Choosing your home or office flooring poses many questions. Will it match the current design of your place? Is it easy to maintain? What would provide the best value?
You may want to look into Unfinished Hardwood Flooring Online to satisfy your flooring needs.
Why Choose Unfinished Hardwood Flooring?
Unfinished hardwood flooring is not the cheapest among hardwood flooring (on average, $5 to $9 per square foot, including labor and finishes). But then, it certainly provides the best investment in the long run. And depending on the type of wood, the maintenance cost is small.
A study using the National Association of Realtors Data said that 54% of home buyers would pay a premium as much as $2080 for wood flooring. Today, you can find a lot of Unfinished Hardwood Flooring Online.
Types of Hardwood Flooring Material
There are two types of unfinished hardwood flooring material: Domestic and Exotic. Domestic hardwood flooring uses wood found in North America.
Here are some examples of domestic hardwood flooring:
- Hickory
- Hard Maple
- Red Oak
- White Oak
- North American Walnut
On the other hand, exotic hardwood flooring can be found around the world. The lumber usually comes from tropical countries such as Brazil.
Here are some examples of exotic hardwood flooring:
- Tigerwood
- Brazilian Cherry
- Brazilian Walnut
- Santos Mahogany
The following are the difference between domestic and exotic hardwood floorings:
Janka Hardness Test
How do you know how durable the wood flooring is? In general, wood is long-lasting. It is a matter of how much weight it can take for an extended period.
To scientifically measure the resistance, we have the Janka Hardness Test expressed in pounds of force (lbf). In the test, most of the exotic woods rank higher in the standings. As a comparison:
Exotic:
- 3684 lbf – Brazilian Walnut
- 2350 lbf – Brazilian Cherry
- 2200 lbf – Santos Mahogany
- 1850 lbf – Tigerwood
Domestic:
- 1820 lbf – Hickory
- 1450 lbf – Hard Maple
- 1360 lbf – White Oak
- 1290 lbf – Red Oak
- 1010 lbf – North American Walnut
If you want the hardwood flooring that will last a lifetime, exotic hardwood is the best choice.
Custom Finishes
Hardness is not all that matters. Are you installing hardwood flooring to match the existing flooring of your house? Or do you want a particular custom-finish for the flooring?
Domestic hardwood flooring is easy to customize. On the other hand, the hardness of exotic hardwood prevents it from absorbing intricate stain finishes or polyurethane coatings. You can also design your home with natural colors and patterns you have in mind.
Price and Availability
Exotic hardwood comes with better quality but with a higher price. It is due to the availability, customs duties, shipping, and taxes involved during import.
Domestic hardwood, on the other hand, is cheaper. It has an average hardness and can be produced locally. If you are on a budget, you might want to get domestic hardwood flooring.