Maple is one of the most widely available hardwoods, and it's also pretty affordable compared to other hardwoods such as cherry or ebony. For these reasons, it's a rather popular choice for dining room floors. However, that does not mean it's the right choice for you. Before you say "yes" to that beautiful maple floor, be sure to keep both these pros and cons in mind.

Pros of Maple Flooring

Maple is harder than many other common hardwoods used to make floors. This includes black walnut, cherry, red oak and white oak. The harder the wood, the more durable and long-lasting your floor will be. A floor made from maple is less likely to be dinged than one made from a softer wood and probably won't need to be replaced as soon. There are harder choices than maple, such as Brazilian cherry and African cedar, but they are typically much higher in cost.

It's easy to find furniture to match your maple floor, since there is a lot of maple furniture on the market. You won't have to visit exotic furniture stores to find a dining room set that's the same color as your floor. Should you prefer wood veneer furniture to solid wooden furniture, you'll have no trouble finding matching pieces, either, since maple is so common.

Maple is lighter in color than many hardwoods, which can help make a small dining room look larger. This also makes it easy to work into most any color scheme.

Cons of Maple Flooring

Maple flooring is harder to stain than other hardwoods, so it is usually left close to its natural color. This means your color selection is more limited than with other more easily stained woods, such as oak or cherry. If you have your heart set on a dark wood floor, you may need to go with something other than maple, since maple tends to look blotchy when stained too darkly.

Another disadvantage of maple flooring is that it does not tolerate changes in humidity very well. It has been known to crack or buckle when the humidity rises and then falls too quickly. If you live in a humid area, you can protect your maple floor from this risk with a good whole-home humidity control system. Be sure to take the added cost of installing such a system in mind when deciding whether maple flooring is the right choice for your home.

A maple floor can add years of vibrancy to your dining room, as long as you sweep it regularly and treat it with a good polish every couple of years. If you're willing to keep the humidity levels in your home under control and prefer a lighter wood, maple is an affordable, durable, and easy-to-match option.

For more information, contact National Carpet Mill Outlet or a similar company.

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