Everyone loves hardwood floors! Beautiful and feel great underfoot. But many people are afraid of the cost of hardwood and ongoing maintenance. These are definitely considerations when deciding on hardwood flooring. I would not recommend hardwood in a vacation rental or a home with high traffic or lots of active pets or children. However, keep reading, I’ve also listed hardwood alternatives that will give you the look of wood without the maintenance worry. This blog post is geared toward the tropical climates of Hawaii as other locations have very different climates and considerations.

There are endless options for hardwood flooring: ash, acacia, birch, cherry, chestnut, hickory, mahogany, oak, pine, teak, and others including “exotic” species. Bamboo and cork are also considered hardwoods but have very different properties than wood. Choosing the right wood for your project is important. Generally, you want to avoid wood species with JANKA (hardness) ratings of less than 1000 for flooring - teak is rated at 1000. A higher JANKA rating means the wood is harder and less susceptible to dents and scratches. However, the higher the score, the more difficult the wood is to work with, making cutting and nailing a challenge that can impact your installation cost, or require special equipment. You’ll also need to consider the finish of the flooring, is it polyurethane, oil or something else? A big worry in Hawaii is fading from the sun - it happens - especially with darker wood tones. Do the research with your supplier on the finish: 1) how it is maintained, 2) how stain resistant is it, 3) how it holds up to sunlight, 4) can it be refinished, and 5) is it eco-friendly.

Generally, I prefer engineered wood (yes, it’s real wood!) in Hawaii due to the constant levels of high humidity. Engineered wood is made of 100% wood but is made up of layers. The top layer is called the wear layer. The thicker the wear layer, the more opportunities for refinishing down the road. The other layers act to stabilize the flooring and the more layers the higher the quality. Because it has a stable core, engineered wood resists common moisture-related hardwood flooring issues like cupping, peaking, or buckling. It can be used on concrete slabs without concern. All wood flooring needs to be acclimatized to Hawaii before installation. Make sure you factor that extra time into your project schedule. If the wood is not acclimatized, it will absorb moisture after installation and that leads to cupping or other problems.

I thought I’d highlight a few products that I have been very happy with:

Oh, one more thing. If you already have hardwood floors and want to consider refinishing them, I highly recommend WalkonWood - Paul and his team are the best!