Imported Hardwoods That Make the Grade
If you are considering hardwood for your living, dining and family room areas, a Wenge or a Bubinga hardwood floor could be a one-of-a kind in your neighborhood and not as hard to get as you might think.
Though at one time exotic hardwoods were found only in the houses of the rich and famous, they are now widely available, and many exotics are competitively priced. Though some are expensive--African zebra wood goes for $30 a square foot, for example--Brazilian cherry, which has a rich red color, is close to maple in price.
However, some of the exotics sold in the U.S. are graded according to European standards, and there are substantial differences in appearance between the most and least expensive grades. The “clear” and “select” floor boards will not strike American buyers as unusual, though some people will note that the “select” has some color variation and character marks.
But the least expensive “common” grade boards can have both darker heartwood and much lighter sapwood. The finished floor can have light streaks, giving it a rustic cast.
Any hardwood floor will patinize and darken slightly with age, but this is more noticeable with some of the exotic hardwoods. The floor finish can also dramatically affect the color of an exotic hardwood floor.
An oil-based finish has an “ambering” or yellowing effect, which makes the wood darker, richer, more saturated and, to some eyes, more sensuous. A water-based urethane finish conveys more of the natural color of the wood, and the tones are lighter.
A hardwood floor can be bleached by the sun. In Southern California and Florida, which have intense sun all year, sun bleaching can be an issue, but most of the water-based finishes contain UV protection that impedes bleaching. Some of the oil-based finishes also have UV protection.
The most popular exotics, including Brazilian cherry, Brazilian walnut (widely known as Ipe) and santos mahogany, are regularly stocked by retailers that sell exotic hardwoods. But the lesser known ones such as doussie or padouk are not, so you should not wait until the last minute to order them.
The nailing techniques can vary from one hardwood species to another, so having an experienced installer on the job is essential.
As with any material that you have difficulty visualizing in a finished space from a small sample, you should ask the retailer to arrange for you to see a house with the flooring and finish you are considering.
For More Information
Here are three sources of wood information on the Web:
Woods of the World, https://www.woodsoftheworld.com, (248) 646-2422; Shelman Swiss Hellenic, https://shelmanusa.com, (732) 576-8988; and International Hardwood Flooring, https://www.ihfinc.com, (800) 338-7481.