Hardwood floors 2020: Top 10

Hardwood floors are beautiful, exude a certain warmth, and work for almost every room in your home. 

To give your floors the best look, you need to find out what's available on the market. This can be overwhelming, especially for those without knowledge of the industry.

Best Hardwood Floors In 2020

You probably know that setting hardwood floors is a significant investment. Do you also know that hardwood floors can increase the value of your home? Indeed, the species of wood you choose has a huge effect all by itself.

Which species of wood should you choose? 

From maple and bamboo to Brazilian cherry, you've got some big decisions to make. This is where we step in to help you save time and energy on research.

Scroll down to see the top 10 floors you should look at carefully in 2020. 

Oak Hardwood floor

Oak is a durable wood; in fact, it is one of the most durable wood species. Owing to its dark grain, oak fits perfectly in every room. 

Oak is also one of the most available wood types, which means it’s also cost friendly. And with proper maintenance, it can last longer than a century. 

Initially, oak has a classic yellow-brown look, but colors may vary. Modern use of oak wood includes flooring, firewood, and even wine barrels. 

Maple Hardwood floor

After oak, maple is the second most popular choice for hardwood flooring. This wood is a great choice if you prefer safe options and more traditional shapes. 

Maple comes with a predictable pattern and hue with a hint of unique character. Maple is lighter in color, and it can open your space perfectly. It's more a latté than a cappuccino. 

Maple is durable, which is why this wood is the first choice for basketball courts. Bear in mind that you won't get the same variety in colors with maple, but it’s rich with interesting patterns. Maple is also used in baseball bats, musical instrument production, and bowling pins. 

Hickory Hardwood floor

If you like what oak brings to your home, but you want a harder wood, consider hickory.

Hickory is known as US-native hardwood, resistant to scratches and dents. Want to know how hard hickory really is? Hickory takes about 200 years to mature, which is five times longer than oak. Maturity for 200 years brings some serious muscle to the table. Or chairs. Or hardwood floors.. 

Hickory wood is typically used for flooring, furniture, and tool handles. 

Brazilian Cherry

Brazilian cherry is yet another very hard wood. It's resistant to various scratches, imperfections, and dents. If your home is a place for high-traffic, you should think about having floors from this indefatigable wood.

Brazilian Cherry has a beautiful reddish hue that changes its appearance within a few months due to exposure to sunlight - the reddish hue deepens. 

As one of the hardest species available, Brazilian cherries can last as long as the house. This material comes with a years-long guarantee, and some Brazilian cherry products, like Bellwood, can last for a minimum of one hundred years.

Bamboo Hardwood floor

Technically, bamboo comes from grass, but it still deserves a place among hardwoods. Bamboo is a tree-like grass with great traits, which is why people place it among the wood. 

Bamboo is tough and has a breath-taking appearance. It's even harder than maple and oak. Manufacturers love bamboo because it can be harvested within 3 to 5 years. 

Bamboo is actually the fastest growing plant in the world. Once processed, bamboo creates flooring with a striking color, alluring texture, and superb beauty. 

American Walnut

American walnut is a great choice for less-trafficked rooms, such as bedrooms. Walnut is a wood of medium density, low stiffness, and moderate bending. 

It's often used for flooring, paneling, furniture, cabinets, and even architectural millwork. 

If you want to mix your walnut with other species, you may choose maple, because they go well together. 

There is a specific contrast in both color and grain that compliments the space with maple and American walnut mix. Walnut trees take a long time to mature--about 55 years--which can limit supply. This coupled with its size limit tends to make it more expensive than other woods. 

Ash Hardwood floor

Ash is a light-colored hardwood that is usually straight-grained. The color and the pattern will vary according to the growing regions. 

Ash is very versatile when it comes to handling. Since ash comes in a wide range of grades, it is priced accordingly based on the quality. In general, ash is more expensive than oak. 

Ash is mostly used for flooring, doors, furniture, kitchen cabinets, and sporting equipment. Ash is suitable for food and liquid containers since it’s odor and taste-free. 

Mahogany 

Mahogany is known for its beautiful color and fine texture. Mahogany can give your home elegance and class. 

If you have ever seen a beautiful violin in person and it left you speechless, chances are you were looking at one made from mahogany. 

Mahogany has a fine and even grain and is free of pockets and voids. This wood is durable and robust. Thanks to these traits, mahogany is often the first choice for furniture.

Depending on its age, mahogany may vary in color from medium brown to a deep red-brown. Mahogany is often labeled as an expensive hardwood. 

American Cherry

American cherry is medium-toned, especially when compared to Brazilian cherry that comes with darker tones. 

American cherry is a softer wood, meaning it will be sustainable to dents and scratches. Having said that, it’s pretty to behold, and often has a relaxing effect on the viewer.. 

These latter qualities make American cherry a great choice for your bedroom or other places to unwind. Remember also that it’s soft, so try to keep traffic light to moderate.

If you are focused on dimensional stability, American cherry should be your first choice, since it's one of the most well-respected materials for underfloors. Thanks to its lighter colors, this wood will complement a more traditional home look.

Beech Hardwood floor

Beech isn't one of the hardest floors, but it's definitely suitable as a flooring material. It ranges from pale white to reddish-brown, giving it a nice texture. 

Due to its pale color, beech really creates a more open and airy feel. With time, beech can become darker because of its sensitivity to light. 

This wood shouldn't be used for any outdoor usage. Beech has been known to have trouble with shifting climates, and exposure to moisture.

So there we go. Ten fine species of wood for your hardwood floor. All are tough enough, all are unique, and all can accentuate your home with a kind of beauty obtainable by nothing else.