Which type of hardwood flooring is best?
Your Guide to Hardwood Flooring Types
Hardwood flooring remains one of the most timeless and sought-after choices for homeowners and businesses alike, offering a beautiful range of types, species, finishes, and styles to suit virtually any aesthetic, functional need, or budget.
If you're exploring hardwood floors for your next project—whether a residential renovation, commercial space, or even a public facility upgrade—you're making an excellent decision that adds lasting value, warmth, and sophistication. Hardwood seamlessly complements every design direction: sleek modern minimalism, classic traditional elegance, cozy country rustic, or eclectic mixed-material concepts. With proper selection and installation, these floors not only elevate the look of a space but also stand the test of time, often becoming a cherished feature for decades.
That said, versatility is key. Hardwood can be installed throughout most areas of a home or building, but certain spaces—like kitchens (with potential moisture and spills) or basements (where humidity and subfloor conditions play a role)—benefit from specialized considerations, such as engineered hardwood, moisture-resistant finishes, or professional acclimation and sealing.
Our team at Traditional Hardwood Floors has guided countless clients through these choices since 2001, ensuring the perfect match that balances beauty, durability, and real-world performance.
We’d love to help you navigate the options and bring your vision to life—feel free to reach out for a friendly consultation tailored to your project.
Craft Wood Floors
Solid Hardwood Floors
Engineered Hardwood Floors
Crafted wood floors, often encompassing artisanal, custom-designed, or hand-distressed options like intricate parquet patterns, herringbone layouts, chevron or reclaimed timber installations, offer a truly bespoke and one-of-a-kind aesthetic that elevates any space with unparalleled character and storytelling.
These floors are meticulously handmade by our skilled craftsmen, allowing for unique patterns, inlays, borders, or the incorporation of reclaimed wood that carries historical patina and sustainability benefits, making them perfect for homeowners seeking exclusivity and eco-conscious luxury.
Beyond their stunning visual impact—which can transform a room into a work of art—crafted wood floors provide exceptional durability when properly finished, adding significant artisanal value and a sense of heritage that mass-produced options simply cannot replicate.
Solid hardwood flooring stands out for its unparalleled authenticity, durability, and long-term value, crafted entirely from a single piece of timber that brings the natural beauty, grain patterns, and warmth of real wood into any space.
Its primary benefit lies in longevity—it can be sanded and refinished multiple times over decades, often lasting a lifetime or more with proper care, making it an ideal investment for high-traffic areas in homes or commercial settings where timeless elegance and resilience are prized.
Additionally, solid hardwood enhances property value significantly, offering a premium, sophisticated aesthetic that ages gracefully and complements diverse styles from traditional to modern.
Engineered hardwood flooring provides exceptional versatility and practical performance, featuring a real wood veneer top layer bonded to a stable plywood or high-density fiberboard core that resists warping and expansion from moisture or temperature changes.
This construction makes it particularly beneficial for challenging environments like basements, kitchens, or areas with radiant heating, where solid wood might not perform as reliably, while still delivering the genuine look and feel of hardwood at a potentially more accessible price point.
It also offers easier installation options, such as floating or click-lock systems, and maintains impressive durability for everyday use without sacrificing style.