Hardwood Flooring in New Albany, OH

Hardness varies more than people expect. Red oak is the benchmark most floors are measured against; hickory and maple are considerably harder; American walnut is softer than either and marks more readily, which is either character or damage depending on the household.

Plank width changes both the look and the behavior. Wide planks read calmer and more contemporary, and they also show seasonal movement more visibly, because the same percentage of movement across a seven-inch board opens a wider gap than across a three-inch one. In a house that swings from humid summers to dry forced-air winters, that is worth knowing before you choose rather than after.

We will tell you when hardwood is the wrong choice. A basement below grade, a bathroom, a mudroom that takes wet boots all winter — those are rooms where wood is a maintenance problem rather than an asset, and luxury vinyl plank gives you the same look without the argument.

The same goes for a slab with a high moisture reading. Engineered wood with the right vapour barrier often solves it, but it is a decision to make with a meter on the floor, not with a hopeful assumption.