Exotic hardwoods have become the latest trend in flooring options. Hailing mostly from the tropics, South America, Asia and Africa, these hardwoods typically have unusual colors, markings and grain patterns. Hues ranging from dark reds and deep oranges to browns with undertones of charcoal and blonde are often the canvass for magnificent darker markings throughout the wood.

Exotic hardwood floors are hardy and strong, sometimes stronger than other hardwood floors. Their magnificent colorations make staining obsolete; all that is required is a protecting gloss coat. This also makes maintenance as simple as sanding and recoating to restore the natural beauty.

Types of Exotic Hardwood

There are many different types of exotic hardwoods from which flooring is made: Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany, Australian Cypress, Eucalyptus, Purpleheart and many more. Each type of exotic hardwood offers its own special characteristics that make it appealing as a floor choice.

Some exotic hardwood flooring is more suitable for formal settings, such as the Brazilian Cherry or the Santos Mahogany. These woods have the deeper, richer colorings that are typically seen in formal settings.

More contemporary decorators might prefer floorings made from the lighter woods of Eucalyptus or Brazilian Maple. Casual or rustic decors are betters suited to floors made using the knotty, striated look of Australian Cypress.

Sustainability

With the push for sustainability hitting every market, many countries are enforcing forestry practices that are sustainable. Exotic hardwood flooring companies that are reputable tend to work closely with these governments to insure that the hardwood they are getting is from a companies who practice sustainability, such as using older, fallen trees before cutting younger, healthier trees. While exotic hardwood trees do replenish themselves faster than other trees, they still need to be protected and used wisely.

Benefits

Exotic hardwood flooring offers the same benefits of other hardwood flooring types with the addition of the inherent beauty these woods bring to any room. Hardwood flooring is the best choice for flooring due to the many advantages it has over other flooring types. Consider the following benefits:

* Allergy Control: Carpets can trap dust and mites deep in the fibers, and is a breeding ground for mold and mildew. These then trigger allergies in many people. Hardwood flooring doesn’t have anywhere for dirt or mites to hide or for mold and mildew to grow and so allergies tend to lessen.

* Home Value: Exotic hardwood flooring increases a home’s value greatly. Homebuyers look at every aspect of a home when house shopping. If they see a home that has stained or worn out carpets they automatically see an added cost. Having exotic hardwood floors helps in two ways: one, the floors will stay beautiful for many, many years, and two, exotic wood flooring brings the beauty out of any room.

* Easy to Clean: Exotic hardwood floors are very easy to clean. A dust mop to keep them shiny, vacuum to remove excess dirt and an occasional mopping with a mild cleaning solution or diluted Windex. Compared to cleaning carpets with sprays, foams and heavy machines, hardwood floor cleaning is quite simple.

Exotic hardwood flooring offers something for every room in the house. From homey kitchens to elegant dining rooms and rustic family studies there is a hardwood for every decorating taste. Add to that the many benefits having hardwood floors bring and it’s easy to see why exotic hardwoods are the new choice in home flooring.

-Sharon V. Chapman