Choose Between Maple and Oak Wood Flooring

So, you are planning to have a new floor installed in your home? Great, this is an amazing decision. However, this is just the beginning and there are a lot of decisions you need to make. Naturally, when you are looking for a beautiful and durable wooden floor that also comes at a reasonable price, you will still have a great variety to choose from. However, the most popular decision is usually between two of the most classic and loved types of real wood flooring – oak wood flooring and maple wood flooring.

Both wood species are very popular domestic ones, highly sought after because of their beauty and appearance but also the durability, hard-wearing, and long-lasting power they ensure. Now, you are probably wondering, how to choose between oak and maple wood flooring and how to choose a wooden floor in general so you are sure you have made the right decision and you don’t regret it? A bit of professional advice will definitely help you narrow down your choice and here we provide you with some handy tips and recommendations from the industry, so stay tuned to learn more.

Maple Wood Flooring – Pros and Cons

Maple wood flooring is a very popular wood flooring choice, especially when it comes to contemporary interior designs. Thanks to its light colour and subtle grain pattern, maple wood flooring complements minimalistic and modern interiors in a great way. Often chosen for smaller spaces, the light colour and almost lack of visible grain of this wood species is perfect for making any small or narrow area appear more spacious and airy, but it is also a common choice for larger and bigger rooms.

Maple wood flooring is also the perfect choice for both domestic and commercial settings thanks to its great natural durability and hard-wearing power. It is often installed in high traffic areas because it can withstand wear and tear. Despite the fact that maple wood flooring is still stronger and harder than many of the domestic wood species offered on the market, it is still considered as a flooring type that is more often a subject of damage and issues caused by moisture, humidity, and temperature fluctuations, including warping and twisting.

However, this aspect should not make you stay away from the beautiful maple wood flooring, because, with the right and regular maintenance and precautions, you can enjoy your maple wood floor in perfect condition for many decades. The long-lasting power of all real wood floors highly depends on the specific conditions of the room, where they are installed and how these change, along with the installation method and how fitting the floorboards is performed. In general, maple wood flooring offers the same level of performance and quality as the popular oak wood flooring.

Maple wood flooring, coming in a naturally light colour, is a great base for wood floor staining and playing around with different colours, undertones, and shades. This is great because maple wood flooring allows for a lot of flexibility and creativity and you can practically have a unique wooden floor in the exact shade you would like. However, this is not a great thing when it comes to maple wood floor repair projects. In case you need to replace a few damaged floorboards of your maple hardwood floor or you simply want to invest in a new maple floor to match the rest of the already installed in your home, finding an exact match could become a real challenge.

Maple wood species is less porous and denser than oak wood flooring in its structure. Therefore, it is pretty strong and durable, which means you will be able to enjoy your floor for many years. However, the denser the wood’s structure is, the more challenging wood floor sanding could turn out to be and the harder wood floor stains are absorbed by the wooden floorboards. Keep these aspects in mind when choosing your maple wood floor. Thanks to its dense structure, maple wood flooring is significantly more resistant to scratches, dents, and scuffs. In case you enjoy the natural beauty and charm of this type of flooring, maple is a great choice for you, especially in commercial settings and public premises, as well as for high traffic areas in the house or for busy households with young children and pets.

Oak Wood Flooring – Pros and Cons

Oak wood flooring is probably the most popular choice of real wood flooring. It provides every home or commercial space with a very traditional look and it suits perfectly vintage-inspired, classic and formal interiors. This type of wood species comes with a pronounced grain pattern that ensures a lot of character and a rustic style whenever the floor is installed. This type of wood flooring is available in two wood species from one family – white oak and red oak. Both wood species are very beautiful, each of them offering some colour variation and beautiful undertones.

It is safe to say that oak flooring is a lifetime investment and it provides every homeowner with superior performance, amazing durability, hard-wearing and long-lasting power. Oak wood flooring has a more porous structure, therefore, it could be easily re-sanded and refinished. In addition, this type of wood absorbs stains pretty well and you can achieve the exact colour and shade you are going for.

However, oak flooring and its distinct look and pattern are not everybody’s cup of tea. It is not exactly the best match to modern and contemporary interiors, however, you may be able to make it work in such context. Oak is not that popular among people looking for lighter wood flooring options that can make the room appear more spacious and larger.