Selecting a Wood Floor

By Rosemary Sadez Friedmann

For centuries the wood floor has been a hallmark of elegant living. And, as all good traditions, it is making a comeback as a popular floor covering today.

Hardwood, the product of leaf bearing trees such as oak and walnut, are the most popular. But softwood products, which come from cone-bearing trees such as pine, also are being used.

Both hard and soft woods are long lasting. As proof, there are floors still present today that were installed 300 years ago. Still, you'd be hard pressed to find a manufacturer today who would guarantee their wood product for that long.

Wood flooring has come a long way since the days when our ancestors hewed trees by hand and fitted them with pegs. Today the selections are incredibly varied, including pastel colors, numerous patterns and a large choice of woods. Imported woods, now relatively easily available even though they continue to be expensive, come with exotic names and origins; Brazilian Cherry, Afromosia, Afzelia, Amazokoue, Camaru, Ipe; they sounds like a football cheer from the 1920s.

As an aid in selecting your wood floor pattern, here is a quick guide to some popular types:

Strip flooring: The strips are long, narrow boards that come tongue and grooved and end matched in a variety of widths and thickness, usually 2-1/2 inches wide.

Plank flooring: Wider than ordinary strip flooring, available up to 12 inches wide.

Block flooring: Produced as a block, cross-banded with plywood. When designed to look like parquet, it is called parquetry.

Parquet flooring: True parquet is made of small pieces of wood laid to produce geometric patterns such as checkerboard, herringbone and basket weave designs.

Since most wood flooring is about equal in strength, the difference in pricing lies primarily in aesthetic appeal. The nicer the grain and the fewer the imperfections, the more costly it will be.

The best grade wood is clear and free of knots. Next comes select, then number 1 common, number 2 common and, lastly, 1-1/2 foot shorts, which are remnants from other grades.

As you make your decision, think of the atmosphere you want. If you are seeking an elegant, even luxurious look, buy the clear variety. If a more rustic look appeals to you, a lesser grade will fit the bill more appropriately and more economically. The imperfections in the lesser grades offer more character to the look.

Wood floors actually get better with age. With proper care a well installed wood floor should last a very long time and will mature to a mellow richness unsurpassed by any other permanent floor covering.

(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, is president of Rosemary Sadez Friedmann Inc. in Naples, Fla.)