WOOD SPECIES USED in WOOD FLOORING 3Rd Edition

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NATIONAL WOOD FLOORING ASSOCIATION TECHNICAL PUBLICATION No. A200

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WOOD SPECIES USED IN WOOD FLOORING 3rd Edition

APPEARANCE

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

WORKABILITY

RELATIVE COST

AVAILABILITY

3 INTRODUCTION: AN OVERVIEW OF WOOD PROPERTIES 6 AVAILABILITY OF SELECTED WOOD FLOORING SPECIES 7 RELATIVE HARDNESS OF SELECTED WOOD FLOORING SPECIES RELATIVE STABILITY OF SELECTED WOOD FLOORING SPECIES 8 COLOR CHANGES IN WOOD FLOORING

PROPERTIES OF 13 DOMESTIC WOOD SPECIES

9 9 Ash, White 16 Mesquite 10 Beech 17 Oak, Red 11 Birch 18 Oak, White 12 Cherry, Black 19 Pine, Antique Heart 13 Douglas Fir 20 Pine, Southern Yellow 14 Hickory/Pecan 21 Walnut, American Black 15 Maple, Sugar/Hard

PROPERTIES OF 20 IMPORTED WOOD SPECIES 22 22 Bamboo 32 Maple, Brazilian 23 Bubinga 33 Merbau 24 Cherry, Brazilian 34 Oak, Tasmanian 25 Cork 35 Padauk 26 Cypress, Australian 36 Purpleheart 27 Gum, Spotted 37 Sapele 28 Gum, Sydney Blue 38 Teak, Brazilian 29 Iroko 39 Teak, Thai/Burmese 30 Jarrah 40 Walnut, Brazilian 31 Mahogany, Santos 41 Wenge 42 SOURCES AND CREDITS

NO GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY The information contained in this publication represents generally accepted descriptions of wood species and their properties. However, wood is a natural material subject to numerous variations in grain, color, hardness and dimensional stability, and no description is able to encompass all possible variations. The National Wood Flooring Association accepts no risk or liability for application of the information contained in this publication.

ood is a dynamic medium. Like all simplifying cleaning. organic materials, it has character and Perhaps the most appealing characteristics of Wquirks, responds to its environment, wood flooring, though, are its attractive appear- and changes over time. Because of its “personal- ance and natural warmth. A beautiful wood floor ity,” wood should be treated with understanding can enliven a drab room, enhance any architec- and a certain amount of care. For wood flooring tural style, complement furniture and design professionals, knowing about the properties of schemes, and add value to any home or building. wood in general, as well as those of individual A combination of qualities should be consid- wood species, is critical to proper installation. ered when selecting a species for flooring: ap- For consumers, it’s important to have realistic pearance-related attributes such as texture, grain expectations about how wood will perform. Most and color; as well as mechanical properties such wood used for flooring is essentially a byproduct as dimensional stability, durability, and ease in of more expensive wood-consuming industries finishing; and finally, availability and cost. (furniture manufacture, for example), so it is usually not the highest grade of lumber. However, it Properties affecting appearance is quite economical in comparison. Many different factors, from the nature of the liv- This publication provides an overview of the ing tree to the way the lumber is sawed, affect the mechanical and physical properties of wood, fol- way the finished floor will look. lowed by more detailed information on several species used in flooring. In selecting the species HEARTWOOD, SAPWOOD: Heartwood is the described, the aim has been to offer a fair sam- older, harder, central portion of a tree. It usually pling of some of today’s most popular woods. contains deposits of various materials that Other species may be included in later editions of frequently give it a darker color than sapwood. It is this publication. denser, less permeable and more durable than the Note: The samples chosen to illustrate each surrounding sapwood. species were selected to be as representative Sapwood is the softer, younger, outer portion as possible. However, there are many varia- of a tree that lies between the cambium (forma- tions within each species, and the methods tive layer just under the bark) and the heartwood. used in sanding and finishing also affect the It is more permeable, less durable and usually final appearance of a given species. Also, the lighter in color than the heartwood. samples were photographed only a few days The relative amounts of heartwood and sap- after being sanded and finished. Some species, wood in a flooring batch may affect the way it ac- such as domestic cherry, will change color cepts stain and finish and, therefore, the finished significantly over time (see page 8). Therefore, appearance of the floor. In general, quartersawn the appearance of any installation may vary and riftsawn flooring will contain less sapwood from the samples shown in this publication. than plainsawn flooring (see “Types of saw cut,” next page), and will tend to have a straighter The character of wood grain and more uniform appearance. WOOD GRAIN AND TEXTURE: “Grain” and As a flooring material, wood is superior to vinyl “texture” are loosely used to describe similar or carpet, both practically and aesthetically. A properties of wood. Grain is often used in solid wood floor is more than a covering; it adds reference to annual growth rings, as in “fine” strength and stability to the floor system. A one- or “coarse” grain; it also is used to indicate the inch thickness of wood has the same insulating direction of fibers, as in straight, spiral and curly value as 15 inches of concrete. Wood is durable grain. The direction of the grain, as well as the and long-lasting — occasional sanding and re- amount of figuring in the wood, can affect the finishing essentially results in a brand-new floor. way it is sanded and sawed. Wood floors don’t retain mildew or absorb dust, Grain also is described as being either “open” or

“closed,” referring to the relative size of the pores, while quartersawn lumber is nearly all vertical- which affects the way a wood accepts stain and grained. In softwood lumber, the terms “flat- finishes. grained” and “vertical-grained” are used instead Texture usually refers to the finer structure of of the terms “plainsawn” and “quartersawn,” the wood, rather than to the annual rings. It is respectively. See “Types of saw cut” below.) sometimes used to combine the concepts of den- Interlocked Grain: Grain in which the fibers sity and degree of contrast between spring wood may slope in a right-handed direction for several and summer wood in the annual growth rings. years, in a left-handed direction for several years, back to right-handed, and so on. A high degree Wood grain terminology of interlocked grain may make a wood difficult to Annual rings: Most species grown in temperate machine. climates produce visible annual growth rings that TYPES OF SAW CUT: show the difference in density and color between Lumber is either wood formed early and that formed late in the plainsawn, quartersawn growing season. The inner part of the growth or riftsawn. ring, formed first, is called “spring wood”; the Plainsawing is the outer part, formed later in the season, is called most common and least “summer wood.” expensive method of Spring wood is characterized by cells having sawing; most wood floor- relatively large cavities and thin walls. Sum- ing is cut this way. Plain- mer wood cells have smaller cavities and thicker sawn lumber is obtained walls, and consequently are more dense than by making the first saw those in spring wood. The growth rings, when cut on a tangent to the exposed by conventional sawing methods, provide circumference of the the grain or charac- log and remaining cuts teristic pattern of the parallel to the first. This wood. The distinguish- method is the most economical, because it pro- ing features among the vides the widest boards and results in the least various species results waste. in part from differences Since most of the lumber produced by plainsaw- in growth-ring formation. ing is flat-grained, with some vertical-grained wood And within species, nat- included, plainsawn lumber will tend to contain ural variations in growth more variation within and among boards than ensure the unique char- quartersawn lumber, in which nearly all of the acter and beauty of each wood is vertical-grained. Also, since flat-grained piece of wood. wood is less dimensionally stable than vertical- Figure: The pattern pro- grained, plainsawn lumber will tend to expand and duced in a wood surface contract more across the width of the boards than by annual growth rings, quartersawn lumber. rays, knots and deviations from regular grain. Other physical differences to consider when Medullary Rays: Medullary rays extend radially choosing plainsawn lumber rather than quarter- from the core of the tree toward the bark. They sawn: vary in height from a few cells in some species, to • Figure patterns resulting from the annual four or more inches in the oaks; they’re respon- rings and some other types of figures are usually sible for the flake effect common in quartersawn brought out more conspicuously by plainsawing. lumber in certain species. • Shakes and pitch pockets, when present, Flat Grain: Easily recognized by its parabolic extend through fewer boards. (arched) effect. Lumber is considered “flat- In quartersawing, lumber is produced by first grained” when the annual growth rings make quartering the log and then sawing perpendicular an angle of less than 45 degrees with the wide to the growth rings. Quartersawing produces rel- surface of the board. atively narrow boards, nearly all vertical-grained, Vertical or Edge Grain: Generally more di- and creates more waste, making quartersawn mensionally stable than flat grain because it is lumber more expensive than plainsawn. However, more likely to change in height than in width much quartersawn wood is obtained by culling with changes in moisture. Lumber is considered the vertical-grained wood that naturally results “vertical-grained” when the annual growth rings from plainsawing. make an angle of 45 to 90 degrees with the wide Other physical factors to keep in mind when surface of the board. choosing quartersawn lumber over plainsawn: (Note: In hardwoods, plainsawn lumber • It twists and cups less. generally contains mostly flat-grained wood, • It surface-checks and splits less during sea-

soning and in use. (Note: Engineered flooring tends to be more • Raised grain produced by separation in the dimensionally stable than solid flooring and may annual growth rings does not appear as pro- not require acclimation prior to installation— nounced. check with the manufacturer of the flooring for • It wears more evenly. that product’s recommendations.) • Figuring due to pronounced rays, interlocked Different woods exhibit different moisture stabil- and wavy grain are brought out more conspicu- ity factors, but they generally shrink and swell the ously. most in the direction of the annual growth rings • Sapwood appears only at the edges, and is (tangentially), about half as much across the rings limited to the width of the log’s sapwood. (radially) and only slightly along the grain (lon- Riftsawing is similar to quartersawing, with gitudinally). This means that plainsawn flooring many of the same advantages and limitations. will tend to shrink and swell more in width than It accentuates the vertical grain and minimizes quartersawn flooring, and that most flooring will the flake effect common in quartersawn oak. The not shrink or swell much in length. angle of the cut is changed slightly so that fewer The individual species descriptions that follow saw cuts are parallel to the medullary rays, which include an indication of dimensional stability, from are responsible for the flake effect. Riftsawing “below average” to “excellent.” For a comparison of creates more waste than quartersawing, making the relative dimensional stability of several species, it generally more expensive. refer to the chart on page 8. Keep in mind that the shrinkage values come from laboratory testing, and Mechanical properties some woods shown to be relatively stable in the lab MOISTURE CONTENT AND DIMENSIONAL have demonstrated significant movement on actual STABILITY: Moisture plays a large part in how job sites. wood behaves, both during the machining For wood flooring professionals, it’s important process and after installation. Installers would to inform end users about the normal behavior do well to study moisture’s effect on wood in of wood in relation to moisture. Most solid wood some detail; however, a brief discussion is flooring will contract during periods of low hu- included here. (For more information, see the midity (during the heating season, for example), NWFA Technical Manual A100: Water and Wood.) sometimes leaving noticeable cracks between Moisture content is defined as the weight boards. To minimize this effect, users should of water in wood expressed as a percentage of stabilize the environment of the building through the weight of oven-dry wood. Weight, shrink- temperature and humidity control. age, strength and other properties depend on HARDNESS AND DURABILITY: Probably the most the moisture content of wood. In trees, moisture important strength property for wood used content may be as much as 200 percent of the in flooring applications is its side hardness, weight of wood substance. After harvesting and also known as Janka hardness. Side hardness milling, the wood will be dried to the proper mois- represents the resistance of wood to wear, ture content for its end use. denting and marring. It is measured by the load Wood is dimensionally stable when the mois- required to embed a 0.444-inch steel ball to one- ture content is above the fiber saturation point half its diameter in the wood. Janka hardness (usually about 30 percent moisture content). Be- ratings are generally based on an average of tests low that, wood changes dimension when it gains on both tangential and radial (plainsawn and or loses moisture. quartersawn) samples. A comparison chart of the The ideal moisture Janka hardness ratings for each of the species content for flooring described in this chapter appears on page 7. installation can vary Also, the individual species descriptions include from an extreme of 4 to a percentage comparison to indicate each species’ 18 percent, depending hardness relative to Northern red oak. on the wood species, the INSTALLATION AND NAILING: When nailing some geographic location of of the denser woods with hand or air nailers, the end product and the installers may encounter splitting tongues, as time of year. Most oak well as failure to secure the fastener even after flooring, for example, is repeated attempts. This can sometimes be milled at 6 to 9 percent. corrected by changing the angle of the nail’s point Before installation, solid of entry. On certain exceptionally dense species, wood flooring should be pilot holes may have to be drilled to ease nailing. acclimated to the area Blunting the ends of fasteners may also help in which it is to be used, prevent splitting. With pneumatic nailers, the then tested with a moisture meter to ensure the air pressure may need to be adjusted to reduce proper moisture content. splintering or tongue breakage.

Though dense, heavy woods normally offer natural color of the wood, flooring professionals higher nail-withdrawal resistance, less dense should be aware that some species (hard maple, species allow the use of more and larger-diameter pine and fir, for example) do not accept stain as fasteners to compensate for their lower holding readily or as evenly as other species. ability. When nailing imported species, check with A grain filler is sometimes used for wood spe- the supplier for the recommended fastener. cies with large pores, such as oak and walnut, if a Take precautions while working with some smooth finish is desired. woods, especially exotic species. Splinters should When working with a new species for the first be removed immediately, as some species have time, installers should test stains and finishes been known to cause an adverse reaction in some on a small sample of flooring before attempting people. an installation and also check with the finish SANDING: Some wood species are highly resinous manufacturer. and tend to clog sandpaper. When working with For more information on finishing, see the such species, it may be necessary to use a coarser NWFA Technical Manual B200: Sanding and Fin- grit of sandpaper than normal, or to change the ishing of Hardwood Floors. sandpaper more often than with other species. Also, the wood dust created by sanding some Availability species tends to cause an allergic reaction in Just as every individual wood species is dynamic some people. This is more likely to occur with im- and prone to change in response to its environ- ported species than with domestic. However, even ment, so too is the market for all wood flooring North American oak has been known to cause species. Availability estimates were obtained a skin rash or respiratory difficulties in some through interviews with industry sources and people. Where applicable, known tendencies to reflect market conditions during 2010. cause allergic reactions are noted. EASILY AVAILABLE: As a precaution, flooring mechanics should wear Brazilian cherry (jatoba) respirators (with a rating of at least N95/NIOSH- Hard maple approved) and eye protection when sanding. To Red oak test for possible allergic reaction to a species, per- Southern yellow pine form a skin-patch test by placing a small amount White oak of wood dust under a round adhesive bandage on READILY AVAILABLE: the inside of the forearm. If serious skin irritation Ash is present when the bandage is removed after 24 Australian cypress hours, consider not working with that species. Bamboo For more information on sanding, see the Beech NWFA Technical Manual B200: Sanding and Fin- Birch ishing of Hardwood Floors. Black cherry FINISHING: Many finish formulations are Black walnut, American undergoing continual change as their Brazilian walnut (ipé) manufacturers move to comply with evolving Cork environmental regulations, making hard-and-fast Douglas fir finishing rules difficult to come by. Hickory/pecan Some woods, especially imports, contain oils MODERATELY AVAILABLE: and chemical compounds that may adversely react Brazilian maple with certain types of finishes to inhibit drying, Brazilian teak (cumaru) dramatically change the color of the wood, or both. Iroko Some imported species may weep natural oils for Jarrah an extended period of time, possibly causing finish Padauk problems at a later date. It is recommended that Santos mahogany such floors be sealed or coated immediately after Sapele the final sanding cut. Spotted gum Water-based urethanes tend to leave wood Sydney blue gum lighter in color. Non-ambering urethanes are often Tasmanian oak recommended for finishing white, stenciled or Teak, Thai/Burmese pastel floors. Water-based finishes tend to adhere LIMITED AVAILABILITY: well to most woods, including exotics, whereas Antique heart pine some solvent-based finishes have adhesion, Bubinga drying or color change problems with woods such Merbau as teak, Brazilian walnut, purpleheart, padauk Mesquite and wenge. Purpleheart For floors that are to be stained to alter the Wenge

RELATIVE HARDNESS OF SELECTED WOOD FLOORING SPECIES (Ranked by Janka hardness rating)

The Janka (or side) hardness test measures the force required to Walnut, Brazilian 3680 embed a .444-inch steel ball to half 3540 its diameter in wood. It is one of Teak, Brazilian the best measures of the ability of Purpleheart 2890 a wood species to withstand dent- Cherry, Brazilian (jatoba) 2820 ing and wear. By the same token, it also is a good indicator of how hard Bubinga 2690 or easy a species is to saw or nail. Gum, spotted 2473 Northern red oak, for example, has a Janka hardness rating of 1290. Spot- Mesquite 2345 ted gum, with a rating of 2473, is Mahogany, santos 2200 nearly twice as hard. If you’re accus- tomed to working with red oak and Gum, Sydney blue 2023 decide to tackle a job with spotted Merbau 1925 gum, you can expect it to be much harder to cut and nail. Jarrah 1910 A rating is not included for bam- Hickory/pecan 1820 boo, as bamboo flooring varies greatly between different manufac- Padauk 1725 turers’ products and between vertical Wenge 1630 and horizontal construction. Like- Maple, Brazilian 1500 wise, a rating is not included for cork flooring. Sapele 1500

• Source: Hardness ratings for most species Maple, hard 1450 taken from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Center for Cypress, Australian 1375 Wood Anatomy Research Web site www2.fpl. fs.fed.us/TechSheets/techmenu.html. Bubinga Oak, white 1360 value taken from Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material (Forest Products Society, Oak, Tasmanian 1350 1999). Padauk and Brazilian maple values were provided by Wood Flooring International. Spot- Ash, white 1320 ted gum, Sydney blue gum and Tasmanian oak values were provided by Boral Timber. The heart Beech 1300 pine rating was provided by Mountain Lumber. The mesquite rating was provided by Mesquite Oak, Northern red 1290 Products of Texas. • Douglas fir rating is an average of ratings for Birch 1260 Coast, Interior West and Interior North species. • Values for Brazilian cherry, purpleheart and Iroko 1260 Thai/Burmese teak represent average values. Pine, heart (antique) 1225 Teak, Thai/Burmese 1078 1010 Walnut, American black Cherry, black 950 870 Pine, Southern yellow (longleaf) 690 Pine, Southern yellow (loblolly/shortleaf) Douglas fir 660 While Janka values give a general sense of hardness, many other factors also contribute to a wood floor’s durability, including the type of cut (i.e. plainsawn, quartersawn), denseness of cell structure, and finish used.

RELATIVE STABILITY OF SELECTED Beech 11.9 WOOD FLOORING SPECIES Jarrah 11.0 (Ranked by percentage of tangential shrinkage from Oak, white 10.5 green to ovendry moisture content) Maple, hard 9.9 The numbers in the chart reflect the percentage of tangen- Birch (yellow) 9.5 tial shrinkage from green to ovendry moisture content for the various species. Tangential change values normally will Hickory/pecan 8.9 reflect changes in plainsawn wood. Quartersawn wood usu- Maple, Brazilian/pau marfim 8.8 ally will be more dimensionally stable than plainsawn. Oak, Northern red 8.6 These percentages are listed only as a means of com- Cherry, Brazilian (jatoba) 8.5 parison of stability between the species. As these values Bubinga 8.4 represent change from green to ovendry, actual percentage change on job sites will be drastically less. Walnut, Brazilian/ipé 8.0 Although some tropical woods such as Australian cy- Ash, white 7.8 press, merbau and wenge appear in this chart to have ex- Walnut, American black 7.8 cellent moisture stability compared to domestic oak, actual Teak, Brazilian/cumaru 7.6 installations of many of these woods have demonstrated Pine, Southern yellow 7.5 significant movement in use. To avoid problems later, extra care should be taken to inform potential users of these ten- Sapele 7.4 dencies prior to purchase. Douglas fir 7.3 Several species listed in this book are not included in the Cherry, black 7.1 chart. This data currently is not available for Tasmanian Mahogany, santos 6.2 oak, Sydney blue gum and spotted gum. Due to its com- Purpleheart 6.1 posited construction, cork is not included, and due to its engineered construction, bamboo is not included. Also, due Teak, Thai/Burmese 5.8 to the many different species and ages of the wood classi- Wenge 5.8 fied as antique heart pine, that wood is not listed. Padauk 5.2

• Source: Stability ratings taken from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Merbau 4.6 Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Center for Wood Anatomy Research Iroko 3.8 Web site www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets/techmenu.html. • Douglas fir rating is an average of ratings for Coast, Interior West and Mesquite 3.2 Interior North species. • Pine rating is an average of ratings for loblolly, longleaf, shortleaf and 2.8 Cypress, Australian slash species. COLOR CHANGES IN WOOD FLOORING Whether finished or unfinished, wood changes color over time due to oxidation and exposure to light. Some species darken in color over time, while others lighten. There is no set value for “color fastness” of a species, so contractors and their customers need to be aware of how much change they should expect from the species they choose. Certain species, including American cherry, Brazilian cherry and many imported species, are especially notorious for their tendency to change in color. A demonstration of this change is shown below. The panels on the left for each species show how the wood had aged since originally being sanded and finished for this publication in 1994. The panels on the right are the same panels as they appear now after being freshly sanded and finished in 2004. It is important to note that all panels shown on the following pages are shown freshly sanded and finished. Some color change is to be expected for all species, and a drastic change can be expected for some. American cherry Brazilian cherry

water-based finish water-based finish

oil-based finish oil-based finish Aged panel Aged panel oil-based finish oil-based finish Same panel freshly sanded Same panel freshly sanded

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oil-based finish

Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7 to 15 degree angle to the COLOR: Heartwood is light tan to dark brown; grain sapwood is creamy white. Similar in appearance to Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain white oak, but frequently more yellow. Third Cut: 80 or 100 GRAIN: Bold, straight, moderately open grain Hard Plate: 100 with occasional wavy figuring. Can have strong Screen: 80 or 100 contrast in grain in plainsawn boards. FINISHING: May be difficult to stain. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Sometimes confused with hickory; the zone of large pores is more distinctive in ash, similar to Origin that of red oak. North America. Availability Properties Readily available. HARDNESS/JANKA: 1320. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Above average. Workability NAILING: No known problems. SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if the correct sanding sequence is followed.

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oil-based finish

Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 or 60 at a 7 to 15 degree angle to COLOR: Heartwood is mostly reddish brown; the grain sapwood is generally pale white. Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain GRAIN: Mostly closed, straight grain; fine, Third Cut: 80 or 100 uniform texture. Coarser than European beech. Hard Plate: Not recommended VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: First Screen: 80 or 100 Only one species is native to the United States. Second Screen: 120 or 150 Moderate to high color variation between boards. FINISHING: May be difficult to stain. Properties Origin HARDNESS (JANKA): 1300. North America. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Below average. Availability Workability Readily available. NAILING: Has a tendency to split the tongues. SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequence is followed.

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Appearance Workability: COLOR: In yellow birch (B. alleghaniensis), NAILING: No known problems. sapwood is creamy yellow or pale white; heartwood SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if the correct is light reddish brown tinged with red. In sweet sanding sequence is followed. birch (B. lenta), sapwood is light colored and Suggested Sequence heartwood is dark brown tinged with red. First Cut: 50 at a 7 to 15 degree angle to the GRAIN: Medium figuring, straight, closed grain, grain even texture. Occasional curly grain or wavy Second Cut: 80 straight with the grain figure in some boards. Third Cut: 120 VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Hard Plate: 100 or 120 Yellow birch, sweet birch, paper birch. Paper First Screen: 100 birch (B. papyrifera) is softer and lower in Second Screen: 100 weight and strength than yellow or sweet birch. FINISHING: May be difficult to stain. However, yellow birch is most commonly used for flooring. Boards can vary greatly in grain and Origin color. North America. Properties Availability SIDE HARDNESS/JANKA: Yellow: 1260. Readily available. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average.

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Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 60 at a 7-15 degree angle with the COLOR: Heartwood is light to dark reddish brown, grain lustrous; sapwood is light brown to pale with a Second Cut: 80 straight with the grain light pinkish tone. Some flooring manufacturers Third Cut: 100 steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color Hard Plate: Not recommended into the sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color. Screen: 80 or 100 Color darkens significantly with age. FINISHING: No known problems. GRAIN: Fine, frequently wavy, uniform texture. Distinctive flake pattern on true quartersawn surfaces. Texture is satiny, with some gum Origin pockets. North America. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Significant color variation between boards. Availability Readily available. Properties HARDNESS (JANKA): 950. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Above average. Workability NAILING: No known problems. SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if the correct sanding sequence is followed.

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Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 60 at a 7-15 degree angle with the COLOR: Heartwood is yellowish tan to light grain brown. Sapwood is tan to white. Heartwood may Second Cut: 80 straight with the grain be confused with that of Southern yellow pine. Third Cut: 100 or 120 Radical color change upon exposure to sunlight. Hard Plate: Not recommended GRAIN: Normally straight, with occasional wavy Screen: 100 or 120 or spiral texture. Nearly all fir flooring is vertical- FINISHING: Some boards develop a slight pinkish grain or riftsawn clear-grade material. to bright salmon color when finished with some VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: products. Because of tendency toward color Wood varies greatly in weight and strength. Young change, care must be taken to avoid oversanding trees of moderate to rapid growth have reddish when refinishing an existing floor. May be difficult heartwood and are called red fir. The narrow- to stain. ringed wood of old trees may be yellowish-brown COMMENTS: Sometimes milled as vertical end- and is known as yellow fir. grain block, which is significantly harder than Properties plainsawn. HARDNESS (JANKA): 660. Origin DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Above average. North America. Workability Availability NAILING: No known problems. Readily available. SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if the correct sanding sequence is followed.

water-based finish

oil-based finish Appearance Workability COLOR: Pecan heartwood is reddish brown with NAILING: Has a tendency to split the tongues. dark brown stripes; sapwood is white or creamy SANDING: Difficult to sand because of density, white with pinkish tones. Hickory heartwood is tan and because light color makes sander marks show or reddish; sapwood is white to cream, with fine more than on darker woods. brown lines. Suggested Sequence GRAIN: Pecan is open, occasionally wavy or First Cut: 40 or 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with irregular. Hickory is closed, with moderate the grain definition; somewhat rough-textured. Second Cut: 50 or 60 straight with the grain VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Third Cut: 80 or 100 In both hickory and pecan, there are often Hard Plate: 100 pronounced differentiations in color between Screen: 80 or 100 spring wood and summer wood. In pecan, sapwood FINISHING: May be difficult to stain. is usually graded higher than darker heartwood. Pecan and hickory are traditionally mixed by Origin flooring mills. North America. Properties Availability HARDNESS (JANKA): 1820. Pecan is slightly softer Readily available. than true hickories. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average.

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making it difficult to cut out previous scratches. Appearance Suggested Sequence COLOR: Heartwood is creamy white to light First Cut: 50 at a 7 to 15 degree angle to the reddish brown; sapwood is pale to creamy white. grain GRAIN: Closed, subdued grain, with medium Second Cut: 80 straight with the grain figuring and uniform texture. Occasionally shows Third Cut: 120 quilted, fiddleback, curly or bird’s-eye figuring. Hard Plate: 100 or 120 Figured boards often culled during grading and First Screen: 100 sold at a premium. Second Screen: 100 VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: FINISHING: Takes neutral finish well. May be Black maple (B. nigrum) is also hard; other difficult to stain. species are classified as soft. Origin Properties North America. HARDNESS (JANKA): 1450. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average. Availability Easily available. Figured grains have limited Workability availability. NAILING: No known problems. SANDING: Extra care must be taken during sanding and finishing, as sanding marks and finish lines are more obvious due to maple’s density and light color. The species also burnishes, dulling fine paper and screens and

water-based finish

oil-based finish Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 40 or 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with COLOR: Light brown to dark reddish brown. the grain GRAIN: High in character, with ingrown bark and Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain mineral streaks. Most commonly used in flooring Third Cut: 80 or 100 as end-grain block, which has small irregular Hard Plate: 100 cracks radiating across the grain. First Screen: 80 or 100 VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: One Second Screen: 120 grade; moderate color variations. FINISHING: No known problems. COMMENTS: End-grain block usage results in a Properties hard, high-wear surface. Produces only shorter- HARDNESS (JANKA): 2345. length boards. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Excellent. Origin Workability North America. NAILING: Splits tongues easily. SANDING: Plainsawn can be sanded to a smooth Availability surface. End-grain requires a coarser abrasive to Limited availability. flatten; it is recommended that it be flattened by sanding at a 45-degree angle to the grain.

water-based finish

oil-based finish Appearance Workability COLOR: Heartwood and sapwood are similar, NAILING: No known problems. with sapwood lighter in color; most pieces have a SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if the correct reddish tone. Slightly redder than white oak. sanding sequence is followed. GRAIN: Open, slightly coarser (more porous) than Suggested Sequence white oak. Plainsawn boards have a plumed or First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the flared grain appearance; riftsawn has a tighter grain grain pattern, low figuring; quartersawn has a flake Second Cut: 80 straight with the grain pattern, sometimes called tiger rays or butterflies. Third Cut: 100 VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Hard Plate: 100 More than 200 subspecies in North America; Screen: 100 or 120 great variation in color and grain, depending on FINISHING: Stains well and demonstrates strong the origin of the wood and differences in growing stain contrast. Red oak generally works better than seasons. Northern, Southern and Appalachian red white oak for bleached floors because it is more oak all can be divided into upland and lowland porous, and because tannins in white oak can species. Because they grow more slowly, upland discolor the floor. species have a more uniform grain pattern than lowland species, with more growth rings per inch. Origin Properties North America. HARDNESS (JANKA): Northern: 1290, Southern: Availability 1060. Easily available. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Northern: average, Southern: below average.

water-based finish

oil-based finish Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 or 60 at a 7-15 degree angle with COLOR: Heartwood is light brown; some boards the grain may have a pinkish tint or a slight grayish cast. Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain Sapwood is white to cream. Third Cut: 80 or 100 GRAIN: Open, with longer rays than red Hard Plate: 100 oak. Occasional crotches, swirls and burls. Screen: 80 or 100 Plainsawn boards have a plumed or flared grain FINISHING: During the finishing process, tannins appearance; riftsawn has a tighter grain pattern, at the surface can react with some liquids to turn low figuring; quartersawn has a flake pattern, the wood green or brown. This effect tends to be sometimes called tiger rays or butterflies. more pronounced with products that have a high VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: water content, such as wood bleach and water- Considerable variation among boards in color and based finishes. Stains very well and accepts stain grain texture, but variations not as pronounced evenly. as in red oak. Origin Properties North America. HARDNESS (JANKA): 1360. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average. Availability Workability Easily available. NAILING: No known problems. SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if the correct sanding sequence is followed.

water-based finish

oil-based finish Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 40 at a 7-15 degree angle with the COLOR: Heartwood is yellow after cutting and grain turns deep pinkish tan to warm reddish brown Second Cut: 50 straight with the grain within weeks due to high resin content. Sapwood Third Cut: 80 remains yellow, with occasional blue-black sap Hard Plate: Not recommended stain. Screen: 80 GRAIN: Dense, with high figuring. Plainsawn FINISHING: May be difficult to stain. To reduce is swirled; rift- or quartersawn is primarily the wood’s tendency to repel finish coats, surface pinstriped. Curly or burl grain is rare. resins may be removed with a 100 percent pure VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: (not recycled) solvent that is compatible with the Moderate color variation. finish to be used (do not use water). Properties Origin HARDNESS (JANKA): 1225. North America. Often recovered from structural DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Values can vary greatly timbers in pre-1900 warehouses and factories, or due to the variety of species and ages used. as sunken logs from river bottoms. Workability Availability NAILING: No known problems. Limited. SANDING: Tendency to clog paper due to high resin content. Abrasives will need to be changed frequently during sanding. Beginning with a coarse grade may be helpful.

water-based finish

oil-based finish

Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the COLOR: Heartwood varies from light yellow/ grain orange to reddish brown or yellowish brown; Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain sapwood is light tan to yellowish white. Third Cut: 80 or 100 GRAIN: Closed, with high figuring; patterns range Hard Plate: Not recommended from clear to knotty. Screen: 80 or 100 VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: FINISHING: May be difficult to stain. To reduce Longleaf pine (P. palustris), shortleaf pine (P. the wood’s tendency to repel finish coats, surface echinata), loblolly pine (P. taeda), slash pine (P. resins may be removed with a 100 percent pure elliottii). All have many of the same characteristics (not recycled) solvent that is compatible with the as Douglas fir. Old-growth lumber in these finish to be used (do not use water). varieties has substantially higher density and is COMMENTS: Generally manufactured for flooring more stable than second-growth material. with no end-match; sometimes flooring is Properties “distressed” to create an antique look. HARDNESS (JANKA): Loblolly and shortleaf 690; Origin longleaf 870. North America. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Above average. Availability Workability Easily available. NAILING: No known problems. SANDING: Resin in wood tends to clog abrasives; frequent sandpaper changes are required.

water-based finish

oil-based finish

SANDING: Sands satisfactorily. Appearance Suggested Sequence COLOR: Heartwood ranges from a deep, rich dark First Cut: 60 at a 7-15 degree angle with the brown to a purplish black. Sapwood is nearly white grain to tan. Difference between heartwood and sapwood Second Cut: 80 straight with the grain color is great; some flooring manufacturers steam Third Cut: 100 lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into Hard Plate: Not recommended the sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color. First Screen: 80 or 100 GRAIN: Mostly straight and open, but some Second Screen: 100 or 120 boards have burled or curly grain. Arrangement FINISHING: No known finishing problems. of pores is similar to hickories and persimmon, COMMENTS: Frequently used as a highlight but pores are smaller in size. material for borders or other inlay techniques. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Great variety of color and figure within species, as well as variation in color among boards, Origin especially in lower grades and from material that North America. isn’t steamed prior to kiln-drying. Availability Properties Readily available. HARDNESS (JANKA): 1010. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average. Workability NAILING: No known problems.

water-based finish

oil-based finish

Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 60 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain COLOR: Typically available in light (manila/yellow Second Cut: 80 straight with the grain tones) or dark (tannish brown) shades. Colors Third Cut: 100 or 120 vary between manufacturers. Hard Plate: Not recommended GRAIN: Distinctive grain pattern shows nodes First Screen: 100 or 120 from the bamboo stalks. Second Screen: 150 VARIATIONS WITHIN GRADES: Available either FINISHING: All surface-type finishes have been used horizontally or vertically laminated. Horizontal successfully with bamboo. Darker colors may tend to construction tends to show nodes more prominently. show lap marks—moving quickly during application and applying finish quickly around cut-in areas can Properties minimize this effect. Filling is recommended. HARDNESS (JANKA): Bamboo is a grass. Janka COMMENTS: Mostly available factory-finished. values vary widely between various manufacturers Because the product is rigid, installers should pay and between horizontal and vertical construction. careful attention to the flatness of the subfloor. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Engineered construction. Origin Workability Asia. The majority is made in China from NAILING: No known problems. Phyllostachys pubescens (common name: Moso); SANDING: Due to its unique, fibrous structure, however, some is made from different bamboo bamboo should not be sanded across the grain or at species grown in countries such as Vietnam. a 45-degree angle to the grain. Its light color tends to show swirl marks, other sanding marks and finish Availability imperfections, much as a light maple floor can. Readily available.

water-based finish

oil-based finish

Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the COLOR: Pink, red or red/brown with purple grain streaks or veins; changes from pinkish rose when Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain freshly milled to burgundy red when aged. Third Cut: 100 GRAIN: Fine; straight or interlocked, can be Hard Plate: 100 highly figured. First Screen: 80 VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Second Screen: 100 or 120 Quartered exhibits flame figure; flatsawn has FINISHING: Test all products before using them on rosewood graining. the actual floor. Oil-modified finished will require a lengthy dry time. (See finishing comments on Properties page 6.) HARDNESS (JANKA): 2690. COMMENTS: Dust has been known to cause DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average. contact dermatitis. Workability Origin NAILING: Tends to split tongues. Pre-drilling and Africa. hand-nailing may be preferred. SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding Availability sequence is followed. Limited availability.

water-based finish

oil-based finish

the previous cut, or sanding marks will be visible Appearance in the finish. COLOR: Sapwood is gray-white; heartwood is Suggested Sequence salmon red to orange-brown when fresh and First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the becomes russet or reddish brown when seasoned; grain often marked with dark streaks. Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain GRAIN: Mostly interlocked; texture is medium to Third Cut: 100 rather coarse. Hard Plate: 100 VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: First Screen: 80 Moderate to high color variation. Second Screen: 100 or 120 FINISHING: Occasionally white spots or specks Properties that were not noticeable before finishing may be HARDNESS (JANKA): Average of 2820. apparent once the floor is coated or after the floor DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average. However, has aged. These are spots of calcium carbonate actual installations have shown significant and are a naturally occurring part of the species. movement. Longer-than-normal acclimation time is (See finishing comments on page 6.) recommended. Workability Origin NAILING: Due to hardness it is very important that South America. the angle of penetration be adjusted carefully. If Availability using a pneumatic nailer, the air pressure should be adjusted. Easily available. SANDING: Scratches are easily seen—each sanding must carefully remove the scratches from

water-based finish

oil-based finish

recommended for corners and wall lines, as hand- Appearance scrapers may gouge the cork. COLOR: Varies from light to dark; many colors Suggested Sequence available depending on manufacturer. First Cut: 100 GRAIN: Distinctive look unlike wood—cork is Second Cut: 120 actually the bark of a type of oak. Third Cut: Not recommended VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Many Hard Plate: 120 or 150 patterns available depending on manufacturer. First Screen: 120 Second Screen: 120 Properties FINISHING: All surface-type finishes are HARDNESS (JANKA): Varies. successfully used on cork (choose a finish that will DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Cork reacts quickly, bend as the cork compresses). Oil-and-wax also is sometimes within hours, to changes in moisture. used frequently. (Typical dimensional stability measurements do COMMENTS: Pay particular attention to subfloor not apply to cork’s composite construction.) preparation, as cork is very sensitive to moisture, and also transfers any imperfections in the Workability subfloor to the surface appearance. NAILING: Cork is installed using adhesive. SANDING: Use the finest grit possible to flatten the Origin floor. The following sequences are recommended Spain and Portugal. for use only with a multi-disc sander or a hardplate on a buffer. If the edger is used, fine sandpaper Availability (100/120/150) should be backed with a maroon Readily available. pad. Small orbital sanders or hand-sanding are

water-based finish

oil-based finish

Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the COLOR: Cream-colored sapwood; heartwood grain is honey-gold to brown with darker knots Second Cut: 60 straight with the grain throughout. Third Cut: 80 or 100 GRAIN: Closed. Hard Plate: 100 or 120 VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: High First Screen: 100 degree of color variability. Second Screen: 120 or 150 FINISHING: Knots may cause drying problems Properties with some finishes. (See finishing comments on HARDNESS (JANKA): 1375. page 6.) DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Excellent. However, COMMENTS: Potential for respiratory/allergic actual installations have demonstrated recations. significant movement. Workability: Origin NAILING: Can be brittle (like Brazilian cherry); Australia. splits tongues easily. Availability SANDING: Tendency to clog paper due to high resin content. Hardplating and screening may Readily available. leave swirls; screening more than twice may be necessary. The knots are extremely hard and may cause wave in the floor. A 12-by-18-inch oscillating sander is recommended as the final screening to minimize the scratch pattern.

water-based finish

oil-based finish Appearance Second Screen: 120 FINISHING: No known problems. COLOR: Heartwood is light to dark brown, sapwood is pale and may be as wide as 3.12 inches (8 cm). Origin GRAIN: Interlocked, moderately coarse. Frequent Australia. presence of wavy grain produces “fiddleback” grain. Slightly greasy; gum veins are common. Availability Moderately available. Properties HARDNESS (JANKA): 2473. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Data not available. Workability NAILING: Pre-drilling and hand-nailing may be preferred. SANDING: No known problems. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain Third Cut: 100 Hard Plate: 120 First Screen: 100

water-based finish

oil-based finish Appearance Origin COLOR: Wide range from pinks to burgundy Australia. reds; regrowth timber may be a pale straw color with pink highlights. Colors mute over time and Availability darken to a medium brown-red. Moderately available. Properties HARDNESS (JANKA): 2023. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Data not available. Workability NAILING: Pre-drilling and hand-nailing may be preferred. SANDING: No known problems. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain Third Cut: 100 Hard Plate: 120 First Screen: 100 Second Screen: 120 FINISHING: No known finishing problems.

water-based finish

oil-based finish Appearance Second Screen: 120 FINISHING: Staining and/or bleaching this species COLOR: Light to medium brown when newly may be difficult. No finish compatibility problems installed; has a significant color change and are known. turns to brown/dark brown over time. COMMENTS: Dust is known to cause both contact GRAIN: Interlocked medium to coarse texture. dermatitis and respiratory reactions. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Dramatic difference between quartersawn and flatsawn products. Origin Africa. Properties HARDNESS (JANKA): 1260. Availability DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Excellent. Moderately available. Workability NAILING: No known problems. SANDING: No known problems. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain Third Cut: 100 Hard Plate: 120 First Screen: 100

water-based finish

oil-based finish

Appearance Third Cut: 100 Hard Plate: 120 COLOR: Heartwood is uniformly pinkish to dark First Screen: 100 red, often a rich, dark red mahogany hue, turning Second Screen: 120 a deep brownish red with age and exposure; FINISHING: Red color can bleed into some sapwood is pale. Frequent black streaks with finishes—a problem when mixing species. occasional in-grown grain. COMMENTS: Resistant to termites and fungus. GRAIN: Frequently interlocked or wavy. Texture is even and moderately coarse. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Origin Moderate to high color variation. Australia. Properties Availability HARDNESS (JANKA): 1910. Moderately available. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Below average. Workability NAILING: No known problems. SANDING: Sands well, but dust can stain fabric and wall treatments. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain

water-based finish

oil-based finish

can be eliminated by wiping with the appropriate Appearance 100 percent pure (not recycled) solvent before the COLOR: Dark reddish brown. sealer is applied. (See finishing comments on GRAIN: Striped figuring in quartersawn page 6.) selections; texture is even and very fine. COMMENTS: Some respiratory/allergic reaction VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: potential. Moderate color variation. Origin Properties South America. HARDNESS (JANKA): 2200. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Above average. Availability Workability Moderately available. NAILING: No known problems. SANDING: Sands satisfactorily. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 40 or 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain Third Cut: 100 Hard Plate: 100 First Screen: 80 Second Screen: 100 or 120 FINISHING: Oil residue may be a problem. This

water-based finish

oil-based finish

Appearance Second Screen: 120 or 150 FINISHING: Takes finish well. May be difficult to COLOR: Pale cream to yellow cream; no contrast stain. between sapwood and heartwood. GRAIN: Straight, fine, uniform. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Lower Origin grades may have darker tan/brown colors. South America. Properties Availability HARDNESS (JANKA): 1500. Moderately available. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average. Very sensitive to moisture fluctuations. Workability NAILING: No known problems. SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequence is followed. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain Third Cut: 100 Hard Plate: 100 First Screen: 100

water-based finish

oil-based finish

Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 60 at a 7-15 degree angle with the COLOR: Heartwood is yellowish to orange-brown grain when freshly cut, turning brown or dark red- Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain brown upon exposure. Third Cut: 100 GRAIN: Straight to interlocked or wavy; coarse Hard Plate: 120 texture. First Screen: 100 VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Second Screen: 120 Moderate to high variation in color. FINISHING: Takes neutral finish well. May be difficult to stain. Properties COMMENTS: High resistance to termites. HARDNESS (JANKA): 1925. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Excellent. However, Origin actual installations have shown significant Southeast Asia. movement in use. Availability Workability Limited availability. NAILING: No known problems. SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequence is followed.

water-based finish

oil-based finish

Appearance Hard Plate: 80 or 100 First Screen: 80 COLOR: Pale straw with occasional pinkish Second Screen: 100 or 120 highlights, tan colors, some medium gray/brown FINISHING: No known finishing problems. colors; over time overall color variation is muted COMMENTS: Has been known to cause contact with an ambering of the straw colors to darker dermatitis. tan. GRAIN: All riftsawn. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Even Origin range of color shadings. Australia. Properties Availability HARDNESS (JANKA): 1350. Moderately available. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Data not available. Workability NAILING: No known problems. SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequence is followed. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 or 60 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain Third Cut: 80 or 100

water-based finish

oil-based finish Appearance Third Cut: 80 or 100 Hard Plate: 100 COLOR: Heartwood is vivid reddish orange when First Screen: 80 freshly cut, darkening to reddish- or purple- Second Screen: 100 or 120 brown FINISHING: Because of the oil in the wood, oil- or black over time. Sapwood is cream-colored. modified finishes may require long dry times. Very uniform in color. Waterborne finishes are often recommended. Has GRAIN: Straight to interlocked; coarse texture. a tendency to bleed. Conversion varnishes also VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: have been known to work well. (See finishing Slight variation in color. comments on page 6.) COMMENTS: Dermatological and respiratory Properties allergic potential. HARDNESS (JANKA): 1725. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Excellent. Origin Workability Africa. NAILING: No known problems. Availability SANDING: Sands satisfactorily. Job site Moderately available. furniture, walls, etc., should be protected from the fine red powder produced when sanding. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 40 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain

water-based finish

oil-based finish

Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the COLOR: Heartwood is brown when freshly cut, grain turning deep purple to purplish-brown over time. Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain Sapwood is a lighter cream color. Third Cut: 80 or 100 GRAIN: Usually straight; medium to fine texture. Hard Plate: 100 Presence of minerals in some boards may cause First Screen: 80 uneven coloration. Second Screen: 100 or 120 VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: FINISHING: Takes finishes well; some have found Moderate to high color variation. that water-based finishes hold color better. Tendency to bleed with some finishes. (See Properties finishing comments on page 6.) HARDNESS (JANKA): 2890. COMMENTS: Often used as a feature strip or as DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Above average. part of an inlay. Workability Origin NAILING: Good holding ability. Mexico, Central and South America. SANDING: Moderately difficult. Availability Limited availability.

water-based finish

oil-based finish

FINISHING: Staining may over-darken the wood. Appearance No known finishing problems. COLOR: Medium to dark red-brown; darkens over time. Origin GRAIN: Fine, interlocked. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Africa. Quartersawn material has a ribbon-striped effect. Availability Properties Moderately available. HARDNESS (JANKA): 1500. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Above average. Workability NAILING: No known problems. SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequence is followed. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 80 straight with the grain Third Cut: 100 Hard Plate: 100 or 120 First Screen: 100 or 120 Second Screen: 150

water-based finish

oil-based finish

Appearance Third Cut: 100 Hard Plate: 100 COLOR: At first, red-brown or purple-brown First Screen: 80 with light yellow-brown or purple streaks; after Second Screen: 100 or 120 exposure, uniform light brown or yellow-brown. FINISHING: Test all products before using them GRAIN: Fine texture, interlocked, waxy or oily on the actual job site. Oil-modified finishes may feel. not dry when applied over this wood if standard VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: procedures are followed. Moisture-cure urethane, Dramatic shading that mellows as the floor matures. conversion varnish and waterborne finishes are generally more successful with this species. (See Properties finish comments on page 6.) Occasionally white HARDNESS (JANKA): 3540. spots or specks that were not noticeable before DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average. finishing may be apparent once the floor is coated or after the floor has aged. These are spots of Workability calcium carbonate and are a naturally occurring part of the species. NAILING: Pre-drilling and hand-nailing are preferred. COMMENTS: Has been known to cause contact dermatitis. SANDING: Difficult. Scratches are easily seen—each sanding must carefully remove the scratches from the previous cut, or sanding marks will be Origin visible in the finish. South America. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Availability Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain Moderately available.

water-based finish

oil-based finish

Appearance Third Cut: 100 Hard Plate: 100 or 120 COLOR: Heartwood varies from yellow-brown First Screen: 100 to dark golden brown; turns rich brown under Second Screen: 120 or 150 exposure to sunlight. Sapwood is a lighter cream FINISHING: Natural oils may interfere with color. adhesion and drying of some finishes. To reduce GRAIN: Straight; coarse, uneven texture. the wood’s tendency to repel finish coats, surface VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: resins may be removed with a 100-percent pure Moderate to high color variation. (not recycled) solvent that is compatible with the finish to be used. (See finish comments on page Properties 6.) HARDNESS (JANKA): Average of 1000. COMMENTS: Has an oily feel. Respiratory and DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Excellent. dermatological allergic potential. Workability Origin NAILING: No known problems. Asia. SANDING: Clogs abrasives; frequent sandpaper changes are required. Generally difficult to Availability sand—it may dish out if screened too much with Moderately available. a dull screen, and the edger digs easily. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 or 60 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain

water-based finish

oil-based finish Appearance Suggested Sequence First Cut: 40 or 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with COLOR: Can vary from light yellowish tan with the grain green overtones to almost blackish brown; Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain exhibits a large range of coloration when freshly Third Cut: 80 or 100 milled; darkens over time to medium to dark Hard Plate: 100 or 120 brown. First Screen: 100 GRAIN: Fine to medium, straight to very Second Screen: 120 or 150 irregular. FINISHING: Test all products before using them on the actual floor. Oil-modified finish will require Properties a lengthy dry time. Successful techniques include HARDNESS (JANKA): 3680. using a moisture-cure urethane sealer and a DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average. waterborne topcoat, or burnishing and sealing with a shellac-based sealer, then applying wax or Workability oil and wax. (See finish comments on page 6.) NAILING: Predrilling and hand-nailing may be COMMENTS: Often used as a decking material. Has preferred. been known to cause contact dermatitis. SANDING: Difficult. The wood is dense and oily. Scratches are easily seen—each sanding must carefully remove the scratches from the previous Origin cut, or sanding marks will be visible in the finish. South America. Availability Readily available.

water-based finish

oil-based finish

First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the Appearance grain COLOR: Heartwood is yellow-brown when freshly Second Cut: 60 straight with the grain cut, turning dark brown to almost black with Third Cut: 80 or 100 alternate layers of light and dark. Sapwood is Hard Plate: 100 yellowish-white and clearly demarcated from Screen: 100 or 120 heartwood. FINISHING: Staining may be difficult. GRAIN: Straight when quartersawn; coarse COMMENTS: Dermatological and respiratory texture. allergic potential. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Moderate variations in color. Origin Properties Africa. HARDNESS (JANKA): 1630. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Excellent. However, Availability actual installations have shown significant Limited availability. movement in use. Workability NAILING: No known problems. SANDING: Moderately difficult. Particular attention should be paid to removing the scratches from the previous sanding. Suggested Sequence

2010 TECHNICAL MANUAL COMMITTEE: THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES CONTRIBUTED Janet Sullivan, Lenmar Inc.; Chairperson PRODUCTS FOR THIS PUBLICATION: Johannes Boonstra, Synteko Floor Finishes • Action Floor Systems Craig Dupra, Installers Warehouse Inc • Allwoods Hardwood Flooring John Freeto, WoodCraft Wood Floors Inc • Blake-Stevens Wood Flooring Robert Humphreys, Majestic Wood Floors Inc • Boen Hardwood Flooring Mike Johns, Bostik Inc. • Dean Hardwoods Mike Kearns, Primatech Inc. • Dimension Hardwood/Plaza Hardwood Sprigg Lynn, Universal Floors Inc • Firebird Industries Neil Moss, Armstrong Floor Products N.A. • Golden State Flooring Kevin Mullany, Benchmark Wood Floors Inc • Goodwin Heart Pine Jim Schumacher, 3M • Grafco Hardwood Floors Steve Sharko, Les Bois G.B. Wood Inc. • Hardwood Flooring Center • Indiana Hardwood Specialists THE FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTED INFORMATION • International Hardwood Flooring • Kentucky Wood Floors FOR THIS PUBLICATION AND/OR SERVED AS • Memphis Hardwood Flooring REVIEWERS: • Mesquite Products of Texas • Aged Woods, Jeff Horn • Oregon Lumber • Boone Flooring, Joe Sr., Joe Jr. and Daniel • Oshkosh Floor Designs Boone • Quality Woods • Brickman Wood Floors, Howard Brickman • Ray White Lumber • Cornerstone Flooring, Tim McCool • WE Cork Inc. • Derr Flooring, Chet Derr III • Diamond “W” Floor Covering, Dennis Parks THE FOLLOWING SOURCES WERE CONSULTED: • Firebird Industries, Greg McGavran • U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest • Forest Products Laboratory, U.S. Forest Service, Products Laboratory, Center for Wood Anat- Regis Miller and William Simpson omy Research Web site: www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/ • Galleher Hardwood, Jeff Hamar TechSheets/techmenu.html • Golden State Flooring, Chris Coates • Guide to Wood Species, Architectural Woodwork • Kelly-Goodwin Co., Mike Bennett Institute, Arlington, Virginia; 1977. • Glitsa American, Bill Price • Fine Hardwoods Selectorama, Fine Hardwood • Goodwin Heart Pine, Carol and George Goodwin Veneer Association and American Walnut Man- • Indiana Hardwood Specialists, Tom Derleth ufacturers Association, Indianapolis; revised • International Hardwood Flooring, Bill Jopling 1987. • Kentucky Wood Floors, John Stern •Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Mate- • Lockwood Flooring, Lynne Schwan rial (Agriculture Handbook 72), Forest Products • Lon Musolf Distributing, Lynn Musolf Laboratory, Forest Service, U.S. Department of • Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association, Agriculture; publications revised in 1987 and in Rob Paterkiewicz 1999. • Mastercraft Floors, Nick Kulhawy • Various handbooks and leaflets, Forest Service, • Mesquite Products of Texas, Doug Florence U.S. Department of Agriculture. • Mountain Lumber, Willie Drake and John Wil- • Hardwoods of the U.S.A., Hardwood Export liams Trade Council and U.S. Department of Agricul- • Mullican Flooring, Don Conner ture Foreign Agricultural Service; revised 1988. • NOFMA: The Wood Floor Manufacturers • Hardwood Flooring Manual, National Wood Association, Mickey Moore Flooring Association, Manchester, Missouri; • Precision Flooring Services, Hu Smithers 1988. • Primatech, Richard Poirier • The Wood User’s Guide, Pamela Wellner and • Quality Woods, Bob Steber Eugene Dickey, Rainforest Action Network, San • Renaissance Floor In-Lays, Eugene Klotz Francisco; 1991. • Shelman USA, Dick Garwood • Southern Forest Products Association, Richard PUBLICATION EDITORS • Kim Wahlgren, Hardwood Floors magazine Kleiner • Doug Dalsing, Hardwood Floors magazine • Wood Floor Products Inc., Don Bollinger

* Note: Participation by the above organizations, companies and individuals does not imply their endorsement of all information appearing in this publication.

For more technical information, consult the other chapters in the NWFA’s Technical Manual Series:

National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) 111 Chesterfield Industrial Blvd. • Chesterfield, MO 63005 800/422-4556 (United States) • 636/519-9663 (local and international) Fax: 636/519-9664 [email protected] • Web site: www.nwfa.org

National Wood Flooring Association 111 Chesterfield Industrial Blvd. Chesterfield, MO 63005 Phone: 800/422-4556 (U.S.) 636/519-9663 (Local and International) Fax: 636/519-9664 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.nwfa.org