hardwood flooring has been replaced by planks that are with 4.5-inches to 7 or 8 inches wide. Styles have a rustic feel, with handscraped or distressed details. Handscraped wood looks as thought it’s been planed to make subtle ridges in the planks, while distressed styles include scrapes or pit marks that make them look like they’ve been around for while.

Distressed hardwood

These styles may seem a little strange—buy a new beat-up-looking floor? Their popularity stems from their practicality. My wood floors, although a more traditional 3-inch plank, is highly distressed, something I wanted because of my children and pet. Scratches that inevitably occur look like they were meant to be there and more than once I have filled in a small scratch or pit mark with a Sharpie.

Wood Species

When shopping for wood, a major consideration should be durability. Think about your lifestyle: Do you take off your shoes when you walk in the door? Do you have a large dog whose nails could easily scratch a shiny wood floor? Do you have children who could spill something and not clean it up, potentially taking the finish off your wood?

The first thing to check is the wood’s hardness. This is measured by the Janka hardness scale, a test that measures the resistance of a species of wood to denting and wear. Choosing a wood with a higher Janka rating is recommended for wood that will be installed in high-traffic areas.

Hickory

Hickory is a great choice because it is less expensive than an exotic but still very hard. Other domestic woods that are safe choices are oak, ash and maple. A cheaper wood that scratches easily is birch. Other soft woods like cherry, walnut and pine are beloved for their beauty and still popular with those who see acquired imperfections as part of their rustic beauty. They also can be very expensive.

Red Oak

Exotic species include ebony, Brazilian walnut and cherry, santos mahogany, merbau, tigerwood and acacia. These all rank high in hardness and command a higher price. The engineered varieties generally are less expensive.

Exotic

In addition to hardness, it’s important to remember that each wood species has its own unique grain pattern. Slower growing trees like hickory, oak and acacia have wider rings and a more pronounced pattern. Faster growing trees like maple tend to have an even appearance with very little pattern. In others, the color of the wood varies, even from the same lot, even from the same tree. Hickory, again, has a range of tones, while exotics like Brazilian cherry have a spectrum of gold and red tones. It’s your own personal taste that will dictate which you choose, but remember that a wood with a more pronounced grain and color variety, especially in a natural finish, will command attention and make a strong statement.

Another consideration is fading. Wood is a natural product and will fade over time. Keep this in mind when decorating—if a rug is in the same place for years, when you move it, the floor underneath may be a slightly different color. Some woods are especially prone to fading, especially cherry and cedar. When looking at any wood, remember it won’t stay the same color forever.

And finally, a note on bamboo: In recent years, bamboo has entered the flooring scene as an eco-friendly alternative to wood. Bamboo is fast growing and a great choice if you’re eco-conscious, but remember there are different kinds of bamboo flooring. What’s termed traditional or carbonized bamboo has a linear appearance if horizontal or knotty appearance if vertical. This kind of bamboo is inexpensive but not as durable. Stranded bamboo is comprised of bamboo fibers held together by a resin and processed at a high temperature. This bamboo is very strong, but there still is some dispute as to whether it can be sanded and refinished.

Bamboo

Is Refinishing Important?

When shopping for hardwood, a consideration for some is potential refinishing. Solid wood can be refinished many times while some engineered woods can and some can’t. The engineered wood manufacturer will specify whether the wear layer on the wood is thick enough to withstand sanding and refinishing.

The ability to refinish wood is important, but the chances of you needing to refinish your wood in the time you own the house are slim. Most solid wood floors have a 25- to 50-year wear warranty, while high-performing engineered woods can have between a 15- and 30-year warranty. Most engineered styles have more surface treatments that would be lost if sanded.

The bottom line is that it’s your preference. Think about how long you’re going to live in your home, what style (traditional, rustic or contemporary) you like, if you like dark, natural or lighter woods (a stain can soak deeply into wood, making it nearly impossible to sand away) and your lifestyle before making a decision as to whether refinishing is important to you.