Why Designers Keep Specifying Wide Planks

The appeal is not purely aesthetic, though the look speaks for itself. Wide planks show off the natural character of wood in a way narrow boards simply cannot. A single 8-inch board of European white oak reveals the full sweep of the grain, the subtle mineral streaks, the gentle figure that makes wood irreplaceable as a material. You see the tree, not just the flooring.

From a spatial standpoint, fewer seams mean fewer visual interruptions. In the open-plan layouts that define contemporary LA architecture — great rooms that flow from kitchen to living to dining without walls — wide planks create a calm, continuous ground plane that anchors everything above it. Narrow strip floors can feel busy in these expansive spaces. Wide planks feel resolved.

Designers also appreciate the practical reality: wide plank floors lay faster, with less material waste per square foot, and they photograph beautifully. In a market where homes are often listed and staged for discerning buyers, that visual impact matters.

Choosing the Right Width and Species

The conversation about width typically starts at 5 inches and moves up from there. Here is how designers generally think about the spectrum:

• 5 to 6 inches: The entry point for a wide plank look. Still refined, works beautifully in transitional interiors and secondary spaces like bedrooms and studies.
• 7 to 8 inches: The sweet spot for most high-end LA projects. Wide enough to command the room, manageable for installers, and available in the best species and finish options.
• 9 to 10 inches and beyond: Statement territory. Best suited to large-format rooms, modern architecture with high ceilings, and clients who want the floor to be a genuine design element rather than background material.

Species selection shapes the personality of the floor entirely. European white oak dominates the high-end market right now for its consistent tone, receptivity to custom stains, and dimensional stability — critical in Southern California where interior temperatures can fluctuate. Hickory brings dramatic contrast and a more organic energy. French oak, sourced from slow-growth forests, offers an unmatched depth of grain that reads as effortlessly luxurious.

Provenza is among the brands that have built their reputation on wide plank European oak collections, with widths running 7 to 9 inches as a baseline. Their attention to grading and finish consistency makes them a reliable specification for projects where uniformity across a large square footage matters. Karndean offers engineered and luxury vinyl alternatives that replicate the wide plank aesthetic with exceptional dimensional stability — a practical choice for ground-level installations or rooms with radiant heat.

The Finish Conversation: Wire-Brushed and Matte

A decade ago, the shiny high-gloss finish was a signifier of quality. Today it reads as dated. The finishes dominating LA’s best interiors in 2026 are wire-brushed textures and low-sheen matte surfaces, and the reasons are both aesthetic and functional.

Wire-brushing is a mechanical process that removes the softer grain from the wood’s surface, leaving a subtle texture that catches light differently than a smooth board. The result feels handcrafted, tactile, and authentically material. It also hides the micro-scratches and fine wear that are simply part of living in a home. For families with pets, children, or active entertaining schedules, a wire-brushed floor is forgiving in the best way.

Matte finishes amplify this effect. Without the reflectivity of a gloss coat, the wood itself becomes the focal point rather than the sheen on top of it. In west-facing LA rooms that receive afternoon sun, matte finishes prevent the glare that can make a beautiful floor feel harsh. Shaw and Anderson Tuftex both offer extensive wide plank collections in wire-brushed, matte, and low-gloss options that address the full range of design directions.

Using Wide Planks in Open-Plan LA Interiors

The open-plan floor plan and the wide plank floor were made for each other. When a single material runs uninterrupted from the front entry through the kitchen and out to the great room, width becomes a design tool. Wider planks elongate sightlines and reinforce the sense of flow. Running planks parallel to the longest wall in an open plan space is the standard approach, but designers increasingly specify diagonal or chevron installations with wide boards to add movement without adding visual clutter.

Color direction matters as well. In the coastal neighborhoods of Santa Monica, Malibu, and Venice, lighter, cooler tones in whitewashed or natural European oak feel appropriate to the light and the lifestyle. In the canyon properties of Bel Air and Laurel Canyon, warmer, earthier tones in cognac, tobacco, or medium walnut read as intentional and grounded. Wide planks in either direction carry the color across the room with greater visual continuity than a narrow strip floor ever could.

For homeowners and designers ready to bring this look to a West Los Angeles project, the team at Barry Carpet has the expertise and the product selection to make it happen. From Provenza’s European oak collections to engineered wide plank options from Karndean, Shaw, and Anderson Tuftex, our showroom in Los Angeles is the resource your project deserves. Visit us to see full-size samples in person and work with a flooring specialist who understands both the design vision and the technical requirements of a high-performance installation.

White Oak vs. Red Oak: The Grain Makes the Room

These two species share a name and a hardness score, but they produce very different rooms. White oak sits at approximately 1,290 on the Janka hardness scale. Red oak comes in at around 1,260. Neither number tells the whole story. The visual difference is what designers reach for. White oak carries a tight, linear ray fleck pattern with cool undertones that reads as modern, calm, and extremely versatile in West Los Angeles interiors. It accepts grey stains without the green or pink cast that plagues red oak, which is why it has become the default species in new construction across Santa Monica, Culver City, and the Hollywood Hills. Provenza’s Heirloom Wood and Anderson Tuftex’s Palo Duro lines both showcase white oak beautifully in wide-plank formats that reward an open floor plan.

Red oak, by contrast, has a bolder, more pronounced grain with warm rosy undertones. It stains predictably in traditional tones, browns, honeys, and classic ebonies, which is exactly why it remains the right call for transitional or traditional homes in areas like Bel Air or Hancock Park. When a client wants a traditional feel with wide-plank character and a clean stain result, red oak delivers. The key is knowing not to push it toward cool greys, where the undertone fights the finish.

Walnut: The Luxury Species With Its Own Rules

American black walnut lands at around 1,010 on the Janka scale, which makes it notably softer than oak. That number makes some designers hesitate, but it rarely becomes a real-world problem in a residential setting where clients are not dragging furniture across the floor unprotected. The visual payoff is significant. Walnut carries a naturally dark, chocolate-to-espresso tone with a swirling, figured grain that photographs exceptionally well and adds instant warmth to spaces that could otherwise feel cold or clinical.

The critical detail with walnut is stain acceptance. Because walnut is already so richly toned, it is almost always best left in its natural state or finished with a light oil that enhances the natural color variation rather than masking it. Forcing a walnut floor into a grey or bleached stain destroys what you paid for. Provenza’s Walnut collection handles this well, offering low-sheen UV oil finishes that preserve the figure of the wood. For clients in Malibu or Beverly Hills who want a floor that functions as a design statement by itself, walnut is the right conversation.

Maple and Hickory: When Performance Drives the Spec

Maple registers at approximately 1,450 on the Janka scale, making it one of the hardest domestic hardwood species available. Hickory goes further still, ranging from 1,820 upward depending on the cut and region, which puts it among the most durable options in any residential flooring category. These are the species designers reach for when the performance requirements are non-negotiable: a home with large dogs, heavy traffic through a main hallway, or a client who travels frequently and wants a floor that holds up without constant attention.

Maple has a very tight, minimal grain with a pale, creamy tone that works well in contemporary and Scandinavian-influenced interiors. The tradeoff is stain acceptance. Maple’s density makes it resistant to absorbing stain evenly, which can produce a blotchy result with darker tones. Designers who want maple typically keep it light or natural. Hickory presents a dramatic contrast between its light sapwood and dark heartwood, which gives it a rustic, high-character look. It is not a species for minimalist interiors, but for ranch-style homes, mountain properties, or clients who want a floor with undeniable visual energy, hickory in a hand-scraped or wire-brushed finish from Anderson Tuftex delivers exactly that.

Designer Spec Checklist: Matching Species to the Project

Before finalizing a species selection, experienced designers work through a short set of considerations that align the floor to the project’s demands and the client’s lifestyle.

• Janka hardness relative to traffic level: match the species durability to how the space actually lives, not just how it looks in photos
• Stain acceptance and undertone: confirm the species will take the intended finish without fighting its natural pigment
• Grain character and design aesthetic: tight grain for modern spaces, open or figured grain for transitional and traditional rooms
• Plank width relative to room scale: wide-plank formats, five inches and above, read better in larger rooms and are available in white oak and walnut from Provenza and Anderson Tuftex
• Finish sheen level: low-sheen and matte finishes are the current standard in high-end LA residential work and hide wear far better than high-gloss
• Long-term refinishability: solid hardwood can be refinished multiple times over decades; engineered hardwood varies by wear layer thickness, so confirm before specifying

Selecting a hardwood species is not a single decision; it is a cascade of choices about aesthetics, performance, and the way a client actually lives in their home. At Barry Carpet in Los Angeles, our team works alongside interior designers and their clients to narrow that selection with real samples, current collections from Provenza and Anderson Tuftex, and the kind of direct, experience-based guidance that only comes from decades in the West LA flooring market. If you are specifying a hardwood project in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, or anywhere across the Westside, visit our showroom and let us help you make the right call for your project.

How They Are Built and Why It Matters

Solid hardwood is exactly what it sounds like: a single piece of wood milled to a standard three-quarter-inch thickness. It has been used in American homes for centuries and carries a certain romance. Engineered hardwood, by contrast, is a multi-layer construction with a genuine hardwood veneer bonded to a cross-ply core, typically high-density fiberboard or hardwood plywood. That layered core is the key. It resists expansion and contraction across the grain, which is precisely where solid wood becomes unpredictable.

Wood moves with moisture. In humid climates, boards swell. In dry climates, they shrink and gap. Los Angeles sits in a dry Mediterranean zone, but interior humidity still fluctuates with the seasons, ocean proximity, and the air conditioning systems running six months of the year in homes from Culver City to Malibu. Engineered construction dramatically reduces that movement, which translates to fewer gaps, fewer squeaks, and a floor that behaves consistently year after year.

The Slab Foundation Reality in Los Angeles

This is where the conversation shifts decisively for most LA homeowners. The vast majority of homes built in Southern California since the postwar era sit on concrete slab foundations. Solid hardwood cannot be glued directly to concrete and should never be installed below grade. The moisture that migrates through concrete, even when it feels completely dry, is enough to cause cupping, warping, or delamination in solid wood over time.

Engineered hardwood is designed for exactly this application. Premium products from Anderson Tuftex and Shaw Hardwoods can be glued, floated, or stapled over concrete slabs with proper moisture mitigation in place. Provenza, whose wide-plank European oak collections are a staple in high-design LA interiors, engineers their products with a veneer layer thick enough to refinish multiple times while maintaining full dimensional stability on slab. For the interior designers and architects specifying floors for homes in the Hollywood Hills or Santa Monica Flats, this is not a compromise. It is the technically superior choice for the substrate they are working with.

Refinishing, Longevity, and What Designers Actually Think About

The most common objection to engineered hardwood is refinishing. Solid hardwood at three-quarters of an inch can be sanded and refinished many times over its lifetime, which matters if you are thinking in generational terms. Engineered hardwood depends on the thickness of its top veneer layer. Entry-level products may allow one light refinish. However, premium engineered lines from Provenza and Anderson Tuftex offer veneer layers of four millimeters or more, which comfortably supports two to three full refinishing cycles. For a floor installed in 2026, that covers forty to fifty years of use under most residential conditions.

What working designers think about more than refinishing schedules is this: the look, the format, and the performance right now. Engineered technology has made it possible to produce wider and longer planks, more dramatic live-sawn and wire-brushed faces, and finishes that would not hold up in solid form at the same dimensions. The design vocabulary of engineered hardwood in 2026 is simply broader.

Cost, Selection, and When Solid Still Makes Sense

Solid hardwood typically runs lower on material cost for standard strip widths, though installation costs can close that gap quickly when a concrete substrate requires additional prep. Premium engineered products from Shaw Hardwoods or Provenza can reach the same price per square foot as solid, and rightfully so given the manufacturing precision and veneer quality involved. The installed cost difference between the two categories, at the high end, is often smaller than homeowners expect.

Solid hardwood does have a place. Homes with raised wood subfloor construction, particularly older craftsman and Tudor-revival properties in neighborhoods like Hancock Park or Los Feliz, are excellent candidates. The subfloor breathes, the substrate is compatible, and a solid three-quarter-inch white oak floor installed properly will outlast everyone in the room. In those specific conditions, solid hardwood is still the specification a thoughtful designer might reach for.

For most of the West Los Angeles market, though, the calculus looks like this:

• Slab foundation: engineered hardwood is the right call, full stop
• Wide-plank format over five inches: engineered performs significantly better
• Radiant heat system: engineered is the only responsible specification
• Raised wood subfloor, standard plank widths: solid hardwood earns its place
• Refinishing priority over twenty-plus years: solid gives you more cycles at standard veneer thicknesses

At Barry Carpet in Los Angeles, we carry an extensive selection of both solid and engineered hardwood from the collections that matter: Provenza, Anderson Tuftex, Shaw Hardwoods, and more. Our team works directly with interior designers and their clients throughout Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Culver City, and Malibu to match the right product to the right substrate and the right aesthetic. Come into the showroom and let us show you what these floors actually look like at scale, because photographs never tell the whole story.

Misconception 1: Hardwood Cannot Go in Kitchens

This one is persistent, and it is understandable where it came from. Older installation guidance warned against moisture exposure, and kitchens are indeed a wet environment. But the conversation has evolved considerably. Properly sealed prefinished hardwood, installed with the right moisture barriers and maintained with appropriate products, performs well in kitchens across Los Angeles homes. Provenza and Anderson Tuftex both offer prefinished engineered hardwood lines specifically engineered for high-traffic, moderate-moisture spaces. The key is working with a flooring professional who understands acclimation, substrate preparation, and finish systems. The floor will not install itself, and it should not be treated as if it will.

Misconception 2: Dark Floors Show Every Scratch and Every Speck of Dust

Dark floors do show dust more readily than light ones, that part is true. But the assumption that they are impractical overlooks finish technology that has changed significantly in the last several years. Wire-brushed and hand-scraped textures scatter light rather than concentrating it, which means surface variations read as character rather than damage. A smooth, high-gloss espresso floor will show pet nails and fine dust. A wire-brushed walnut in the same tone will absorb that visual noise entirely. Shaw’s Floorte and Mohawk’s TecWood lines offer dark-toned engineered options with texture profiles that are genuinely low-maintenance in real residential use. The finish matters as much as the color. Any designer worth their retainer knows to specify both.

Misconception 3: Engineered Hardwood Is Not Real Wood

This misconception is perhaps the most stubborn, and it does real damage to project outcomes when clients insist on solid hardwood without understanding what they are actually asking for. Engineered hardwood is real wood. The wear layer on the surface is genuine hardwood species, and in higher-end products it runs thick enough to support one or two refinishing cycles over the life of the floor. What differs is the construction beneath that wear layer: cross-ply plywood or HDF core that gives engineered hardwood dimensional stability solid planks cannot match. In Los Angeles, where slab foundations and radiant heat systems are common, that stability is not a compromise. It is a structural advantage. Brands like Provenza, Anderson Tuftex, and Kahrs produce engineered hardwood at a quality level that any design client would be proud to have underfoot.

Misconception 4: All Hardwood Looks the Same

Walk into a showroom with a serious hardwood selection and say this out loud. You will immediately see why it is wrong. The range of species, grades, widths, lengths, textures, and finish sheens available today is expansive. Consider just a few of the variables that define the character of a hardwood floor:

• Species: white oak reads cool and contemporary; European walnut reads warm and sculptural; hickory reads rustic and high-contrast
• Plank width: a 3-inch strip floor and a 9-inch wide-plank floor in the same species look nothing alike
• Grade: clear-grade minimizes knots and character marks; character-grade celebrates them
• Finish sheen: matte finishes read organic and quiet; satin finishes reflect more light and feel more traditional
• Surface texture: smooth, wire-brushed, hand-scraped, and saw-marked surfaces each carry a completely different visual weight

A Provenza luxury hardwood collection and a builder-grade strip oak are both technically hardwood floors. Treating them as equivalent is like saying all wine is the same because it comes from grapes.

Misconception 5: Hardwood Is Too High-Maintenance for a Family Home

The idea that hardwood requires constant attention is a product of a different era in finish technology. Modern aluminum oxide and UV-cured finishes on prefinished hardwood are extraordinarily durable. Routine care amounts to dry mopping, occasional damp mopping with a pH-neutral cleaner, and keeping pet nails trimmed. That is not high-maintenance. What is high-maintenance is living with a floor that does not perform for the household it serves. The right hardwood, properly specified for the space, is one of the lowest-drama flooring choices available. Families in West Los Angeles, Malibu, and Beverly Hills have been living beautifully on hardwood for generations.

Misconception 6: You Can Pick a Hardwood Floor From a Small Sample

A 3-by-5-inch chip tells you almost nothing useful about how a floor will read across a 2,000 square foot open plan. Lighting shifts, adjacent materials change, and the visual scale of a pattern that looks subtle in a small sample can feel overwhelming at room scale. This is why working with a designer and visiting a showroom with large display areas matters. Viewing a floor in context, under varying light conditions, next to the cabinetry or wall tone it will live with, is the only reliable way to make a confident selection. Samples go home. Large installed displays stay in the showroom. Use them.

At Barry Carpet in Los Angeles, our showroom carries an extensive hardwood selection across multiple price points, species, and finish profiles. We work alongside designers and their clients throughout West Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City, West Hollywood, and Malibu to ensure the floor that gets installed is the floor that was actually intended. Come in with your mood board, your questions, and yes, your misconceptions. We will sort through all of it together.

The Science Behind Modern Factory Finishes

What changed everything is aluminum oxide. This industrial-grade coating compound, applied under UV-cured conditions at the factory, produces a finish bond that no field application can replicate. The hardness rating on aluminum oxide-enhanced finishes regularly exceeds that of traditional oil or polyurethane finishes applied on-site, making them dramatically more resistant to scratching, scuffing, and the kind of daily wear that high-traffic LA homes inevitably produce.

Contemporary factory finish lines apply anywhere from six to twelve individual coats, each cured under ultraviolet light before the next is added. This layered approach creates a finish that bonds molecularly with the wood surface rather than simply sitting on top of it. The result is a floor that can withstand heeled shoes, pets, rolling furniture, and the constant foot traffic of a well-lived-in home without showing its age prematurely.

Sheen, Texture, and the New Aesthetic Vocabulary

One of the most significant developments in pre-finished hardwood over the past several years is the range of sheen levels and surface textures now available. This is where the category has made its most dramatic leap forward as a design material. Designers working with West Los Angeles clients now have access to a full spectrum from ultra-matte to satin to semi-gloss, and the choice profoundly shapes how light moves through a room.

Provenza, in particular, has become a benchmark for finish artistry. Their low-sheen and wire-brushed collections achieve a quality of light absorption that feels almost organic, yet every plank comes off the factory floor with absolute consistency. Anderson Tuftex has taken a similar approach, pairing their finish technology with thoughtfully curated wood species and color palettes that speak directly to the California aesthetic, warm neutrals, cool grays, and the rich natural tones that complement modern and transitional interiors alike.

Textured surfaces, including hand-scraped, wire-brushed, and saw-cut profiles, are another area where factory production now excels. These treatments, once achievable only through labor-intensive custom work, are engineered into the plank itself and sealed under the same durable aluminum oxide system. The character is authentic. The performance is industrial-grade.

Practical Advantages for the Los Angeles Home

Beyond finish technology, pre-finished hardwood offers real practical advantages that matter in the context of an LA renovation or new build. Because the finish is factory-applied and fully cured before the planks arrive, installation does not require the extended dry time or ventilation periods associated with other finishing methods. A project moves faster, disruption to the household is minimized, and there are no fumes or off-gassing concerns during that curing window.

For clients who have spent months selecting materials and coordinating trades, this efficiency has real value. It also means the floor is ready for immediate use and furnishing the moment installation is complete, an important consideration for clients on a tight move-in schedule or managing a staged renovation around an occupied home.

Warranty coverage is another tangible benefit. Leading brands back their factory finishes with finish warranties ranging from 25 years to lifetime coverage, a level of commitment that reflects genuine confidence in the technology. Shaw’s Epic Plus line and Mohawk’s TecWood collection are two examples where finish warranty terms are among the strongest in the industry.

What Our Design Partners Look for in a Pre-Finished Floor

The designers we work with at Barry Carpet return to a consistent set of priorities when specifying pre-finished hardwood for their clients. These are the qualities that separate an exceptional floor from a merely adequate one.

• Finish sheen that reads correctly under the specific lighting conditions of the project, whether that is natural California light or layered artificial sources
• Micro-bevel or eased edge profiles that minimize the visibility of minor seasonal movement between planks
• Longer plank lengths, typically 5 inches wide and above, that give interiors a more expansive, custom feel
• Species selection that complements the existing material palette of the home, white oak, hickory, and European oak are particularly in demand right now
• Verified Janka hardness ratings appropriate for the traffic level and use of each space

At Barry Carpet, our showroom in West Los Angeles carries an edited selection of pre-finished hardwood collections chosen specifically for the demands of Southern California interiors. We work closely with interior designers and their clients across Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City, West Hollywood, and Malibu to identify the right species, finish, and format for each project. If you are specifying hardwood for an upcoming renovation or new construction, we invite you to visit our showroom and explore what today’s factory finishes have made possible.

When shopping for hardwood flooring, you’ll likely come across the term “grade.”  And if you’re like many consumers, you may wonder if a high-grade wood ensures the best-quality flooring. The short answer is: Sometimes yes – and sometimes no. Actually, grade and quality are two independent measures that together help evaluate a product’s overall value. Grade can best be thought of as “what the tree gave you to work with” – the wood’s natural appearance. Grade is evaluated along a wide spectrum that ranges from woods that are very uniform in appearance and color, without knots or other noticeable character markings, to woods with significant color variations and other visible natural character features. Quality is tied more closely to manufacturing – how the final planks are produced. Quality issues may include milling defects, finish imperfections, and stain color variations, for instance. So back to my answer above: A high-grade wood doesn’t necessarily guarantee a floor’s long-term value. For example, flooring made from a high-grade wood may include manufacturing defects that would lower the flooring’s “quality” – and thus its overall value. On the other hand, flooring made from a lower-grade wood, but with little to no manufacturing defects, would be considered higher quality, raising the flooring’s value. For this reason, product warranties are often based largely on quality and are much less dependent on a wood’s grade. Additionally, since no two tree species are exactly the same, grade is not always the best indication of a wood’s appearance. For example, Maple, which characteristically has clean lines and light coloring, looks almost white at its highest grade. Whereas a wood such as Oak, with more active graining patterns and natural color variations, will never look as “clean” as Maple, even at its highest grade. And grading doesn’t always account for the wood’s source. For example, reclaimed woods are often sought-after flooring choices because of their rich patina. While board-to-board color variations are typically a low-grade characteristic, in this case, this time-worn look is what makes reclaimed wood uniquely beautiful and often far more expensive. Hardwood Flooring Grades: How Woods Are Graded Within each species of wood, the highest grades will be the ones that are the most uniform in color and have the longest board lengths. Following is a brief description of each grade. The allowable defects for these grades are considered part of the industry’s standard 5% allowable waste for all better wood flooring grades (this can be as high as15%-20% for low-grade woods). While the descriptions within each category are fairly similar for prefinished and unfinished woods, the names used to refer to these grades may differ depending on the manufacturer. Prime Grade: Representing the top grade within each wood species, these boards are also referred to as Clear, A, 1st, and Select & Better Grade. Woods are uniform in appearance with minimal natural color variations and character marks, and they include the longest plank lengths. Allowable defects include: occasional small burls, very small, tight knots, and fine pinworm holes – in limited pieces and when properly filled. After finishing, the face of the plank will have the cleanest appearance within the species. Standard Grade: The next-best wood flooring grade, these boards contain more wood characteristics relevant to the species, while the face is still even and smooth after filling and finishing. Also referred to as Select, #1, 2nd,  Common, and Common & Better Grade, boards include the following allowable defects: small worm holes; season and kiln checks;  dime-size broken knots; larger open knots, if properly filled and finished; minor imperfections from machining; and other minor characteristics that will not affect the floor’s durability. Builder Grade: Boards include most of the wood’s spectrum of natural character – more color, bigger knots, and creamy-colored sapwood. Sometimes referred to as Natural, #2 Common, C, Mill Run, Run, Rustic, Sapwood, or Shorts, boards have a limited amount of unfilled or unfinished open characteristics. Allowable finish irregularities include: bubbles; small skips; lines; stain or color variations; and surface scratches. Expect overall shorter pieces. Cabin or Tavern Grade: This grade tends to have better board lengths and cleaner faces but may include some low-grade wood characteristics and quality imperfections such as machining issues. Overall, this grade has shorter board lengths, more color variations, and small dings, and is thus expected to have more than a 10% waste factor. Because quality defects are allowed, there typically is no structural warranty offered on this wood, but a warranty on the finish may be available. [Add image showing some common imperfections] Utility Grade: Also called #3 Common or D Grade, these boards include those with the most wood imperfections and matching issues.  The expected waste factor is 10%, and there is generally no structural warranty offered on this wood, but a warranty on the finish may still be available. Shop Grade: The lowest-grade of wood flooring, these woods include all of wood’s imperfections. Often offered at the best prices, these woods can be a great value but expect more labor, waste and added materials to get the desired look. Deciding if a Flooring Makes the Grade It’s important to remember that grade is only a spectrum, with the “cleanest” woods rating the highest. If you prefer hardwood flooring with more color variations and character, there’s nothing wrong with going with a lower grade. The main consideration here is quality. In general, the lowest-priced woods will be those that are both low-grade and include manufacturing defects that impact quality. Have more questions about wood grades?  Ask one of our Barry Carpet hardwood flooring experts. Or visit our Barry Carpet showroom in West Los Angeles.

When shopping for hardwood flooring, one of the most important decisions you will make is whether to go with a solid wood or an engineered wood. While there are benefits found within each of these types of hardwood flooring, there are situations where one type of wood flooring may be better suited for your use than the other. Here’s a brief overview to help explain the differences between these two types hardwood flooring. Solid Hardwood Flooring As its name implies, solid wood flooring is made from one solid piece of 100% natural wood. Planks are available in various widths, lengths, and thicknesses, with most traditional planks offered in a 3/4” thickness with a tongue and groove fit. Solid wood can be stained and finished at the factory during the manufacturing process – referred to as prefinished or factory finished. Or you can choose to sand and finish this flooring after it is installed. And, if a high-traffic area becomes worn, or if the floor becomes scratched, solid hardwood floors can be sanded and refinished multiple times to restore the flooring to its original beauty. For installation, solid hardwood flooring requires nailing or stapling planks to an approved wooden subfloor. It’s not recommended to install over concrete slabs. Engineered Hardwood Flooring Engineered hardwood is also 100% wood. The difference here is that it is manufactured by permanently bonding together multiple thin layers of wood, called plies. Each ply is arranged in the opposing direction of the ply above it, so that grains run in opposite directions. This cross-ply construction produces a highly dimensionally stable plank that is not affected by moisture like solid wood flooring. Engineered wood planks are available in various widths and lengths, much like solid woods. Planks range from about 3/8” to 3/4” thick. The top wood top layer is usually stained and finished at the factory with a combination of aluminum oxide crystals for extra durability and several coats of UV-cured urethane. Engineered wood planks with at least a 1/8” thick top wood layer can generally be successfully sanded down and refinished, if needed. Most engineered wood floors can in glued, stapled, or floated over a variety of sub-floors on all grade levels. Which Type of Hardwood Flooring Works Best in Your Home? In terms of appearance, it’s almost impossible to tell the difference between solid and engineered hardwoods once the flooring is installed. Both types are offered in a variety of wood species, widths, and finishes. Both can be stained to a variety of colors and are offered in several finishing options such as beveled or smooth edges and hand-scraping for added character. The major difference is that solid wood planks are more susceptible to the effects of moisture. Extreme temperature changes, high humidity, and excessive dampness will cause solid planks to expand and contract, resulting in gaps between the planks, referred to as cupping. Therefore, solid hardwood flooring is not recommended in humid areas, sites with extreme temperature changes, or for installations over concrete slabs or in rooms that are below grade level, such as basements. In contrast, the cross-ply construction of engineered wood flooring prevents the planks from growing and shrinking with changes in moisture and humidity levels, effectively avoiding the issues found in solid wood flooring. This makes engineered wood flooring the better choice for homes in areas like California where humidity and moisture are often a top concern. Engineered flooring can be installed over concrete slabs and even over radiant heating systems. In fact, engineered wood floors work well in just about any room of your home. The Right Choice for You Understanding the differences between solid and engineered hardwoods is an important step to choosing the wood flooring that’s best for you. Whether you choose solid or engineered wood flooring both will add pretty much the same resale value to your home. Need help finding the right hardwood floor for your home? Give us a call or stop in our Barry Carpet showroom. We’re happy to answer all your questions about hardwood floors and make sure the flooring you choose is the perfect one for your needs and budget.

When it comes to hardwood floors, there are many factors that you need to look at when deciding what will be right for your home. Species of wood, stain, solid vs. engineered construction, and the brand to name a few. Today’s blog post we will focus on some of the wood floor finishes…and many people have asked us what are the pros and cons of an oil finished wood floor vs. an urethane finished wood floors? In the last decade oil finishes have been making a comeback, especially with the increase in popularity of reclaimed wood floors. The trend is to keep the look as natural as possible and the oil is ideal finish for this. I always tell people that live in homes that take a lot of abuse from kids, pets and high traffic to go with a low gloss urethane or oil. The higher the gloss, the more likely you are to see scratches. Oil Finished Wood Floors The great thing about oil floors is that they do not need to be refinished. The oil gives the natural flooring a nice rich look, and over time and with reapplication of oil, the floors only look richer. Oil is made with linseed oil, and you the homeowner can apply it yourself. The oil allows the natural beauty of the wood to shine through. This is what makes it unique. Common to the ”oiled look” is the featuring of the natural grain, knots and imperfections in the wood. Sometimes the more rustic the better. Urethane Finished Wood Floors The urethane finishes have been around for 50 years. Many of us have grown up in homes with wood floors that have a more polished look. There are advantages to wood floors that come with the urethane type finish. They help prevent scratching and excessive wear and have a protective layer that sits on top of the wood floor. I caution people and tell them to go with the lower gloss. The lower the gloss the less likely you are to see scratching. Also, make sure you look into the flooring manufacturer. Mirage is a top of the line manufacturer, and in my opinion has the best wear layer and finish compared to other floors in the market. They have the highest customer satisfaction rate. In my 15 years of working in the industry, I have yet to have a customer that has been disappointed in their product or how it has performed. So, in a nutshell, oil finished woods can be easier to maintain – and for those wood enthusiasts (such as myself) you are able to really see the true richness and beauty of the wood. With each re-coating of oil, the richer the wood becomes over time. If you decide on a urethane floor (also beautiful and durable) – please do the research as the quality of the urethane finish really does make all the difference. A company that produces quality products with quality urethane finish will give you a product that will perform for years to come. Come to the Barry Carpet showroom in West Los Angeles and we will be happy to show you the differences between an oil finished wood floor and a urethane finished floor.