Hardwood flooring is one of the most desirable types of flooring for your home available today. It is a green, renewable resource, it is comfortable underfoot and it looks absolutely stunning in any room. Yet there are so many different woods and finish options that it can be a trial to choose exactly which hardwood flooring you want in your home.
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Obviously, price is a big factor for many homeowners. You may be working with a budget when you choose a hardwood flooring option, so it is important to know exactly what goes into the price of every different type of hardwood flooring.
Additionally, there are different finishes that can add expense to your hardwood floors as well. Some of the biggest trends these days, according to the Wood Floor Covering Association, are exotic hardwood flooring options and effects such as hand-scraped hardwood. One beautiful flooring option, Acacia hand-scraped hardwood, falls under both of these desirable categories.
Acacia Wood
Acacia is a genus of wood with many different species. When referring to hardwood flooring, people are generally referring to either Acacia Koa, also known as Hawaiian Koa, or Acacia melanoxylon, also known as Australian Blackwood. While these two trees are different species, they share some similar traits. You can find out more about the Acacia tree here.
Both the Hawaiian and Australian species of Acacia have similar colors for hardwood flooring. They tend to be medium gold or reddish brown; both are compared to the color of Mahogany.
Both species are prized for their lustrous grain, contrasting bands of color, and ease of use as hardwood flooring. Both have consistent stability and can be worked by hand or machine with relative ease.
Hawaiian Koa and Australian Blackwood have a relatively high hardness on the Janka Hardness Test. Make Magazine defines the Janka Hardness Test as testing how much force is required to create an indentation in the wood.
This test measures the density of wood, with a higher hardness rating implying a greater density. Denser woods have more particles per square inch, so they are generally heavier as well as denser.
Woods that are denser resist scratching, denting, and marring when used as hardwood flooring–much more so than woods with lower Janka ratings. Both Acacia species were rated at a hardness of 1,100 pounds per force to 1,110 pounds per force on the Janka Hardness Test.
The Australian Blackwood variety is much more plentiful, especially when taking into account Australia’s larger land mass when compared with Hawaii’s! Hawaii’s natural timber fields have been converted to grazing fields and other uses, so it is not as if the Hawaiian Koa is being cultivated on any large scale.
However, Australian Blackwood has been purposely planted on timber plantations inside and outside of Australia. It is actually considered an invasive species in certain areas, so its use as a desirable hardwood flooring option is a good one.
Hand-Scraped Hardwood
Another trend in hardwood flooring these days is hand-scraping. This process is followed to give an authentic or antique look to a hardwood floor. In terms of design, hand-scraped flooring adds a layer of texture, color, and character to any room in your home.
Essentially, each piece of hardwood flooring is scraped, by hand, with a knife. Back before machinery planed down boards for use as lumber and hardwood flooring, such work had to be done by hand to achieve a flat surface. When someone hand scrapes wood flooring today, he or she is attempting to recapture the look of a bygone era; when every piece of wood was shaped by a master craftsman.
Hand scraping obviously does not achieve the perfectly smooth surfaces or exact angles of a machine. Scrapes, flaws, and imperfections are left behind. Those minor imperfections from hand scraping lend depth and character to a wood floor. Instead of being undesirable, the flaws create a unique hardwood flooring that fits modern, contemporary, and antique interior designs alike.
More like a piece of art then just a floor, a hand-scraped wooden floor adds a touch of craftsmanship and attractiveness to any home. Each board is truly unique, so the hand-scraped flooring in your home will not be like the hand-scraped flooring in any other home.
The minor imperfections also allow stains and glosses to pool, creating alternating dark and light areas that give hand-scraped flooring a three-dimensional quality.
Hand scraping a wood floor is not cheap. Just like in the days of old, a person must go over each board one at a time by hand, with a tool.
Distressed hardwood flooring is a less-expensive option, but the flaws and imperfections are created by a machine rather than by hand. This means that they might repeat in a noticeable pattern or lack the quality of having every single board be unique and distinct from its neighbor.
Affordability Is Relative
The term “affordable” can mean a lot of different things to many different people. What one person believes is affordable might seem wasteful or outlandish to another. That being said, hardwood flooring is not always the home renovation project on which you want to try to save money.
Generally speaking, certain hardwood floors cost more because they usually have a property or character that is worthwhile. The flooring might be a rich color, it might be highly durable, or it might reflect the light in just the right way.
Hardwood flooring certainly adds value to any home, so most hardwood flooring options are really part of the investment in your home.
Again, what might seem like a fair price to one might not be viewed the same to another. You must identify the traits of hardwood flooring that are valuable to you, and choose a hardwood flooring option to match your choices and your budget.
Some people are mostly interested in a hardwood floor that will last; they want to get their money’s worth over the years. Others are willing to pay more for a certain look, a certain color, or a certain luster–even if it costs more. These people value the beauty of the floor before the cost.
Acacia hardwood flooring is generally prized for its rich colors, its luster, and even its desirable tendency to have wavy or curly grains.
Furthermore, both Acacia species are relatively hard and dense, and the Timber Merchants Association of Australia recommends that Australian Blackwood can enjoy a healthy life of 15 years when used on above-ground flooring.
So, Acacia hardwood flooring can certainly allow you to get your money’s worth, even if it costs a bit more to install.
Comparative Cost of Acacia
Due to the restrictive growing situation of Hawaiian Koa, it is generally a very expensive hardwood floor to install. Australian Blackwood is certainly cheaper than Hawaiian Koa, but it is certainly not on the low end of the pricing scale. There are many other hardwood flooring options that are much cheaper.
Again, it is up to you to decide what is right for your home, beyond using the right kind of wood for certain flooring needs. For instance, most hardwoods should not be used for below-level flooring, such as in basements, as it is too moist.
Besides the general rules of choosing hardwood flooring for your home, only you can decide what is affordable and what is not.
For instance, you might just absolutely love the color and luster of an Acacia hardwood floor. Seeing that beautiful flooring as it helps to showcase your home day after day might bring you a great deal of joy, and so it might be worth it to you to pay a little bit more to have Acacia hardwood flooring in your home.
Conversely, you might not care what flooring is under your feet as long as it looks good and is easy to care for. In that case, the higher cost of Acacia hardwood flooring might not be for you.
There are a few tricks to help you to purchase higher priced wood flooring that might be a bit outside of your budget. One trick is to put the high-end flooring in common spaces such as living rooms and dining rooms, while you use a cheaper wood flooring in private areas such as bedrooms.
Hand-Scraped Acacia
While Acacia wood flooring is not inexpensive, the price really increases a great deal if it is hand scraped. Getting hand-scraped flooring is like having someone carve your wooden furniture by hand. It takes time and really cannot be rushed.
However, the heart wants what the heart wants, and if hand-scraped Acacia hardwood flooring is what you truly desire, then you should find a way to make it a reality for at least a few rooms in your home. The true beauty and character of such a hardwood flooring option will always be enjoyed.
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