When you decide to add new flooring to your home, several possibilities are available. While domestic and exotic species are both present, many in North America still tend to go for the former. But, even with maple, white oak, and pine available for homes, red oak flooring is still a popular option. No matter if it's needed for replacing existing floors or adding new hardwood, this type of flooring is the most popular hardwood in the United States. Known for a coarse grain and a reddish color, red oak flooring has a stiff and dense composition that resists wear and tear.
Unfinished is a common option for those adding new floors to existing hardwood. Adding unfinished flooring, in general, allows the look of the hardwood to seem continuous. Red oak flooring has an advantage for stains and finishes. Because of larger pores, the wood finishes and stains easily and, unlike other species, does not experience blotching problems. The larger, open pores absorb more stain or finish, and, when a darker stain is used, this allows the grain pattern to appear more prominent.
Nevertheless, giving the flooring a glossy or glass-like appearance can be a difficult task. Using pore filler is recommended before any finish is added on top.
Because of its appearance and durability, red oak flooring is ideal for larger spaces needing hardwood flooring. Manufacturers and retailers offer several options to fill this space. Both unfinished and prefinished woods are available, but one may fit your needs more than the other. Unfinished flooring is better to match the new wood to existing hardwood, while unfinished is better for a separate space. Additionally, grain options vary, and a retailer should offer this domestic species in high to cabin grades.
Red oak flooring has many possibilities, and its popularity can't be wrong. If you're looking for tried-and-true hardwood flooring, red oak is the species many choose.
