So, you want a wood floor?
One of the most important decisions is which of the wood flooring types to use!
Each wood type has a different look, feel and suitability to a certain use or climate. If you want a floor that is versatile, for example, a rift and quartered red oak hardwood floor would be perfect with its neutral tones. If you want your home to really stand out, you could consider the richer color of a Brazilian cherry hardwood floor.
We are committed to getting you the right hardwood floor for your home or property. Come and visit our showroom for samples and to answer any questions you have about wood flooring types.
Wood Native to Wisconsin
Using wood grown in our native Wisconsin has a couple of key benefits. First, it is local and therefore very stable within our climate and for use in your home. Second, it is a local natural resource, so by using this wood, you are supporting local business and ensuring a low carbon footprint.
Ash hardwood
Ash is considered a very hard wood, it is even harder than red oak, it stains very well – try something unique!
Beech hardwood
This wood is straight grained with a fine and even texture, which means that it stains very well, and it is just a bit softer than Red Oak wood.
White Oak
You can have white oak plain live sawn or rift and quartered, it is incredibly versatile, which is why this American classic is so popular right now. It is also very durable, stains well and looks superb on stairs. Brown tones are in fashion and with white oak, you can stain this to quite a dark color.
Hickory
Hickory wood is very durable and versatile, all while achieving a rustic look that can allow your home to achieve a truly unique look and feel. While being strong, hickory is also flexible and stains well with its coarse strain grain.
Birch wood
Yellow and red birch woods offer an interesting grain that can be slightly wavy with a fine and even texture that stains well. Due to the heart of the yellow birch tree being a bit of a softer hardwood, you will want to be a bit careful with its maintenance if you have dogs at home.
Walnut
This classic hardwood offers an exciting dark chocolate brown color for your floors. Like the yellow birch wood, it tends to be one of the softer hardwoods and needs some protection when it comes to dogs or heavy foot traffic.
Red Oak
This classic hardwood can be plain sawn or rift and quartered. It is incredibly stable, durable and stains well. In fact, your staining options multiply when you go with red oak wood. It has been known as the “industry standard” for over 100 years and offers versatility that matches many styles and tastes.
White Pine
This Wisconsin native is a softer hardwood that will give your floors a classic rustic pine look. It has a straight and even grain with a medium texture that finishes well. As it is a softer hardwood, you will need to be careful with dogs and high traffic.
Maple
Maple is a classic and an incredibly hard wood that takes staining in a unique manner, offering dramatic variations across your floor.
American Cherry
This is a truly classic American wood, which offers a beautiful grain that gives a reddish color. It stains well but you should take care with heavy foot traffic as it is quite a soft wood.
Wood native to the US
Southern Yellow Pine
This is a softer wood and when stained, it may appear blotchy due to the uneven grain typical of this wood.
Douglas Fir
Douglas fir wood is commonly found in older homes in the lake country and Milwaukee area due to its popularity in the past. It tends to be soft, but it works really well in restoration projects.
Exotic Imported Woods
Having wood floors made of wood from outside the U.S. can add an exotic element to your home, but you should keep in mind that not all wood is the same and some may not be as stable in our Wisconsin climate.
Bamboo
Bamboo has a very specific look but technically it is not really a wood! It is a grass! Bamboo is not very stable in our climate.
Brazilian Walnut (IPE)
This wood is very hard, but it does not react particularly well to our Wisconsin climate. If you like the look of this wood, our team can help you find something that matches the look and our climate a bit better.
Bubinga
Bubinga is a fine straight-grained wood that looks wild, especially in the sunlight, to which it reacts by darkening. It is a great wood to use as a feature stripe or border highlight.
Brazilian Cherry Jatoba
This is a very hard and durable wood in a red color, which darkens with age and sunlight. It also stains well, so flexible for a number of desired looks. Brazilian cherry is gorgeous and offers a statement of elegance and style to your home.
Brazilian Maple
While a beautiful wood, Brazilian maple is quite hard to find in the U.S. If your heart is truly set on this wood floor, we can help you source the wood, but it may take time. Alternatively, our team can find you a more readily available wood that offers the same look and feel.
Cork
This import offers a unique look for a soft wood floor and has antimicrobial properties, which gives it a resistance to insects.
Cumaru
A very hard wood that offers a beautiful and distinct appearance. However, Cumaru does not react well to our climate. Our team can help you find a great alternative for your home here in Wisconsin.
Australian Cypress
While this wood makes for an interesting floor with its rusty look, it is very brittle. If you choose this material for your wood floor, you will need to take extra care in its maintenance.
Iroko
Iroko is a very hard wood which offers a light to medium brown color, when first installed, this will darken dramatically as it ages, so bear this in mind when considering your home aesthetic.
Jarrah
This is a very hard wood which is rich and dark in color. It is a tricky wood to source in the U.S. We can aim to locate it for you, this will take a little time, or show you some great and readily available alternatives.
Mahogany
Mahogany, like the name, is a dark reddish brown in color, which darkens further as it ages. It is a hardwood, so it has a high tolerance for foot traffic and pets.
Padauk
The Padauk wood creates an appearance that can be very red, orange or purple. Due to this, it is a great wood to use as a feature or a border highlight.
Purple Heart
As the name suggests, this wood is brown when freshly cut but turns a deep purple afterwards. Like Padauk, it can be used well as a feature or a border highlight.
Sapele
While this moderately hard wood has a unique grain that can give your floors a great standout look, it does not well in the Wisconsin climate.
Spotted Gum
Spotted gum is light to dark brown in color and darkens further with age. It is a moderately hard wood with a unique grain to offer an exotic look to your floor.
Sydney Blue Gum
This is a very hard wood that offers a reddish-brown color when installed. It has straight, interlocked grain makes it great for hardwood flooring.
Teak
Teak offers some dramatic color variations, from yellow-brown to a dark brown color, which gives you a truly an elegant looking floor that is durable.
Wenga
This hardwood offers a dark black color that looks great as a feature or a border highlight.
Visit our showroom or call today for a free in-home consultation.