Hardwood's two construction types determine a great deal about the floor. Here's a quick overview to help you better understand their differences.

Solid Hardwood is composed of one thick piece of wood. This is the traditional construction type and is always useful for creating character in your floor. Because solid hardwood is quite thick, it can be sanded and refinished over time. One feature of solid wood is that it will expand and contract with the changes in your home's relative humidity. Installers compensate for this movement by leaving an expansion gap between the floor and the wall. Base molding or quarter round is used to hide the extra space. Additionally, solid hardwood, with a few exceptions, must be nailed to the subfloor.

Engineered Hardwood is actually produced with anywhere from two to seven or more layers of hardwood, yet is still less thick than solid hardwood. Each layer is stacked in a cross-grain configuration and bonded together under intense heat and pressure. As a result, engineered wood flooring is less likely to be affected by changes in humidity and can be installed at all levels of the home. Additionally, engineered wood floors may be installed any number of ways, using glue, staples, or in some cases even left "floating" over an underlayment.

The appearance of your floor will depend on the species of tree from which it is made. Each species has its own identifying grain pattern, like a fingerprint or signature. The pronounced grain of white oak, for instance, would never be mistaken for the more subtle grain of maple. Additionally, species differ in hardness, moisture resistance, and durability. Generally speaking, red oak is used as the benchmark for all other hardwood species and will be found most often when searching for hardwood floors. Here's a quick list of many of the species you will likely run into when searching floor covering:

Red Oak	White Oak	Maple	Cherry
Hickory	Pecan	Ash	Walnut
Birch	Beech	Pine	Brazilian Cherry
Australian Cypress	Merbau	Santos Mahogany	Teak

White

Honey

Dark

Cherry

Warm Natural

Ashen

Hardwood comes in many colors.The most widely used is natural, as it can be more easily sanded and refinished to last for many years. For a more contemporary look, consider a lighter or more ashen tone, or even the occasional color, such as green. In general, there are an infinite number of stains, but most will fall into the above categories, and will help you know the proper terminology when searching for your hardwood.

The style of your room plays a part in what floor you choose. If you have a more casual appearance, consider a rustic floor and the natural warmth it provides. If you prefer a more contemporary look, consider the lightness of a maple floor, a bleached hardwood, or even the inherent excitement of an exotic wood floor.

Additionally, wood comes in a number of gloss levels. If you want your wood to have a less shiny appearance, ask for a satin or low-gloss floor.