If the floor of your house is ready to be replaced, you have probably noticed there are quite a few options for flooring. If you are considering hardwood floors, you will find that there are many different styles and colors from which to choose. Red oak flooring is a beautiful and durable option. There are several things to take into consideration before deciding on the best hardwood flooring.
The Tone of the Wood
Red oak has light brown grains which create a warming effect. It combines well with other kinds of oak and captures light well. Red oak adds a classic feeling to any room and it goes well with antique furniture. Red oak has many pores, hence, it takes stain well. Porous woods are easier to stain because you can keep the overall color of the stain more consistent. It is even possible to stain red oak with nothing more than a rag.
How Easy is it to Refinish?
Flooring gets more wear and tear than anything else in a home. In a few years, you may need to refinish your floors. Red oak is considered easy to refinish. Not only is it easy to stain, but if you sand it and it is a bit uneven or scratched, it will hide minor mistakes well.
Durability
The Janka Hardness Test is used to measure the resistance of wearing and tearing on various kinds of wood. It involves embedding a 0.444 in steel ball halfway into a piece of wood. It is always performed on the trunk of a tree. The sample must not have any knots and the moisture content should be at 12%. Red oak ranks 1,290 pounds force on this scale, placing it in the middle of all the woods when it comes to durability. This is perfect for a floor as the wood is very strong and yet it is not too hard to cut.
Look at the Advantage and Disadvantages of Each Wood
Red oak is considered a bit harder to clean than white oak and will show more dirt, to begin with. It is generally a good idea to take your shoes off when you walk on red oak as dirt and scratches will be more visible.
Red oak planks are easy to install as they are simple to cut and easy to nail. As long as you follow your sanding directions, you should find that it sands easily.
Choosing the Right Kind of Red Oak
If you do decide to go with red oak, you will have to choose between pre-finished and unfinished wood. Pre-finished red oak has already been stained. It gives you the opportunity to see exactly what your floors will look like. You can also buy unfinished planks and select the finish you will use afterward. You can stain the wood yourself, get it done at the store where you buy the wood or have a home improvement contractor do it for you.
The Look of Red Oak
There are a number of different grain patterns that can appear in red oak. It is all dependent on how the wood was cut. There are several styles to choose from.
Rift Sawn
Boards that are rift sawn have a tight grain pattern and grain visibility is very subtle.
Quarter-sawn
Quarter-sawn boards fall in the middle when it comes to grain visibility. You should be able to see a flake pattern in the grain that is sometimes known as a butterfly pattern.
Plain-Sawn
Plain-sawn boards have a very noticeable grain pattern. The grain appearance will have a flared look.
Once you have selected what type of flooring you would like to use, we can install it for you. Our team of professional home care contractors can help you with all of your home improvement needs. Each of our contractors is a master of their trade and their goal is always to make your home beautiful and comfortable.