Hardwood flooring

[ADSENSE_0000000065]A universally popular floor choice, wood is forever in style as well as practical. As a common choice in floors for many homeowners, wood flooring has the ability to bring natural beauty to a room. You have many options when it comes to wood flooring choices: from light maple, pine, bamboo or oak to dark rich walnut, cherry, or mahogany.

Wood flooring comes in different sizes. Narrow pieces of wood up to about 2 and ¾ inch wide are called strips. Wider pieces, up to 7 inches, are called planks.

Hardwood flooring comes in different grades, or qualities, as well. Oak, one of the most popular options has a very specific ranking system:

Grades of oak hardwood flooring

Clear: the highest quality with very few character marks or flaws and very close matching.

Select: has a few flaws and pieces match well for the most part.

#1 Common: contains some flaws and both dark and light pieces of wood.

#2 Common: many character marks (pinholes, knots, mixed colors) and both light and dark pieces.

Other types of wood, including birch and maple, are ranked with a number system (first, second, and third grades).

The higher the grade, the higher the price of the wood flooring. If you want a uniform wood floor to achieve a contemporary, modern, or formal atmosphere with a consistent look, it is worth spending the extra money to get a premium grade. If the style you are going for is rustic or country, one of the lower grades of hardwood flooring works great by adding warmth and character to the room.

Today, wood flooring is not just made of wood. You have other options available to get the natural floors. Laminate floating wood flooring is a cheaper option that gives you the same look for less.