4 Latest Hardwood Trends

From colour to quality standards, here are four key things to consider when buying hardwood.

It’s stylish, it’s solid, and it’s so easy to clean€”our love of hardwood is here to stay. Alberta Hardwood Flooring shared some insider knowledge about what’s in right now and how it benefits homeowners.

1. Wide Plank Flooring

Director of Sales, Paul Rivington, explains that people are moving away from traditional 2-3€ wide planks, in favour of 5-7€ or even 12€ wide hardwood planks. €œIt’s a European influence on style,€ he says. €œThat old industrial look seen in factories is really coming back.€

2. Back to Naturals

Rivington is glad to leave the dark hardwood ages behind. €œDark stained floors don’t accommodated most people’s lifestyles,€ he explains. €œThey reveal every scratch, stain and speck of dirt so easily.€ He calls lighter, even natural oaks and maples a responsible choice for homeowners. €œThey also pair easier with other decor,€ he adds. €œIt’s better from both a practicality and style standpoint.€

3. Engineered Hardwood

€œThe acceptance of engineered hardwood has grown in the last five years,€ says Rivington. The more resistant product (4mm of oak, maple or hickory on top of a plywood core) doesn’t gap from humidity changes, adding stability to those stylish wide planks. €œOur manufacturers only use the highest quality woods in the construction of their engineered cores,€ he says. €œAnd good quality engineered products can be refinished multiple times.€

4. Interest in Origins

Rivington has noticed a huge shift in consumers€™ awareness and expectations of quality. €œRecent media coverage has revealed that many overseas manufacturers don’t meet North American quality standards,€ he explains. €œMost customers want Canadian products, or very high quality European products€”which is exactly what we carry.€ Alberta Hardwood Flooring’s entire selection adheres to all Carb and VOC standards.