| Hardwood flooring is a classic and luxurious way to | | | | Sawn boards are the traditional option. However, |
| add a beautiful floor to your home. Used for | | | | lower priced sliced wood (which is soaked before |
| centuries, hardwood is a durable choice that can last | | | | sawing, then dried again) will have a different grain |
| for many years with the proper care. And, if your | | | | and be harder to refinish. Also, depending on where |
| hardwood floor becomes damaged, you can refinish | | | | your wood was grown, it will look different. Even a |
| it, instead of replacing it. However, there are many | | | | few miles can make some difference in the |
| choices available when it comes to the type of wood | | | | appearance of an oak or walnut floor. That means it's |
| used in your hardwood floor. Oak is one of the most | | | | a good idea to get a look at the wood you'll be using |
| popular, but maple, walnut, and others are also | | | | for your floor before installing it, if the exact look of |
| offered. If you're thinking about a hardwood floor | | | | the grain is important to you. Ask for samples of the |
| and are not sure if walnut or oak flooring are the | | | | specific flooring you will order, not just flooring of the |
| right choices for your home, then here is some | | | | same species. |
| information to help you decide. | | | | Care for walnut and oak flooring is similar. Both can |
| Oak is the less expensive of the two floors and a | | | | dent if a heavy object is dropped on them, although |
| little softer. It's more readily available and can come | | | | satin finishes may help reduce the appearance of |
| stained in a number of colours. That means that if | | | | these blemishes. Oak will dent more easily. Red oak is |
| you're not interested in paying the premium for the | | | | rated at about 1290 on the Janka hardness scale, |
| look and hardness of walnut, but want a dark floor, | | | | while white oak rates at 1360. Black walnut is actually |
| you can still get one. Oak does not, however, look | | | | a little softer than these woods - rating at about |
| like walnut, even when stained the same colour. It | | | | 1000 on the scale. However, other walnut species are |
| has a much tighter grain, which some prefer, but | | | | considerably harder - red walnut rates at 2450 and |
| others consider less attractive. | | | | Brazilian walnut at an impressive 3680. |
| Walnut is a naturally dark, open grained wood. Most | | | | In the end, the choice of oak flooring versus walnut |
| species are harder than oak, but softer than many | | | | flooring comes down to personal preferences and |
| other. The look of natural walnut is one that's hard to | | | | budget. If you want the rich look of walnut, you |
| reproduce artificially, however. If you love walnut | | | | won't get it with an imitation. For those concerned |
| wood, skip the imitations - they won't measure up. | | | | about durability, red or Brazilian walnut are also great |
| However, remember that the way your flooring is | | | | choices. However, if a good hardwood floor is the |
| produced may affect the look of it and it might not | | | | priority, and you don't want to spend as much, oak is |
| look just like the sample. | | | | a perfectly attractive and worthwhile choice. |