At Carpet Exchange, we carry so much truly beautiful hardwood flooring, you’d think this stuff grew on trees. Naturally, this includes all-time favorites like hickory, oak, ash, maple, and more. Looking for beech, birch or even betula? No problem. Plus, plenty of people go nuts over our impeccable pecan and walnut hardwood as well.

We also offer a wide variety of widths and lengths, plus plenty of hues for you to choose from. You can even find handscraped, wirebrushed and distressed hardwood if you’d like..

Hardwood Floors Dining Room

There are two solid types of hardwood: solid and engineered.

Before you actually set out to go shopping for hardwood flooring, it’s important to note that there are two distinctly different kinds.

Created exclusively by good old Mother Nature, solid hardwood flooring is literally one piece of wood that’s cut to 3⁄4” of thickness and a whole host of different widths and lengths. The beauty of solid hardwood is precisely that. It provides a spectacular, warm and very inviting look.

Another bonus for solid is that you can sand it and refinish it a number of times. Which is pretty much like having a brand new floor all over again.

Engineered hardwood, on the other hand, is a manmade product that features two to five thinner layers of wood stacked on top of each other in alternating opposite directions. This gives your hardwood floor greater strength and makes it far more resistant to moisture.

Which means an engineered hardwood floor can live places solid hardwood probably shouldn’t. Like kitchens, bathrooms and basements that are below grade.

Hardwood Floors Living Room

Easy on the eye but varies on the Janka Hardness Test.

What kind of hardwood you ultimately select will probably depend on the overall look that you fall in love with. Grain, knotholes and color will all no doubt weigh into that decision.

But there is one more factor that you should probably take into consideration, particularly if you have pets and/or kids. And that’s how hard each particular species of tree happens to be.

The harder your wood flooring is, the less susceptible it will be to potential denting and scratching. Some types of pine tend to be on the softer side, while hickory and pecan are close to the top of the Janka scale when it comes to hardness.

By the way, if you happen to get a dent, don’t fret. Chances are, you can resand it, remember?

Whatever you do, be sure to stop by your neighborhood Carpet Exchange to check our beyond-big selection. We’ll help you pick out just the right option for you.