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Wooden Flooring Options: Characteristics of Common Species
Posted on Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 at 1:06 pm | Posted in News.
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One of the first decisions that any homeowner must make when it comes to wooden flooring is selecting between hardwood and softwood. Although wooden flooring is often referred to as “hardwood flooring,” there are some types available that actually consist of softwoods instead.

Common Softwoods

Three of the most commonly used types of softwood are fir, birch and pine. Many homeowners gravitate towards pine because they like the way its softness can make it easy to work and repair. Pine is simple to maintain and quite easy to make fit, even in tricky situations that require complex cuts. This ease of installation is related to its softness, which makes it almost malleable.

Birch is also soft. Like pine, it tends to have a great many knotholes along with a grain that is mostly straight and uniform. Fir, in contrast, tends to have large areas of darker grain, giving it a less uniform appearance overall. Fir is most often found from reclaimed sources.

Common Hardwoods

Among the most popular hardwood choices available are oak, maple, cherry, ash and walnut. Of these, maple and ash tend to have the lightest colour, while maple also has the least obvious grain. Walnut, in contrast, has strong veins and a dark, vibrant colour that can lend warmth and comfort to any room it graces. Cherry finishes well with a variety of stains that can emphasise the fine nature of its characteristically tight grain.

Both softwoods and hardwoods benefit from regular maintenance in the form of floor sanding and polishing.

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Postcodes Covered : W1, WC1, EC1, EC2, EC3, EC4, WC2, WC1, WC2, W1, SE3, WC1, WC2,
• Barbican • Belgravia, SW1 • Bloomsbury, WC1 • Central London, EC1, EC2, EC3, EC4 • Clerkenwell • Covent Garden, WC2 • Grays Inn • Holborn, WC1, WC2 • Monument • Moorgate • Shoreditch • Soho, W1 • St Marys Cray • St Pauls Cray • St. Pauls • Tower Hill, SE3 • Westminster, WC1, WC2

East London : Floor Sanding | Wood Floor Restoration | Sanding Floorboards | Parquet Floor Restoration
Postcodes Covered : EC3, IG11, BR3, SE20, E2, E3, BR1, E16, IG7, E4, E5, RM9, RM10, E6, E7, E8, E9, E14, E10, E11, E12, E13, E14, RM1, E18, E1, E15, E16, E17, E1, E18,
• Aldgate, EC3 • Barking, IG11 • Becontree, BR3, SE20 • Bethnal Green, E2 • Bexley • Bow, E3 • Bromley, BR1 • Bromley-by-Bow • Canning Town, E16 • Chigwell, IG7 • Chingford, E4 • Clapton, E5 • Dagenham, RM9, RM10 • Dalston • East End • East Ham, E6 • East London • Forest Gate, E7 • Grange Hill • Hackney, E8 • Highams Park • Homerton, E9 • Isle Of Dogs / Docklands / Poplar, E14 • Leyton, E10 • Leytonstone, E11 • Manor Park, E12 • Plaistow, E13 • Poplar, E14 • Redbridge • Romford, RM1 • South Woodford, E18 • Stamford Hill • Stepney, E1 • Stratford, E15 • Upper Wandsworth • Upton Park • Victoria Docks, E16 • Walthamstow, E17 • West Ham • Whitechapel, E1 • Woodford, E18

Near London : Floor Sanding | Wood Floor Restoration | Sanding Floorboards | Parquet Floor Restoration
Postcodes Covered : LU1, TW19,
• Amersham • Chesham • Harpenden • Hemel Hampstead • Hillington • Luton, LU1 • Maidenhead • Milton Keynes • Near London • Potters Bar • Slough • Southall • St. Albans • Staines, TW19 • Stevenage

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Postcodes Covered : N22, N19, N1, EC1, N8, N2, N9, N18, EN1, EN2, EN3, N3, EC1, N4, N11, N5, N6, N7, N8, N1, N9, N7, N10, N12, NW12, N13, HA5, N15, N14, N16, N17, TW1, TW2, N18, N19, N20, N21, N22,
• Alexandra Palace, N22 • Archway, N19 • Barnet • Canonbury, N1 • Cockfosters, EC1 • Crouch End, N8 • East Barnet • East Finchley, N2 • Edmonton, N9, N18 • Enfield, EN1, EN2, EN3 • Epping Forest • Finchley Central, N3 • Finsbury, EC1 • Finsbury Park, N4 • Fortis Green • Friern Barnet, N11 • Highbury, N5 • Highgate, N6 • Holloway, N7 • Hornsey, N8 • Islington, N1 • Lower Edmonton, N9 • Lower Holloway, N7 • Manor House • Muswell Hill, N10 • New Barnet • New Southgate • North Finchley, N12, NW12 • North London • Palmers Green, N13 • Pinner, HA5 • Seven Sisters • South Tottenham, N15 • Southgate, N14 • Stoke Newington, N16 • Tottenham, N17 • Totteridge • Tufnell Park, TW1, TW2 • Upper Edmonton, N18 • Upper Holloway, N19 • Whetstone, N20 • Winchmore Hill, N21 • Wood Green, N22 • Woodside Park

Northwest London : Floor Sanding | Wood Floor Restoration | Sanding Floorboards | Parquet Floor Restoration
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• Brent Cross, NW2 • Camden Town, Regent's Park, NW1 • Colindale, Kinsbury, NW9 • Cricklewood, NW2 • Cricklewood, Neasden, NW2 • Golders Green, NW11 • Greenhill • Hampstead, NW3 • Hampstead Heath, NW3 • Harlesden • Harrow, HA1, HA3 • Harrow on the Hill, HA1 • Havering • Hendon, NW4 • Kentish Town, NW5 • Kilburn, NW6 • Kingsbury, NW9 • Mill Hill, NW7 • Neasden, NW2 • Northolt • Northwest London • Queens Park, NW6 • Regents Park • St Johns Wood, NW8 • Sudbury • Swiss Cottage, NW3 • Temple Fortune • Wembley, HA0 • West Hampstead • Willesden, NW10

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• Abbey Wood • Addington • Anerley / Penge, SE20 • Beckenham • Blackheath, SE3 • Borough • Brockley, SE4 • Camberwell, SE5 • Catford, SE6 • Charlton, SE7 • Chislehurst • Crofton Park • Cross • Croydon, CR0 • Crystal Palace, SE19 • Deptford, SE8 • Dulwich, SE21 • East Croydon • East Dulwich, SE22 • Elephant & Castle • Eltham, SE9 • Eltham Park • Forest Hill, SE23 • Greenwich, SE10 • Grove Park • Herne Hill, SE24 • Hither Green • Honor Oak Park • Kennington, SE11 • Lambeth, SE1 • Lee, SE12 • Lewisham, SE13 • New Cross, SE14 • North Woolwich • Peckham, SE15 • Plumstead • Rotherhithe, SE16 • Shirley • Sidcup, DA14 • South Bermonsey • South Croydon • South Norwood, SE25 • Southeast London • Southwark, SE1 • Southwark • Sydenham, SE26 • Thamesmead, SE2, SE28 • Upper Norwood • Walworth, SE17 • Waterloo • West Norwood, SE27 • Woolwich, SE18

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