Which Type of Hardwood Should I Choose For My Dining Room?

Your dining room has a special place in your heart. Your family gathers there for dinner, you have friends come over for gatherings, and your extended family takes their places around the table on major holidays. When you consider flooring for your dining room, you need something that truly speaks to its importance.

Unfinished Versus Finished Hardwood Flooring

Your first decision is to decide between unfinished and finished hardwood flooring. Unfinished flooring gets sent to your home without any wood stain on it. When it gets installed, the contractors will finish it on-site. This option works best if you need to mix or match the color with other hardwood flooring in your home, since the installers can custom match the stain. Finished hardwood flooring has already gone through the staining and sealing process. You cut down the installation time since that step is already done, and you avoid any fumes and pollutants in your living room.

Solid Wood Versus Engineered Wood Hardwood Flooring

The next choice you make is whether you want solid or engineered wood for your floor. Solid wood is fairly self-explanatory. You get floorboards that are one piece of wood in various thicknesses. Engineered flooring places a wood veneer on top of wood backing material, so you have several pieces joined together in a single board. The dining room is a high traffic area of your home, and can be prone to furniture scraping the finish over time. If you choose solid hardwood, you can sand and refinish these boards multiple times. Engineered wood can't stand up to more than a couple of refinishes.

Hardwood Flooring Options

Once you get past these two steps, you can finally select the type of wood that would go perfectly with your dining room. Consider the existing furniture, decor and art in this room. Also, what type of lighting do you have in there? Does it get a lot of natural light? All of these factors can influence the right style of wood for your needs.

A few popular hardwood options for a traditional dining room include oak and cherry. These classics stand the test of time and can hold up to generations of family members taking their place at the table. Looking for something unconventional and modern? Bamboo flooring has come a long way from its humble beginnings, and can add an exciting contemporary look to the space.