| Everyone seems to love a hardwood floor. There's | | | | Birch |
| just something about the way the light catches the | | | | Birch is a soft wood, but it deserves some mention |
| grain and how it feels under your feet that really | | | | because it really can make a room look great. It has |
| makes it a perfect choice for most any home. Of | | | | knots and swirls on its surface, very similar to pine. |
| course, there are quite a few different choices when | | | | Bamboo |
| it comes to your hardwood floor. Different species | | | | Bamboo is officially considered a grass, but has |
| of wood will create a different look. Here are a few | | | | exploded in popularity as a flooring alternative. It's |
| of the more popular choices: | | | | considered an "exotic" type of wood, and is actually |
| Maple | | | | stronger and more durable than most of the |
| Maple is a very popular option for hardwood floors. It | | | | hardwood species. The reason so many people are |
| is durable, and has a nice light colour. There is | | | | opting for bamboo flooring these days is because the |
| evidence of grain, but it is very slight. | | | | plant can be harvested every five years and is |
| Ash | | | | affordable. |
| If you choose an ash floor, you can expect a very | | | | Fir |
| uniform, light texture and grain. Ash is a popular | | | | Some people feel that a fir floor makes too much of |
| member of the hardwood family and is usually | | | | a statement in their home. It is a softwood and |
| chosen for its beauty and strength. | | | | features large patchy areas of dark grain. It is |
| Pine | | | | definitely a love it or hate it kind of floor. |
| Pine has traditionally been a very popular choice for | | | | Oak |
| flooring because it was always readily available. It is in | | | | An oak floor will give you a wide variety when it |
| the softwood category, and throughout history you | | | | comes to colour, showing up in everything from a |
| could usually expect to see it in older, more rustic | | | | light honey to a bold, rich amber. It has a dark, tight |
| kind of homes. Now, because it is so easy to look | | | | grain and is still the most popular choice in hardwood |
| after and has a nice look and feel, we are seeing it | | | | floors because of its affordability, beauty, and |
| more and more in modern homes. | | | | strength. |