Walking on wood: Weigh the options carefully

  • By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Living
  • Wednesday, October 10, 2007 1:38pm
  • Life

There’s something reassuring about walking on a wood floor. But choosing one for your home can feel anything but comforting, given everything there is to consider: the more than 50 species of wood, the many shapes and sizes of the boards and the various surface treatments.

The major decisions you’ll face throughout the purchase and installation process are outlined here; consider them all before you visit flooring showrooms or sit down with an architect. If possible, borrow sample boards of your favorites to see how they coordinate with your walls and furnishings. Once you’ve narrowed the options, listen to your instincts. They’ll lead you to the wood floor that’s just right for your home.

Picking the wood

A floor’s appearance depends primarily on the material from which it has been milled. Here are some common options.

Australian cypress: Characterized by its wavy grain pattern with black rings. Its color ranges from creamy white to light brown.

Pros: It can hold up to humidity, making it an excellent choice for moisture-prone areas, such as a kitchen.

Cons: Knots can cause splitting during installation, so it is necessary to order extra material. It is also fairly difficult to stain.

Reclaimed lumber: Wood that has been salvaged from old structures, such as barns and wine barrels.

Pros: No two floors are alike, since the lumber often has distinctive markings left over from its original use.

Cons: Reclaimed wood tends to be more expensive than other options, and is not as easy to finish because of existing surface conditions.

Oak: The most popular flooring used in the United States. Red oak has pinkish hues; white oak is more ashen.

Pros: Pairs well with almost any finish, installs easily and stands up to heavy foot traffic.

Cons: Oak floorboards can turn black if exposed to moisture, so they’re not recommended for bathrooms or kitchens.

Santos mahogany: Distinguished by its undulating grain patterns and deep undertones that are flecked with red and gold.

Pros: Considering the hardness of this wood, it takes a finish surprisingly well. It’s also durable and moisture-resistant enough to be used in bathrooms.

Cons: It is a fairly rare species and thus, more expensive.

American walnut: Also called black walnut, it has been used for floors and furniture for hundreds of years.

Pros: Distinguished for its deep, purplish coloring and even grain pattern; stains beautifully.

Cons: Unlike Brazilian walnut, or ipe, which is quite durable, the American variety is relatively soft, and therefore not ideal for high-traffic spaces.

Pine: Has tremendous variety, with colors ranging from brown to yellow and grain patterns that can be straight or wavy.

Pros: Among the most affordable flooring options, it’s also quick and easy to install.

Cons: Fairly soft and retains water; therefore it is not intended for damp or busy areas.

Brazilian cherry: Has a straight, consistent grain pattern and reddish hue that recalls the formality of fine furniture.

Pros: Color deepens over time, improving the appearance of the floor; moisture-resistant and extremely hard-wearing.

Cons: Like other very hard woods, cherry is prone to splitting and is difficult to nail through, making it a challenge to install.

Natural bamboo: Technically a woody grass, so it has little grain pattern; its blond color suits contemporary settings.

Pros: Because its shoots grow rapidly and are trimmed, not cut, bamboo is an ecologically friendly material.

Cons: It is usually pre-finished, so it is more difficult to match to existing architecture.

Settling on style

The size and shape of the floorboard affects the finished look. Here are the three main options.

Strips: The most common and most versatile, suiting classic and contemporary settings. They typically measure 11/2 inches to 31/4 inches wide and 1 foot to 7 feet long.

Planks: Anything wider than 31/4 inches. They’re usually less than 5 inches wide but can be as wide as the tree they come from. These have a more rustic look, especially if they are face-nailed (as opposed to having tongue-and-groove nailing, where the fasteners are hidden).

Parquets: Patterned-wood tiles. Typically reserved for formal settings, they’re often paired with decorative borders that are inlaid in the floor at additional expense.

Choosing the cut

How a floorboard is sawed from the log affects its appearance, cost and performance.

Quartersawn boards: Bear a straight grain pattern, are extremely stable and wear evenly. The milling process takes longer and results in more waste; therefore, these are the more expensive choice.

Plainsawn boards: More common than quartersawn boards and have a wavy grain pattern. In humid regions, However, gaps can develop between boards, since they expand and contract from side to side.

Treating the surface

Floors can be finished at the factory or finished on site after installation.

Factory finishing spares you from days of irritating dust and fumes, but the wood options are fewer, so you may not be able to match new floors exactly to other decorative elements, such as molding. Whether finished on site or in the factory, the process involves several steps. After boards are sanded, they are often treated with a stain, which can range from clear to ebony. Keep in mind that darker floors, while striking, show scratches and dust more than lighter ones. You can also forgo the stain and opt for the wood’s natural color.

Either way, boards should receive several protective topcoats. The main options are oil-based urethane, which is amber-tinted and takes about eight hours to dry, and water-based urethane, which is clear and dries in less than half the time. Wax is another option. It develops a distinctive patina, but must be rebuffed and reapplied more regularly than urethane.

Questions should be addressed to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd St., New York, NY 10036. E-mail to mslletters@marthastewart.com.

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