Maple, a beautiful hardwood flooring

Maple 

comes primarily form the northern  United states and Canada.

Maple flooring has numerous benefits for homeowners looking for a new floor – not least its sturdiness and aesthetic appeal. The maple tree comes in many different types with varying wood grain patterns and is perhaps best known for being the source of that Canadian favourite, maple syrup.

However, it is the maple wood itself that tends to attract attention from those looking to update their homes. Maple is usually relatively light in colour, but its markings can be significantly darker – making for a particularly striking appearance. The wood is also very strong, meaning that homeowners can be confident they are investing in flooring that will last for years to come.

Janka Hardness scale

from woodsfloorplus.com

 As you can see in this chart Sugar Maple also called Hard Maple or Rock Maple has a Janka hardness rating of 1450. By comparison Red Oak has a hardness rating of 1290, making Maple  13% harder than Oak….That means a more durable and dent resistant type of floor. A true domestic exotic. It is this quality along with the clear light color that makes Maple flooring a favorite of contractors for gymnasiums, bowling alleys and dance floors.

Appearance

Maple wood flooring also has a wonderful appearance. Due to the fact that Maple is nonporous it takes very good to the finishing process, giving it a glistening appearance. Other Hardwoods by contrast sometime show a bit of a rough look due to the fact they are a lot more porous. 

Grades

The way Maple looks, and therefore it’s grading are primarily related to the zone of the United States where the material comes from. Check out this informative video from Carlisle floors, and see them explain how it’s all about location, location, location!! Yes the northern grown species are preferred to the southern grown species.