Oak Flooring is an All-Around Great Material
Hardwood flooring continues to be an immensely popular home design material, thanks in large part to its versatility. The wood flooring at Empire Today® spans styles, price points, and even wood species. Many customers shopping for new wood floors can get overwhelmed by the available choices, especially when it comes to the variety of wood species used. While there are quite a few types to choose from, the vast majority of it is oak flooring. An important thing to note when researching oak flooring is that it’s actually a catchall term for two different species: red oak and white oak. There are slight differences between each species, but the general pros and cons of oak floors apply to both.
Affordability, Sustainability, and Natural Beauty Come Together in Oak Hardwood Flooring
Oak hardwood is the most common of all wood flooring materials, for a variety of reasons. Top among these is the fact that oak trees grow relatively quickly, reaching maturity much sooner than other trees that provide lumber of similar strength. This means that oak tree farms can be logged and replenished more often than other species, which in turn leads to a lower overall material cost for oak flooring compared to, say, hickory.
Oak floors also offer good durability for the price. Oak is a sturdy wood, with the red and white oak species falling at and above the industry’s median level of hardness, respectively. This means that an oak floor is well-equipped to stand up to typical household traffic without being easily damaged. And scratches and dents that do appear often get disguised by oak’s strong grain patterns.
Oak wood also takes stain well, making it easy to get a beautiful, consistent finish. This means that not only can you get oak flooring in a variety of tones direct from Empire®, but you’ll also have an easier time changing that color in the future. Simply sand the surface, do some minor prep work, and you can restain your oak floor to whatever shade your heart desires.
