How To Tell The Difference Between Hardwood And Softwood Floors

Laminate doesn t stain the way natural wood does so if you see water rings random splotches or discolorations on the floor it is.

How to tell the difference between hardwood and softwood floors.

Look for water marks stains and faded areas on the floorboards. They are generally evergreen meaning that they do not shed their leaves in the fall and do not become dormant during winter. The differences in the hardness of the wood can be quite varied for both hardwood and softwood. Due to the presence of vessels hardwood can also be referred to as porous wood.

Likewise yew is a hard softwood. If that is not you softwood flooring is a good choice for a room that does not see a ton of foot traffic in order to limit the wear on the flooring. Let s look at the difference first. While softwoods are generally more soft and flexible they are sometimes denser than certain hardwoods but the wood s durability depends largely on what type of wood you choose regardless of whether it s classified as hardwood or softwood.

Softwood is easier to curve whereas hardwood is difficult to curve. Softwood trees do not have broad leaves but rather have needle like leaves. The implication from the terms softwood and hardwood suggest that the hardwood is stronger harder and more durable. The distinction between hardwood and softwood floors revolves around plant production.

Softwood trees grow faster than hardwood trees. In most cases hardwood tends to be harder than softwood but not always. Softwood has a shorter life cycle whereas hardwoods have a long life cycle they can last for several decades. Hardwood comes from angiosperm or flowering plants such as maple oak and walnut and softwood comes from gymnosperm trees like spruce or pine.

Think of an apple or an acorn for a good example. If you are someone who likes the character that comes with a few dings softwood flooring is a great option. And while generally speaking the average hardwood is a good deal harder and more durable than the average softwood there are examples of deciduous hardwoods that are much softer than the hardest softwoods. Because of this softwood flooring can show wear faster than hardwood floors.

Softwood trees generally grow faster than hardwoods and are usually less dense. The generic terms softwood and hardwood are used to describe two different types of tree. The best example of this is balsa wood which although extremely lightweight is classed as a hardwood. There s the thing it s not quite like that.

Generally though softwoods are cheaper and easier to work with than hardwoods. An example is balsa a hardwood that is quite soft when compared to the wood from yew trees which is quite durable and hard.