Determining The Right Hardwood Floors For Your Home
Whether you’re beginning a large scale renovation or a complete custom build, selecting the right hardwood floors for your home is a complex decision.
And that’s because when it comes to designing your home, peace of mind is the ultimate luxury. From wood species + wood grains to installation patterns + finishes there’s a lot to consider.
Not to fret my friend, we’ve got you covered.
And while there are tons of decisions to be made around selecting the right hardwood floors in the end — when designed right — they have the potential to be both a good investment from a durability standpoint (hello Fido + lil tykes) but also create a look + emotionality to your home that will stand the test of time.
So, let’s dive in + get “grainular.” We’re aware that was a terrible pun ;)
Milling Methods For Hardwood Floors
You might be wondering; why would the way my hardwoods are cut matter to me?
But the reality is, as your hardwood floors are sawn into planks the methods used to cut the wood can have dramatically different effects on how your hardwood floors look + potentially even wear over time.
Most milling methods cut trees in three ways: plain sawn, quarter sawn, rift sawn. Each type varies not only in the way the tree is positioned before it’s cut BUT each displays the growth ring of the tree on the face of the boards differently.
I know, crazy right?!!?! Design is very much in the details boo!
Plain Sawn Hardwood Floors
Plain sawn which is also sometimes called flat sawn is the simplest, most common + least expensive method to mill hardwood floors. It’s where parallel cuts are made lengthwise to the tree which amounts to the least amount of waste.
Plain Sawn Wood Grain
Plain sawn hardwood floors often have the highest grain variation which can create a unique look. Depending upon the species of wood, plain sawing may result in the “cathedral effect” where the wood grain, although wavy, resembles that of a cathedral which contributes to a distinction in the pattern.
Plain Sawn Durability
While the species of wood is certainly important to its overall durability, the way plain sawing cuts the logs does leave it more susceptible to:
Cupping where the wood starts to rise on the edge of the planks.
Crowning where the center of the plank is higher than the edges.
Gapping where the wood separates or creates “gaps” in between the planks.
Quarter Sawn Hardwood Floors
For quarter-sawn hardwood flooring, each log has been cut into… you guessed it — quarters. And then, cuts are made to the tree perpendicular to the growth ring of the tree. Because of the added steps + the angle of the cuts, not only does cost increase but so too does waste.
Quarter Sawn Wood Grain
Based upon the nature of cutting into the growth ring, quarter sawn wood grain has a very straight + even grain pattern to it. Depending upon the species of the tree, quarter sawn wood grain may reveal quite a bit of flecking in the wood.
Quarter Sawn Durability
From a durability standpoint, quarter-sawn hardwood floors are cut in a way that makes them more resistant to moisture + thus less susceptible to cupping or warping.
Rift Sawn Hardwood Floors
Rift sawn, which is also called radial grain, is quartered + then each quarter is cut along the “radius” of the tree. Because of the way that rift-sawn floors are cut… a triangle of waste from in between each plank exists.
Rift Sawn Wood Grain
Rifts sawn wood grain is very linear (hence the trade-off of added waste) with no flecking + thus creating an extremely uniform + refined look to the hardwood floors.
Rift Sawn Durability
Because of the way in which rift-sawn hardwood floors are cut the wood is the most durable + stable of the milling methods.
Rift and Quarter Sawn Hardwood Floors
Often because of the considerable waste that comes with full rift sawn hardwood floors, clients prefer a combination of rift + quarter sawn hardwood floors. But it’s not merely taking rift-sawn cuts + quarter-sawn cuts and combining them together randomly.
The milling process to create this is to actually cut alternating sides of the quarter-log.
Rift and Quarter Sawn Wood Grain
And thus the outcomes of this process are very unique in that while minimizing the grain of the hardwood floors (benefits of rift sawn) it still creates an elegant character in each plank (benefits of quarter sawn).
Rift and Quarter Sawn Durability
From a durability standpoint, the benefits of rift + quarter-sawn hardwood floors remain the same.
What Wood Species Is The Hardest For Hardwood Floors
While dents, scratches + other wear + tear are inevitable for any flooring, the hardness of a specific wood species is still part of how we determine for our clients what hardwood floors make the most sense for them.
We’re considering things like:
Are there kids and pets?
Is this a shoe on or off house?
How often will there be social gatherings?
Thankfully, the Janka hardness scale rates the hardness of specific wood species + puts them on a scale. Here are some of the more popular species of wood and their respective Janka ratings:
The higher the number on the Janka Scale, the harder the wood + more durable the finished flooring will be to dents, scratches + other wear and tear.
Hardwood Floors Are Great In These Rooms
In general, hardwood floors are great in areas that don’t get wet. This includes:
Entryways
Living Rooms
Dining Rooms
Family Rooms
Kitchens
Hallways
Stairs
Bedrooms
When it comes to laundry rooms or bathrooms, more often than not you don’t want wood floors in those areas because the more moisture — the more susceptible to damage your hardwood floors become.
What Patterns Are Good For Installing Hardwood Floors
When it comes to hardwood floor patterns… it’s again ALL about the details. From Herringbones to Chevrons to Versailles your hardwood floor layout is something we always spend a lot of time considering.
Here are a few of our favorite patterns to use for hardwood floors. These could be used as a single pattern throughout your home OR as an inlay pattern to create and anchor a specific area (i.e. a seating area).
Staggered Hardwood Floor Pattern
A staggered hardwood floor pattern is what most commonly we associate with hardwood floors. It’s simply, straight forward and well… timeless.
Chevron Hardwood Floor Pattern
A chevron hardwood floor pattern is an inverted “v-shape” that zigs + zags and is mitered at the point.
Herringbone Hardwood Floor Pattern
A herringbone hardwood floor pattern still zigzags BUT it has clean 90-degree ends with no miter that creates a bit of a staggering effect.
Versailles Hardwood Floor Pattern
Versailles hardwood floor patterns are cut into squares, rectangles + triangles and then fit together to create a larger square.
Hardwood Floor Textures
There are a variety of techniques that can be applied to your hardwood floors to give them a truly unique + custom look. After all, you’re not “just after any home” you want a custom home that’s tailored to your wants and needs. These textures are applied to new hardwood floors to make them feel aged.
Brushing Hardwood Floors
Brushing wears away the soft grains in the wood flooring + leaves behind dense grains that are a little bit taller which in turn creates a pleasantly uneven look to the floors.
Hand-Scraped Edges
When it comes to wide plank flooring, hand-scraped edges add grooves + bolder marks to the floor which in turn creates personality + exudes a feeling of depth or history to your new floors.
Sustainable Hardwood Floors
Whether you’re working with us as your full-service design firm or not, when it comes to selecting a beautiful hardwood floor for your home sustainability matters.
Unfortunately, not all wood is created equal. So, it’s important to keep in mind just how impactful balancing your investment with a hardwood manufacturer who shares similar values for sustainable forestry practices.
Sealants and Air Quality
If you’ve hung around here awhile you know that indoor air quality (IAQ) is really important to us. As we design (or organize) your home, we’re considering your safety, fido’s + you’re lil tykes too *wink*
When it comes to hardwood floors, the sealant that is used to protect the finish + create an outer layer of durability is yet another important detail. What you want is a finish that, though it might off-gas, is low to zero-VOC (volatile organic compounds).
It’s important to remember when it comes to designing your home, peace of mind is the ultimate luxury. From wood species + wood grains to installation patterns + finishes there’s a lot to consider with hardwood floors so don’t be afraid to drop your comments about hardwood floors below OR if you’re completely overwhelmed by all of this (which we totally get) + you’re in need of a bit of help, then let’s chat.
And if you absolutely loved this article about hardwood floors for your home then trust me boo, you’re going to really enjoy this FREE video course: 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.