You Talked, We Listened! The 5 Most Popular Hardwood Flooring Varieties [Summer 2012]

We get a lot of calls and emails asking us what we think are the best styles of hardwood flooring. While we're always very flattered, we know that sometimes our opinions aren't the opinions of everyone on the market for new hardwood floors. That's why we've put together this brief list of the top five flooring varieties most talked about over the past three months. We gathered data from our website, phone call and email inquiries, and Google search volume trends to develop this list, and we hope it helps you in your search for new hardwood flooring material. Enjoy!

1. Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Many people call us wanting information on just what engineered flooring really is. Well, here you go! Engineered hardwood floors are made of multiple ply layers or various materials that have been cross-layered, glued, and pressed together. Engineered flooring is often preferred over solid wood flooring because they are more resistant to moisture and less likely to buckle or warp. Engineered flooring is available in almost any hardwood species and is often much easier to install than traditional solid floors.

2. Laminate Flooring
Because of its low price point and excellent durability, laminate flooring has become one of the hottest trends in residential flooring. Most laminate products these days do a great job of mimicking real wood floors, providing a touch of natural beauty to homes on a budget. Laminate is also lighter and easier to install than solid hardwood, making it a perfect choice for second story applications.

3. Oak Hardwood Flooring
Oak hardwood has been a tried-and-true flooring choice for generations, and for good reason. It is attractive, versatile, durable, and less expensive than most exotic hardwood species. Fantastic Floor carries many different varieties of both red and white oak flooring, all at reasonable prices.

4. Tigerwood Hardwood Flooring
The dynamic and exciting look of Tigerwood hardwood has caused it to rocket in popularity among homeowners looking for a unique and stylish flooring material. Its rich colors and distinctive striping add a bold accent to any room. It is also an incredibly durable hardwood species, meaning one flooring application can last for decades.

5. Brazilian Cherry Hardwood Flooring Brazilian Cherry is back, baby! Also known as Jatoba, this hardwood species saw a surge in popularity a few years ago but sank back into relative obscurity when the country took an economic turn for the worse. Now that the economy is on the mend, this beautiful hardwood species is back in the spotlight. Brazilian Cherry hardwood flooring features stunning reds and browns and dark black striping. It is also one of the most durable flooring options you can find, with a Janka hardness rating nearly twice that of most common domestics.

Questions about any of these flooring varieties? Contact Fantastic Floor today at 888.448.9663.

What are your favorite hardwood flooring varieties? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Fantastic Floor Presents: Ipe

Welcome back to Fantastic Floor Presents, the only hardwood spotlight blog series you'll ever need! Last week we highlighted the ever-popular but often overlooked Birch hardwood flooring. This week we're shining our hardwood spotlight on one of the most alluring of all the exotic hardwood flooring materials: Ipe!

Ipe is one of the most eye-catching and beautiful exotic hardwood flooring materials on the market today. The dark browns and deep reds of Ipe provide an excellent contrast to its slow, wavy grain pattern. The variety of shades of Ipe make it an incredibly visually interesting species of wood, perfect for foyers, dining rooms, kitchens, offices, or anywhere you'd like your floors to make a great first impression. Ipe is also quite versatile, despite its striking appearance. It works equally well in a sleek, modern design scheme as it does a more quaint, traditional home decor.

Beauty is only one amazing aspect of Ipe hardwood flooring; it is also the most durable hardwood you can find. Its dense cell structure makes it nearly impenetrable to insects, molds, and other forms decay. It also has a Class A fire rating, which is the same class of fire-retardant materials as steel. The Janka hardness rating of Ipe is 3,680 pounds, making it the fourth hardest wood species in the world. All these factors add up to a naturally durable and long-lasting flooring material.

If you're looking for beauty, durability, and style, look no further than Ipe hardwood flooring. Contact Fantastic Floor today at 1-888-448-9663 to learn more about this amazing exotic species. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

What's So Great About White Oak, Anyway?

White oak flooring has been one of the most popular hardwood flooring varieties in the U.S. for years, and for good reason. It's beautiful, costs less than more exotic hardwood varieties, and is complementary to many different design schemes. But beyond its great value and looks, why is America so enamored with this specific variety of oak flooring? While we can't speak for everyone, the following are the 5 top reasons why we believe white oak flooring to be one of the best hardwood flooring options on the market today:

Looks
Not only is white oak flooring a stunning shade of pale whites and warm light-browns, but its tight, intricate grain pattern adds depth and visual intrique as well. It is also a very versatile flooring option; the neutral tones match nearly any home design scheme you can imagine.

Durability
While not as durable as some exotic hardwood species, white oak flooring is still as tough as nails. With a density of 900 KG/m3 and a Janka hardness rating of 1,360 lbs, white oak can certainly stand up to a lot of everyday wear and tear.

Stability
Buckling, bending, and warping can be major problems for hardwood floor owners. Not so with white oak. This species of flooring experiences shrinking and expansion at a relatively even rate, meaning your floors are less susceptible to the warping and bending you see more commonly among other species.

Green-Certified
The White Oak Natural products available at Fantastic-Floor.com are green-certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. This means the white oak floors you're installing in your home come only from well-managed and regulated forests or other controlled sources.

Price
White oak flooring from Fantastic Floor comes in a wide price range, but even the lowest priced products we carry are of extremely high-quality. We have many beautiful white oak varieties priced at under $3.00/SF, and have a steady line of high-quality sale items as well.

It should be clear by now that we think white oak is one of the best flooring materials you can find. What do you think of the species? What's your favorite hardwood flooring variety? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Want to learn more about white oak flooring? Call our knowledgeable sales team today at 888.448.9663. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Hardwood Strength: Which Species Is Best? [INFOGRAPHIC]

When searching for a hardwood flooring material, there are many important factors to consider. One of these factors is the wood's strength. In hardwood flooring, strength is measured in psi, or, pounds per square inch. Also known as modulus of rupture (MOR), a wood's strength is a measure of its load-carrying capacity. In other words, it's the amount of weight a species can withstand before the board starts to bend or break. The following infographic shows the 10 strongest hardwood species you can find. Enjoy!

Learn more about hardwood flooring strength at Fantastic-Floor.com/WoodStrength, or call us at 1-888-448-9663.

Fantastic Floor's Top 5 Luxury Laminates

More and more homeowners are choosing laminate flooring over traditional hardwood flooring, and for a lot of good reason. High-quality laminate flooring is attractive, durable, and costs a lot less than solid hardwood. Here at Fantastic Floor, we offer a large selection of beautiful laminate flooring products. But which are our favorites? Glad you asked! The following are five of our top luxury laminate flooring products. Enjoy!

Bamboo
Our horizontal bamboo laminate is a great option for homeowners looking for a sleek, modern flooring material with an excellent price point. The light brown tones and tight grain of bamboo laminate complement many different modern design schemes, while the material's durability is hard to beat.

Classic Maple
While the bright yellow-white tones of our Classic Maple laminate flooring brings out the charm of any room of the house, it works especially well in the kitchen, bathroom, or any room that requires a lot of natural light. Additionally, our Classic Maple laminate flooring has a Janka hardness rating of 2,000 lbs., making it one of the most durable non-hardwood flooring materials available.

Red Oak
Our Red Oak laminate flooring is a modern take on a traditional hardwood flooring option. For years, Red Oak has been the go-to hardwood species for American homeowners. Today, the amazing price point of laminate Red Oak flooring is allowing homeowners on a budget to get the same great look at a much smaller price.

Vintage Cherry
Vintage Cherry is one of the more exotic laminate flooring options we offer. With its dark striping, irregular grain pattern, and varying tones, Vintage Cherry is perfect for homeowners looking to add a dramatic and eye-catching element to their room decor.

Espresso Walnut
Dark and sultry, our Espresso Walnut laminate flooring adds an air of sophistication to any dining room, living room, library, or study. Its deep browns and wavy grain pattern are a great way to make a bold design statement without breaking the bank.

Questions? Call one of our knowledgeable flooring reps today to discuss the many ways laminate flooring can help you get the look and feel of traditional hardwood flooring while still staying within your budget.

Fantastic Floor Presents: Birch

Welcome back to your favorite hardwood flooring spotlight series, Fantastic Floor Presents! This week we're taking a look at a consistently popular domestic flooring variety: Birch. Enjoy!

Birch hardwood flooring comes in a wide range of tones and colors, from light yellow to a deep reddish-brown. The texture is uniform and fine and the grain pattern is tight and straight. Birch is one of the more softer domestic hardwoods, but this softness allows it to be used in more complicated applications that require very specific cuts and shaping. In fact, birch is often used in cabinetry, paneling, and other more decorative forms of woodworking.

Birch hardwood flooring from Fantastic Floor comes in dozens of styles and colors, from the deep, dark brown of Birch Shadow to the bright, exotic red of Birch Mahogany. Our Birch flooring is available in prefinished, unfinished, and engineered varieties. Contact Fantastic Floor today at 1-888-448-9663 to learn more about this great hardwood flooring species.

Fantastic Floor August Sale!

This summer has been a real scorcher, but the upcoming August heat will be nothing compared to the smokin' deals we have on three of our most popular hardwood flooring species this month! If you're on the prowl for a new Brazilian Cherry, Cumaru, or Tigerwood hardwood floor, look no further! We've got all three on sale throughout August. Check 'em out!

Brazilian Cherry

Also known as Jatoba, Brazilian Cherry is the most popular exotic hardwood flooring in the United States. It's popularity is due to its beautiful appearance and incredible durability. The Fantastic Floor August Sale price is only $5.99/SF!

Cumaru

This tough, dense exotic hardwood flooring material features medium brown shades and a tight grain pattern. It is also an incredibly dense species, making it naturally resistant to mold, mildew, and wood-boring insects. The Fantastic Floor August Sale price is only $5.99/SF!

Tigerwood

One of the most distinctive species of hardwood flooring available, Tigerwood features dark browns and reds and thick black striping. The density and hardness of Tigerwood floors make them naturally resistant to everyday wear and tear. The Fantastic Floor August sale price is only $5.99/SF!

The Fantastic Floor August Sale is for a limited time only, so call us today at 1-888-448-9663!