Domestic Engineered Wood Flooring Species
March 20, 2009Of the many types of engineered flooring products available, some of the most beautiful and traditionally elegant examples are the American domestic species. These are trees you probably see in your every day life, lining your street, sprouting up along highways and country roads, even in your backyard. Some well known American domestic species include Cherry, White Oak, Red Oak, and Maple, to name just a few. The interesting thing about American domestic species is that they tend to fall within the brown to yellow/white color spectrum, with some red tones here and there, but there isn’t a whole lot of deviation from this general spectrum. White Oak and Maple tend to be in the lighter category, Red Oak brings, naturally, some redness into that white equation, with Cherry bringing in a more orange-red tonal quality.
American domestics also tend to be fairly soft in comparison to other hardwood species from elsewhere in the world. Here are some technical specs for each of these species:
Maple
Maple
Modulus of Rupture: 10,700
Modulus of Elasticity: 1,450
Janka Hardness: 1450 lbs.
White Oak
White Oak:
Modulus of Rupture: 15,200
Modulus of Elasticity: 1,780
Janka Hardness: 1360 lbs.
Cherry
Cherry:
Modulus of Rupture: 12,330
Modulus of Elasticity: 1,490
Janka Hardness: 950 lbs.
Red Oak
Red Oak:
Modulus of Rupture: 14,300
Modulus of Elasticity: 1,820
Janka Hardness: 1,290 lbs.
These types of engineered hardwood flooring as well as engineered products with exotic specie wear layers are becoming increasingly popular due to their dimensional stability and very reasonable price tag. Well worth revisiting some traditional hardwood standards, or even giving an exotic a try.
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Has anyone seen brand name engineered red oak turn an unpleasant yellow as it ages? Also, I’ve been told that a 1/4″ top layer is more apt to cup and warp in humidity than a 1/8″ wear layer even in a top of the line brand. Has anyone seen that happen? Anyone have any trouble with engineered wood in coastal Florida?
The yellowing is due to the aging of the finish not the wood. This is very common for urethane finishes which do not have UV inhibitors in them.
The wear layer of a hardwood floor doesn’t cup unless delamination is present. If there is cupping then it’s due to the entire piece lifting. An engineered floor with a 1/4″ WL will generally be thicker than one with an 1/8” WL, which may make it more prone to cupping. The performance of the floor will largely depend on the number of plies. The more plies there are, the more dimensionally stable the flooring will be.
For optimal performance of any wood floor, regardless of region, interior climate control is critical. Indoor temperature & humidity should be constant year-round, which will provide a much more stable environment for the flooring.