Monday, October 22, 2012

MAPLE HARDWOOD FLOORING

Today I am going to talk about hard maple hardwood flooring.

The habitat for this maple is Southern Canada and north-central to northeastern U.S.
Characteristics:  heartwood is creamy white to reddish brown. Some boards may have occasional streaks of dark brown or even black. Sapwood is pale to creamy white. Occasionally maple shows fiddleback, curly or birds-eye figures. So it can make for quite an eye catching floor. Generally the lighter the color the higher the grade.

As far as durability this is an extremely hard wood and resistant to abrasion. This hardwood makes an excellent floor for sports. There is medium movement with average changes in moisture.

This hardwood is commonly available in most types and sizes including parquet. Fancy parquet, plank and some veneers can be special ordered.
This hardwood is moderately priced.

Maple floors were very popular for many years in the past and still hold their own in the market place.
I once installed a floor of hard maple along with hickory and oak. The combination made for a floor with lots of interest and a nice array of color.

The next post will address soft wood maple flooring.
If you have questions regarding a species of hardwood or soft wood flooring do not hesitate to call me. I hope this post has been helpful.

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