Red Maple Hardwood Flooring

About Red Maple Wood Flooring

Are you embarking on a flooring search to give your current home design a modern upgrade with beautifully long-lasting effects? The natural beauty of red maple wood flooring might be just what you're looking for. Red maple's blonde wood features soft, subtle grain that appeals to many homeowners, regardless of their interior design style. Grown throughout the eastern part of the country, this domestic hardwood is also used in cutting boards, butcher blocks, cabinetry, and musical instruments. 

What Is Red Maple Wood Flooring?

Red maple hardwood flooring is a solid flooring composed of genuine wood straight from the red maple tree. Its medium density makes itappropriate for your bustling household, though you should be aware that it can show scratches more than some other wood floors due to its lighter color. 

Appearance

Red maple flooring often uses the outer sapwood, which has a light golden to reddish brown color with occasional mineral streaks. Its fine-textured grain can vary between straight lines and slight curls. Red maple fits into the popular light hardwood category, and its blonder hue and more uniform texture naturally brightens smaller spaces and accentuates open floor plans. 

Durability and Maintenance

Though red maple is labeled a soft wood, it's still impressively durable as a flooring surface. It can withstand daily foot traffic from your active family and pets, though scratches and scuffs may be more apparent with its lighter tone. Consider protecting the busiest areas with rugs. 

Red maple hardwood flooring doesn't typically require special treatment when it comes to maintenance, though it's always best to check with the manufacturer for preferred care instructions. Regular cleanings with a broom or vacuum are important to keep dirt and debris at bay. If wet shoes or an unexpected spill introduce liquid, wipe it up as soon as possible until it's fully dry. Extended water exposure can damage your hardwood. 

Lifespan

Longevity is a big reason why hardwood flooring delivers an impressive return on investment. Like all solid hardwood floors, red maple wood flooring can last a lifetime under the right conditions. These include: 

• Proper care and maintenance
• High-quality installation and materials
• Following manufacturer guidance 
• Protection from above-average wear and damage

Before you make the final decision, we recommend asking about the warranty protection provided. A solid warranty like what Carpet One Floor & Home offers will give you peace of mind for decades to come. 

Installation

Spend less time replacing your floors and more time enjoying your home with red maple since it can last a lifetime. Installation requires a slew of tools and high-quality materials, attention to detail, and a very specific skill set. No need to worry about these things yourself with an experienced Carpet One hardwood installer, who will ensure a proper and efficient installation that will look stunning and meet warranty requirements.

Your pro will also make sure you know to let the red maple wood flooring acclimate to the room's temperature and moisture levels for 72 hours or so before installation. This important step can help prevent warping and buckling once installed. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Red Maple Wood Flooring

Red maple hardwood flooring offers you plenty of worthwhile benefits:

• Enjoy its decades-long life expectancy as a solid wood.
• Its beautiful golden hue is versatile
• Red maple is a more sustainable choice than exotic woods like Brazilian walnut or cherry. 

Like other hardwood species, red maple does come with a few minor disadvantages. 

• As a softer wood, it's more prone to scratches than some other flooring options, but it can also be protected with protective finishes and area rugs. 
• Red maple wood flooring can be difficult to stain, looking patchy if not done well. It’s best to either purchase factory finished products or consult a professional for staining. 
• Over time, direct sunlight can discolor red maple. A water-based sealant and thoughtfully placed blinds or drapes can help curb UV damage. 

Red Maple Wood Flooring vs. Oak Wood Flooring

Maple and oak flooring are both popular light-hued options among North American homeowners, but which one's better for your space? Think about the style you're going for and the activities your home sees. Oak flooring usually has more personality to its grain while red maple hardwood flooring boasts a subtler grain with an occasional wave or swirl. Oak wood is harder and denser than the red maple species. This means it's better at resisting scratches and scrapes from Fido's nightly zoomies or your kid's current obsession with miniature monster trucks, so if you opt for red maple, you may want to leverage rugs in the busiest areas. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are red maple wood floors a good choice?

Yes! Red maple hardwood flooring makes a beautiful wood flooring choice. The durability and longevity of a solid wood floor can immediately add value to your home, plus this light-colored hardwood complements current design trends. 

Do red maple floors scratch easily?

All wood flooring can scratch, but as a softer wood in a lighter color, red maple floors can show scuffs and scrapes easier than harder wood types. If you opt for red maple flooring, consider putting rugs or runners in higher traffic areas to help prevent scratches. Or consider opting for an engineered red maple flooring, which gives you the lively character of red maple with the durability of engineered wood.