RESIDENTIAL

Beautiful and long-lasting, hardwood floors make an elegant choice for nearly any room in your home. When choosing hardwood, the color, character, and construction type are the important factors to consider.

Color  The color of hardwood floors ranges from very light to intensely dark, and everything in between. As a rule, lighter floors work well in contemporary settings, and darker floors are at home in more traditional rooms, but it's really a matter of preference.

Character Naturally present in hardwood, grain variations help determine a wood's personality. Dramatic grain suggests a rustic feeling. Historically, moderate grain variations are associated with the traditional, and very little graining in the wood boffers a sleek, contemporary look.

Construction There are two basic hardwood choices—solid or engineered. Solid planks are created from a single piece of wood and make a handsome floor that lasts for years. Engineered planks are made from several layers of wood (with a core of plywood or HDF) and are designed to withstand higher levels of humidity. This means they can go in some rooms solid floors can't, like basements and bathrooms.