The Elegant Durability of a Brazilian Cherry Hardwood Floor

For generations, hardwood flooring has been judged against the hardness scale of red oak. Long renowned for its beauty and durability, oak has found its way into many homes as both flooring and trim. On the hardness scale, red oak rates 1260 which is a pretty good rating. However, there’s a wood that rates 2820 on the scale which is a good 228% as hard as domestic red oak. Brazilian Cherry hardwood floors look gorgeous and are tough enough to withstand the punishment your family will give your floors.

As the name implies, Brazilian Cherry originates in South America. Variations in color range from a lighter tan to a dark reddish-brown and incorporates whites and pinks into the grain. It features beautifully intense shadowing with both regular and irregular graining. Brazilian Cherry is considered to be a very heavy wood as well as one having high mechanical properties which makes it ideal for all kinds of interior decorating projects. In addition to flooring, this cherry wood is perfect for rafters, joists, and beams, cabinetry, stair treads, door frames, and furniture.

When choosing the grade of Brazilian Cherry you want for your home, there are some guidelines to follow.

* Wood that is graded clear will offer a more uniform appearance. Coming from the heartwood of the tree, it has little character.

* Select hardwoods, while still being very uniform in appearance, have a wider variety of colors, knots, and other natural characteristics common to Brazilian Cherry.

* Common grades are classed as #1 and #2 and have colors that vary significantly and a lot of character. #2 will have more character than #1 will.

Exotic hardwood floors are becoming increasingly popular in North America. In addition to Brazilian Cherry, you will find woods like Brazilian Teak, Brazilian Walnut, and Santos Mahogany. Each of these different woods will give your floors a unique look to enhance your home’s interior. All of these flooring materials are available in both prefinished and unfinished boards so that you’ll be able to match colors perfectly. Most of them tend to run around $5 a square foot. For that price you’ll receive a beautiful, very durable floor that will look nice for many years to come with little upkeep.