A hardwood floor installation is no small investment for property owners. Hardwood makes a statement all its own, no matter the type of space. It’s a feature that provides both durable function and beauty. You want the best type of flooring possible that fits both your space and your personal aesthetic. But which hardwood flooring is really right for you?

Check out this guide on the different types of hardwood flooring to start your search. Many hardwood floors can be combined for a truly custom finish, giving you a wide world of possibilities to choose from.

Rustic Hardwood Flooring

Rustic hardwood is minimally processed to maintain natural features in the wood. Because of this, it’s a budget-friendly option with tons of character. This type of flooring is made using the external parts of the tree, which give more character. Feel the knots and admire color variations in rustic hardwood flooring. This is a perfect floor for a cabin or rustic style home, although it’s recently become popular with the Millennial crowd to juxtapose clean, modern design.

Wide Plank Hardwood Flooring

What if you don’t want something as assertive as rustic flooring? If you’re looking for a unique but traditional-style flooring, wide plank is for you. Wide plank hardwood flooring measures a minimum of five inches in width, which is nearly double the width of standard hardwood planks. Wide plank hardwood opens up a space, particularly when paired with a light stain. For this reason, it’s popular in modern, sophisticated design. This type of flooring can come in different styles, so it’s possible to have a wide plank rustic hardwood floor, for example.

Hand Scraped Hardwood Flooring

This type of hardwood flooring is purposely aged for a distressed look. It’s called ‘hand scraped,’ because it’s a decades-old practice that used to be done entirely by hand. In our age of efficiency, most hand scraped hardwood floors are done by machine. You can still have the flooring scraped by hand for a truly unique floor, but it will increase the cost.

Hand scraped hardwood flooring is perfect for people who want to really feel the beautiful grooves and movement of the wood planks. Hand scraping creates smooth texture and bumps for a worn-in look. This type of flooring comes in a wide variety of colors and is popular in modern family homes looking for a sly touch of character. You can do hand scraping with either solid or engineered wood, too.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

What is engineered hardwood flooring, exactly? This isn’t a type of flooring we install, but it’s still an option for property owners looking to save money. Engineered hardwood is made of a thin veneer of real wood, which is glued on top of layers of lower quality wood, like plywood.

Engineered hardwood is beneficial because it’s more affordable. In some cases, like in subterranean basements, it can be more durable than solid hardwood. However, engineered hardwood flooring isn’t the best option in most cases. Because the real wood is a thin veneer, this flooring can’t be sanded or refinished without sacrificing the integrity of the flooring. We don’t recommend this type of flooring if you want a quality, long-term option, because it will scratch over time.

If you’re looking for quality flooring, we recommend solid hardwood to get the most bang for your buck.

The Bottom Line

There’s a right hardwood floor style for everyone. Use this handy guide to make an informed choice while shopping around for a style that speaks to you. When in doubt, call up West Chester Hardwood Flooring for professional advice and quality flooring for your space.