The Top Five Wood Species For Your Hardwood Flooring in 2022

Home remodeling projects and sales are skyrocketing across the country in 2022. With more people investing in more comfortable homes and livable workspaces, remodelers and homeowners keep looking for ways to stay on trend with the best home improvement additions. One industry massively enjoying this growth is hardwood flooring. Apart from boosting property values, less maintenance, and durability, these flooring options provide buyers with various wood species to choose from. Here are the five best-selling wood species for hardwood flooring in the US for 2022.

Home remodeling projects and sales are skyrocketing across the country in 2022. With more people investing in more comfortable homes and livable workspaces, remodelers and homeowners keep looking for ways to stay on trend with the best home improvement additions. One industry massively enjoying this growth is hardwood flooring. Apart from boosting property values, less maintenance, and durability, these flooring options provide buyers with various wood species to choose from. Here are the five best-selling wood species for hardwood flooring in the US for 2022.

1.   Cherry

When it comes to hardwood flooring, cherry hardwood is one of the ultimate favorite wood species of many homeowners and remodelers. These hardwood species are also the top materials for residential furniture and central flooring for dining rooms and bedrooms.

The key selling points of cherry hardwood are its warm red tones and dramatic grains. Like other hardwood species, cherry has several varieties that are popular for their unique features. Here are some of them.

• Black cherry wood
• Sweet cherry tree wood
• Brazilian Cherry
• Patagonian cherry
• Caribbean cherry
• Chilean cherry

Black cherry, or American cherry, is one of the trendiest varieties for hardwood floors in the US. They’re well-known for their red and pink hues and tight, wavy grain. Hardwood installers often complement it with a lustrous finish.

Unlike oak, cherry hardwood is a softer type of hardwood. However, it still maintains great dimensional stability. They also have lower photosensitivity levels and are prone to damage from long sun exposure. Moreover, these planks are on the more expensive end of every wood option.

Another popular variety is the Brazilian cherry or Jatoba. A native hardwood of the Brazilian rainforests, the Jatoba wood has a natural red hue that is both flexible and highly resistant to termites.

2.   Oak

The all-time favorite hardwood specie for most wooden floorings across the Northern Hemisphere, oak is the highest-selling domestic hardwood in 2022. Oak hardwood is well-recognized for its timeless look and traditional, homey warmth. Apart from the flooring, homes with traditional style love oak as it blends well with various décor and furniture.

Oak hardwood floors often come in two varieties: white and red oak. Although they differ in color, both specie score high on the Janka hardness scale. But they’re still prone to scraping despite handling heavy impacts better than most hardwood specie. Unlike cherry hardwood, oak planks are cheaper but still more expensive than other choices.

Red oak has red to reddish-brown hues that give homes a rich, warm look. White oak has light to pale brown shades with tight-knit grain. While they’re both durable and sturdy hardwood, the latter has higher water resistance and offers more versatility in flooring stains.

3.   Maple

In this list, maple hardwood is the most distinct wood specie used for floorings. They have a characteristic grain pattern, unlike any other hardwood. In addition, many homeowners find their light colors and uniform texture highly appealing.

While maple ranks high in appearance and texture, they also have one of the highest levels of durability. Maple planks aren’t prone to scratches and scuffs and are impact resistant. Because of their durability, maple hardwood floors are ideal for households with children or pets. Solid maple boards are also low maintenance.

Despite its numerous benefits, maple is one of the more affordable hardwood species on the market.

4.   Walnut

Walnut hardwood is another domestic hardwood species often used by many residential homes in North America. Like cherry hardwood, this specie comes in several varieties. Here are the six types of walnut wood.

• English Walnut Wood
• Black Walnut Wood
• Claro Walnut Wood
• White Walnut Wood
• Bastogne Walnut
• Peruvian Walnut Wood

Black walnut, or the American walnut, is popular in the US for its rich brown color with hints of purple hue. Each plank also has dark, swirling grains that add a bit of drama to any home. In terms of hardness, walnut is a soft hardwood and is not the go-to wood species for high-trafficked areas like dining rooms and kitchens. Like cherry, walnut hardwood floorings are one of the most expensive choices available.

An advantage of walnut hardwood flooring is its high levels of photosensitivity. They have higher resistance to light damage and are ideal floors for rooms with year-round direct sunlight exposure. Moreover, walnut hardwood is lighter than other wooden floorings, making them great for upper stories.

5.   Hickory

Only a few domestic hardwood species can compare to hickory wood’s sturdiness. Homeowners looking for hardwood flooring with extreme durability should make hickory their top choice. With proper maintenance, these wood planks can last a lifetime with only a slight hint of wear and tear.

Hickory produces a bright sapwood that creates lumber with a distinct light color that darkens over time. Most hickory hardwood planks have light reddish-brown colors but are also available in creamy white shades. The effect of the sapwood also gives this hardwood dramatic grain patterns.

Solid natural hickory hardwood floors are best for rustic-styled homes and log cabins. While they’re the most durable flooring option, hickory can be a difficult hardwood to install.

Top Five Hardwood Specie Choices for Flooring Remodelers

Choosing the right hardwood floors for your home is a tedious task. You have to consider several factors, including which hardwood specie will work best with your budget, style, and lifestyle. While many hardwood types are available on the market, understanding the pros and cons of each one is essential. These five hardwood choices are the year’s best options for any floor remodeling project.

Find out which specie best suits your home’s hardwood floors in Austin with the help of a Kelly Hardwood Flooring professional today!