TYPES OF HARDWOOD FLOORING - Wooden and Hard Wood Flooring Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire

Ash is a member of the olive family, but it does not bear fruit. The sapwood is almost white and the heartwood ranges from grey through light brown to light yellow with brown streaks. Some grades have very special figuring, which gives the floor an entirely unique and lively character. It is strong and withstands impacts. Ash undergoes a medium degree of change over time from a lighter freshly saned tone to a straw/tan colour. Ash is approx 10% harder than Oak.

BIRCH

A stiff wood with excellent shock resistance, commonly used in fine furniture. Birch is usually straight-grained, with a fine, ofter wavy structure. A Birch floor gives a room light, elegant look and can help to accentuate the rest of the decor. Birch undergoes a medium degree of change from the freshly sanded cream to reddish-yellow as it ages. Birch is 25% softer than Oak.

BEECH

Beech ranges in colour from light cream to medium tan/brown with pink-orange overtones. It undergoes a medium degree of colour change with a slight muting of the orange colours and ambering over time. It is usually straight-grained, with dense figuring and its hard surface resists impacts. It adds warmth, and its uniform appearance makes the room seem airy. Beech has about the same hardness as Oak.

WHITE OAK

White Oak is the most popular species for floors and furniture in Europe due to its a lovely appearance and long life. An Oak can live for up to 1,ooo years in favourable conditions and possesses a straight long graining with a silvery texture. Oak can be processed easily to give numerous colour tones and is available in lacquered or oiled finishes. The light brown to darker tones of White Oak undergoes a medium degree of colour change with slight ambering over time.

EUROPEAN MAPLE

Famous for having no taste or smell, it is often used for kitchen worktops and chopping boards. Compared with Hard Maple, European Maple has a lustre all of its own that gives the room a clean airy feel. The thin annual rings and soft figuring make it unique. Despite being 15-20% softer than Hard Maple, it is still very hard and durable. It takes coloured stains easily and is popular because of its wide area of application in interior design and furniture.

HARD MAPLE

Famous for its sap which is turned into Maple syrup. The sapwood is cream-coloured, with a tendency to reddish-brown, and the heartwood varies from light to dark brown with red highlights. It usually has fine figuring with straight, but sometimes slightly wavy, grain. Hard Maple grows in North America, and is 10-15% harder than Oak and undergoes a medium degree of colour change, from a creamy white to golden over time.

CHERRY

A beautiful and versatile species, warm individual and charming. The sapwood is creamy white while the heartwood can vary from deep red to reddish-brown, which together forms a fine figured, straight grain. Cherry undergoes an extreme degree of colour change with pronounced darkening to a dark reddish colour when fully aged. This process occurs within a few weeks in direct sunlight. Cherry is 25% softer than Oak.

WALNUT

A dark exclusive wood, the sapwood is creamy white but the heartwood is a light brown to dark chocolate brown, sometimes with a tendency to purple. The wood gains a special lustre over the years. It usually has straight graining, but can have wavy shapes that offer exciting variation. The wood undergoes a medium to a high degree of colour change with the dark brown heartwood lightening over time to a more golden brown. Walnut is 20% softer than Oak.

RED OAK

Red Oak is America’s most popular species for floors. The sapwood is white to light brown, and the heartwood is pink to reddish-brown. The wood usually has a straight grain. It is hard and durable and takes a wide range of coloured stains quite easily. Red Oak undergoes a medium degree of colour change over time, with a slight ambering of the pink/tan brown colour you get when freshly milled. Red Oak is a large slow-growing tree that lives on average for 300 years.

MERBAU

Used for joinery, panelling, cabinet making, instruments and of course floors. The heartwood ranges from yellow to orange-brown, bur darkens to reddish-brown or brown. The graining varies from straight to wavy and sometimes even interlocked. One of is special characteristics is that a type of yellow flecking in the wood’s pores changes the character when is sanded. The result is wood with a surface that seems to be speckled with gold. Merbau is one of the hardest floors available.

JARRAH

Has been used traditionally for boatbuilding, railway sleepers and telegraph poles because of its durability and hardness. Jarrah has a smooth surface and straight graining, which has also made it sought after for the manufacture of furniture, doors and floors. The sapwood and heartwood vary from salmon-pink to deep red. Finished floors often have a dark brown to reddish-purple colour, which also deepens over the years.

ROSEWOOD

A very beautiful species, which is often used for decorative veneers, cabinet making, instruments, furniture and floors. The Rosewood colour varies from dark brown to deep purple with black streaks. Over time, the wood’s dark brown tones change to a more golden brown shade. It is a hard and durable species.

JATOBA

Jatoba is often used for hard-wearing products such as handrails, sports equipment and floor because of its hardness. The sapwood can have broad figuring, light pink and sometimes greyish tones. The heartwood ranges from salmon pink to reddish-brown with dark streaks. Thanks to its inherent beauty, rich colours and exceptional hardness, it is one of the most popular of all exotic species. Over time Jatoba deepens in colour to a rich vibrant red.