Ryan Galiotto

Hardwood floors are one of the most attractive and longest lasting choices you can make. However, there’s a lot to choose from.

The first step in picking out your hardwood floor is deciding whether you want unfinished wood or pre-finished flooring.

In the past, unfinished wood was preferred, since this made it a lot easier to select a wood type and install it. It could be stained and finished with your preferred lacquer or coating, which made your floor look its best and wear well.

It was also generally less expensive to get unfinished hardwood flooring, even adding in the cost of staining or lacquering. The price difference was so great that getting unfinished hardwood, then exerting a little effort was a bargain on balance. No more. Unfinished is still often less expensive, but the difference is smaller than in the past.

There are also a lot of advantages to getting pre-finished hardwood. When you re-floor an existing space or an addition, you don’t have to deal with the mess or smell of finishing Just add the hardwood, and skip sanding, staining, and coating your floor. You won’t need a respirator or have to worry about eye and lung safety.

Which to choose comes down to weighing costs against budget, and the amount of free time and skill or desire you have for this type of project.

Of course, you’ll still have to decide what wood you prefer. There’s a lot available, in terms of species and different countries of origin. You could pick hardwood from around the world for your floor.

Bamboo is one of the more interesting options. Not technically a wood, it’s still woody and very hard, when correctly processed. It has a delicate yellow-brown color that is perfect for certain decorating schemes. It’s also on the lower end of per square foot hardwood flooring prices – typically around $5 per sq ft.

Much more expensive is the luxurious Brazilian walnut. This wood can cost as much as thirteen dollars per square foot and comes in a wide range of colors. It can be a light brown, looking a lot like the nut most of us are familiar with, or significantly darker. This costly wood is very hard. That means it wears well, but can be hard to install.

In the middle of the cost scale is mahogany, which offers a rich, beautiful look. It’s reddish brown with a dark, luxurious looking grain, and is strong enough to last for decades. This is a rain forest wood, and has the associated environmental and woodworking challenges.

Red Oak is a favorite with many do-it-yourselfers. It comes in a variety of widths and is available at the lower end of the price scale. Yet it yields an extremely strong and durable surface. Finished properly, it will create a floor that is as beautiful as any.

Ash is a good choice if you prefer a lighter color and a less costly wood. Starting around three dollars a square foot, this wood is knotty and attractive. However, it’s softer than other woods. Rustic ash is a particularly good choice for a more natural look.

In addition to new flooring, you can also buy many hardwood types in salvaged and pre-distressed types. That allows you to add yet another dimension of appearance to your flooring, giving you a lived in look but allowing you to maintain a durable floor.