The Difference in Wood
The Janka wood chart demonstrates that all wood is not the same. The wood we most commonly work with are:
- Brazilian Cherry
- Hard Maple
- White Oak
- Red Oak
- Southern Yellow Pine
- Douglas Fir
These run the range of very hard to soft wood. The biggest consideration when choosing wood is what you want the end product to look like. The oak flooring is the easiest to stain if you want to have color in your floor.A second consideration is foot traffic. Softer woods like pine and fir can be treated to withstand hard use but for entryways and stairs, consider a harder wood that won't end up showing the scuffs and dents of everyday activity. Think about these woods for bedrooms or other places in your home that have less usage.
Harder woods take longer to sand which can extend the project an extra day if you want to stain the wood before finishing but the end result is worth the wait.