Hardwood trees represent 40 percent of all the trees in the U.S., according to the Hardwood Manufacturers Association. A hardwood tree can be identified by its broad leaves and fruits or nuts, such as species like black walnut, cherry, and pecan. Unlike the more populous softwood trees, hardwoods see more applications such as in Los Angeles flooring.
Hardwood flooring usually appears in two forms in the market: solid or sandwiched slab. Solid flooring uses a single species of wood, while engineered wood is an amalgamation of a variety of species. It has the advantage of being recoated, making its lifespan virtually limitless. On the other hand, engineered wood can be installed anywhere, even the basement where moisture can be a problem.
The three most popular hardwood species are the following:
Red Oak
Comprising more than a third of the hardwood market, red oak wood is the most popular wood for hardwood flooring. Its versatility allowed progress to come to American history, seeing use in railroad ties, simple machines, and furniture. It has a light to pinkish-reddish brown hue, with a straight grain and rough texture.
Its abundance and hardy properties make red oak flooring one of the most affordable. Its high wear resistance also makes it ideal for flooring high-traffic areas of the house.
Cherry
During the colonial era, cherry trees were sought after for food, medicine, and home furnishings. Comprising roughly four percent of the hardwood flooring market, cherry flooring is rather hard to come by. It has a red to reddish-brown hue, with a straight grain and smooth texture, but gets dark when exposed to light. Cherry flooring isn’t as strong as red oak due to its medium density.
Hard Maple
Much like cherry, hard maple is also a minority in the hardwood market, but like cherry, it also has an impressive historical profile. It is most known for its light to dark reddish-brown color, straight grain, and uniform texture, and it gives a very good example of why Los Angeles hardwood flooring should be fitted, not nailed. This is because hardwoods like hard maple split easily, which is why pre-boring must be done before driving a nail or screw.
(Source: “Hardwood Flooring Types,” World Floor Covering Association)