Species sets the color, grain and hardness of your floor. Here’s how the six species we mill compare, so you can narrow down before visiting our Livonia showroom to compare panels.
Hardness at a glance
The Janka rating measures how hard a wood is to dent; higher is harder. Finish, texture and sheen matter just as much for how a floor wears day to day.
| Species | Janka (lbf) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Red Oak | 1,290 | Traditional and farmhouse interiors, whole-house runs, and projects matching existing oak trim. |
| Northern Maple | 1,450 | Modern and Scandinavian interiors, busy family rooms, and spaces that call for a quiet grain. |
| Northern Walnut | 1,010 | Libraries, dining rooms, primary suites, and designer projects that want natural dark wood. |
| Northern Hickory | 1,820 | Rustic, lodge and lake-house interiors, homes with kids and pets, and high-traffic open plans. |
| Northern White Oak | 1,360 | Contemporary and transitional homes, custom color programs, and long, wide boards. |
| Northern Ash | 1,320 | Cottage and coastal looks, light modern interiors, and bold dark floors with visible grain. |
Northern Red Oak
Red oak has the pronounced, cathedral grain many Michigan homes grew up with. Its warm pink-to-amber base takes stain evenly, so it works for traditional interiors and for custom colors chosen with our showroom sample panels.
Northern Maple
Maple is dense with a fine, even grain, which gives wide boards a calm, smooth look. Natural maple reads light and clean; judge darker colors against our showroom sample panels because maple absorbs stain differently than oak.
Northern Walnut
Walnut is chosen for its natural color: deep browns with lighter sapwood streaks, no stain required. It is softer than oak or hickory, so it suits rooms where character marks over time are welcome.
Northern Hickory
Hickory ranks among the hardest North American flooring species, with dramatic shifts from creamy sapwood to brown heartwood. In wide planks that contrast becomes the design feature.
Northern White Oak
White oak is the species designers specify most for wide plank floors: a neutral base, tight grain, and good dimensional stability. It works in natural finishes, fumed-look browns and custom colors alike.
Northern Ash
Ash has a strong, flowing grain similar to oak but a lighter, creamier base. It takes both pale and dark finishes well, which is why the collection runs from Cottage to Graphite.
Cut changes the look too
The same species looks different depending on how it’s sawn. Rift and quarter sawn boards have straight grain and move less; plain sawn shows the classic cathedral pattern.