| Most wood flooring in American homes is made of | | | | grain, its nearly twice as hard as red oak, so it's a |
| domestic hardwood. And why not? Red and white | | | | great choice for high-traffic areas. |
| oak, maple, and cherry are all affordable, durable, and | | | | * One of the most beautiful exotic hardwoods, |
| easy-to-maintain woods that when cared for | | | | tigerwood is so named because the wavy grain looks |
| properly, will last a lifetime. | | | | like a tiger's stripes. It's very hard, offers good |
| Although oak can be finished to almost any color, | | | | resistance to insects, and the reddish-orange color is |
| you may prefer something more out of the ordinary | | | | very distinctive. Wood flooring made of tigerwood |
| that will give your home a distinctive, designer look. If | | | | will definitely attract attention. |
| you're willing to pay a premium price, hardwoods | | | | * Another hardwood with dramatic stripes, |
| imported from Brazil, Africa, Asia, or Australia can | | | | Zebrawood, comes in a broad range of colors. The |
| make a very dramatic statement. | | | | wood itself can be pale to brown, and the stripes can |
| Here are some exotic hardwoods to consider when | | | | be almost black. Quarter sawing enhances this hard, |
| you're trying to decide which wood to use for your | | | | lustrous wood. Like tigerwood, it resists termites and |
| flooring: | | | | other pests. |
| * Mahogany grows in many parts of the world, | | | | * Most of the Sapele used in wood flooring is |
| including Central America, South America, and the | | | | imported from Africa. It has a wavy, interlocking |
| Philippines. The grain is interlocking, the texture is | | | | grain, and a fine texture. It wears pretty well if |
| even, and the deep, reddish-brown color makes for a | | | | installed properly, but the boards can warp during |
| gorgeous wood floor. Extremely hard, Santos | | | | storage. |
| mahogany is one of the most beautiful kinds of | | | | * Also from Africa, wenge has become more popular |
| mahogany. | | | | in the last few years. The aged wood is almost black, |
| * Most of the teak that's used in wood flooring | | | | and it's extremely hard. As a result, it's good for |
| today comes from Indonesia. Teak is noted for its | | | | rooms with a lot of traffic, but you'll need to vacuum |
| warm, golden color and coarse, wavy grain. Since it | | | | it a lot because specks of lint and dust will show. |
| comes from the tropics, it's resistant to decay, | | | | * Merbau comes from Indonesia and the Philippines. |
| termites, and fungus. At one time, teak was | | | | The dark brown wood has yellow flecks in the pores, |
| relatively inexpensive, but now that most of the | | | | making it look like it's covered with gold dust. It can |
| old-growth wood has been harvested, it's not the | | | | have straight, wavy, or interlocking grain, and it |
| bargain that it once was. | | | | resists termites well. |
| * Jatoba, which is better known as Brazilian cherry, | | | | Most of these species are available at better wood |
| starts out as reddish brown, and then grows into a | | | | flooring dealers, and any of them can be used to |
| rich, golden hue. It's grown throughout Central and | | | | create beautiful wood floors that will make your |
| South America. And because of its dense, interlocking | | | | home even lovelier. |