• Solid wood floors are versatile, elegant and aren't likely to go out of fashion any time soon.Parquet floor image by Einar Bog from Fotolia.com
  
  Solid wood flooring offers an unbeatable elegance and richness, but proper installation requires expertise with wood and tools. Customers can choose from various options---plank, strip or block flooring, unfinished or pre-finished and painted or polished---in numerous hardwoods and softwoods. Solid wood flooring is graded according to imperfections, grain and color, varying in price and quality.
  
  

Oak

• Oak is one of the most common hardwoods used for solid flooring, preferred for its good looks and abundance. Oak floors are solid, dense, tough and typically last the life of a house. They are easy to maintain and clean and come in a variety of colors and tones. On the negative side, oak floors are susceptible to dents, scratches and excess moisture. There are two main types of oak floors that are commonly used in residential applications: red oak (scientific name: Quercus ruba) and white oak (scientific name: Quercus alba). Red oak is more moisture stable than white oak, which means red oak floors are less prone to expanding and contracting during moisture changes. Red oak floors are also less susceptible to bending, snapping and popping.
  
  

Maple

• Maple floors are durable, hard and provide good resistance to abrasion and moisture. Maple floors are easy to clean and maintain. Well-maintained floors are known to last between 70 and 100 years. Maple floors are graded according to quality, such as First Grade MFMA Hard Maple, Second Grade, Third Grade, Third and Better and Utility Grade Maple. The highest grade---and most expensive---is First Grade. According to Gil Fried in the book "Managing Sport Facilities," 70 percent of all sports flooring in the United States are made with maple. Maple floors are also used in public buildings and in schools.
  
  

Pine

• Pine floors are a popular option for a warm, country-style home. Pine heartwood varies in color from yellow or red brown to orange or pale yellow, while its sapwood varies between yellowish white to tan. It is a closed-grain wood with knotty or clear patterns. Pine floors are relatively durable, soft and not as resistant to wear as maple and oak hardwoods. However, they are easier to install than hardwoods and typically cost considerably less. The most popular types of pine floors include reclaimed heart pine, engineered pine, vertical-grain pine, longleaf heart pine and Southern yellow pine.