Some of our hardwood manufacturers:

Hardwood is one of the fastest growing division of our company. We can install it all: floating, glue down, nail down.
The best national brand names in the business.
Check this out. A company with the latest information on techniques, design, installation, and products. We really know what we’re talking about! (You won’t find anyone who was working in the garden section last week!)
Our Installers have been with us for years. They’re not just Installation mechanics; they are proven craftsman carpenters that install floors for a living. Put us to the test.

 

Hand Scraped:

Hand scraped wood and even laminate is a very popular choice right now. Many people are choosing hand scraped ( some people refer to it as distressed) over a smooth piano finish for their floors. one good thing about hand scraped is that it makes your wood or laminate look more natural. Another plus is that if your wood gets dented or scraped it gives your floor more character where as with the smooth floor it would just look like you scratched your floor. Some people with hand scraped floors even take a permanent marker to scratches and you can’t tell that is was ever damaged.

Here is an example of a hand scraped floor. They have a wide range of barely distressed to extremely distressed floors, it all depends on what you prefer.

Beveled Edges:

If you really want your home or room to have a very natural/rustic feel then beveled edges are a great choice for you. You can get a beveled edge in both real wood and laminate floors. A beveled edge is a small "v" shaped groove between each plank. This look can really add a lot of character to your floor. The only thing to keep in mind is that with this beveled edge dirt will get into the grooves. So when you are looking for a beveled edge look to see how deep the bevel is and as long as you are willing to clean your floors regularly it will be fine. If you want your floor cleaning to be kept to a bare minimum then beveled edges may not be your best choice.

One thing that is important when choosing a wood for your home is to keep in mind how much traffic and/or abuse your floor will be taking. Each species of wood varies on its hardness. Here is a list of some woods from Hardest to Softest.

1. Brazilian Cherry

2. Mahogany

3. Pecan/Hickory

4. Hard Maple

5. White Oak

6. Ash

7. Beech

8. Red Oak

9. Birch

10. Heart Pine

11. Walnut

12. Teak

13. Cherry

14. Pine