Wood flooring Ideas

Tom Niemi

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The LOML and I are stumped and are looking for suggestions on what wood to use for our dining/kitchen flooring. We may buy finished flooring, or I am strongly considering (with the help on my son) milling my own. Obviously colors must be complimentary with counter tops and cabs. Countertops are Jarrah butcher block (we have already made most of that already) and will just be sealed, no stain. Cabs are mission design ans I am holding on stain color until after the flooring is chosen. We really like the rustic, knots, scraped, antique look.

Thanks of any and all ideas:thumb:, Tom
 
I actually thought of using curlie maple and at $8.12 lf is on the higher side of where I would like to be but not totally out of the question, walnut is to dark and is brown which will not work with the reds in jarrah. Now I didn't think of cherry, does that make good flooring? the reds in cherry will work with the jarrah. Thanks, nice suggestion Chuck :thumb:

Oh and Larry DOES have some don't he :D
 
Now I am pretty sure that I can get some of that FUNNY MAPLE for a low cost comparied to Johnsons price. I think that we should take a trip to woverine in Allegan and see If I can find some of that $3.30 bf stuff:eek:But for a FREE Moulding cost and Free Ripping Cost I think that I can Help you alot.:D
 
A gorgeous as it would look, is curly maple hard enough to make a durable floor? I suspect a good poly finish helps the wearability, though. Sure would look sweet if it's doable.
 
There is soft curlie and hard curlie maple also, That last small batch I got was hard maple. Don't know if I can get hard curlie in volume though :dunno:
 
if jim geta bunch of that curly stuuf i need to be there to make sure its good enough for you floor.. and even soft maple is tougher than cherry.. i have seen some cherry floors toma dn when yu do you will agree with chucks interuptations.. they are wonderful..go to lumber liguadators and look at there selection.. laminated prefinished is some stable and pretty stuff.
 
My one (out of four) cherry transition pieces finished just with Bush Oil (1/3 each tung oil, BLO and urethanes) located on the side of the hallway to the kitchen is not holding up well to direction changes of rapidly moving terrierists (see my avatar to look at the culprits).

Maybe we should trim their nails more often, as Samantha is starting to look like Eddie Scissorhands ...

I might not have this issue if I used some sort of fancy top coat.

The other three pieces are holding up well, and at least two of them are subject to straight-away rapid canine deployments.
 
A gorgeous as it would look, is curly maple hard enough to make a durable floor? I suspect a good poly finish helps the wearability, though. Sure would look sweet if it's doable.

Tools are made of maple. It is plenty hard stuff.
Folks say there is a soft and a hard maple. I have a lot of Arkansas maple but no one knowledgeable has been able to tell me if it is hard or soft. Some folks have said we don't have any hard around here. But, I can tell you this, whatever it is called, it is hard-hard stuff rivaling Osage Orange in that regard.
 
Curly Maple as floor is an extravagant way to go, only you would appreciate it and in time it too will become too busy for you. I would go with a prefinished HW flooring 1. because you cant duplicate the finish for durability and appearance, 2. cheaper 3. easier, 4. quicker. 5. no sanding needed. 6. no fumes from the finish several coats needed, 7. 20 years down the road, the floor will not need re-finishing. 8. almost any color match is available if you shop around. The list of assets goes on. True the purist says "I did that myself" but who cares but you... Life is too short to get your ego in the way.

MY opinion
 
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