The 3 Most Popular Hardwood Flooring Options

Hardwood Flooring in Ottawa, ON from Advantage Flooring

Monday, June 02, 2025-

mins

Hardwood flooring consistently ranks as a top choice for homeowners and businesses alike, offering a timeless aesthetic, exceptional durability, and a warmth that truly transforms any space. At Advantage Flooring, your trusted Ottawa flooring experts, we understand that selecting the perfect hardwood can be an exciting, yet sometimes overwhelming, decision. With over a decade of owner-led expertise, we're here to guide you through the most popular hardwood flooring options, ensuring you find the ideal blend of style, quality, and function for your residential or commercial project.

1. Oak: The enduring classic

When it comes to hardwood flooring, oak undeniably reigns supreme. Its enduring popularity is a testament to its versatility, strength, and classic appeal. Oak comes in two primary varieties:

Red Oak: Known for its warm, reddish undertones and prominent grain patterns, red oak offers a traditional and inviting feel. It's a highly durable wood, capable of withstanding the rigors of daily life, making it an excellent choice for busy households and high-traffic commercial areas. The distinct grain also helps to subtly camouflage minor scuffs and marks, a practical benefit for active spaces.
White Oak: Offering cooler, more neutral tones ranging from beige to light brown, white oak provides a contemporary and sophisticated look. Its subtler grain pattern creates a cleaner, more expansive feel, making it a favorite for modern and minimalist interiors. White oak is also slightly harder than red oak, offering even greater resistance to dents and wear. Both red and white oak are incredibly receptive to various stains and finishes, allowing for a wide range of aesthetic possibilities to match any design vision.

2. Maple: Sleek, strong, and luminous

Maple hardwood flooring is celebrated for its clean, smooth appearance and exceptional hardness. If you're seeking a floor that exudes a bright, airy, and modern aesthetic, maple is an outstanding choice.

Consistent Grain: Maple boasts a very tight and consistent grain pattern, resulting in a sleek, uniform look that minimizes visual clutter. This characteristic makes it a perfect backdrop for contemporary furnishings and minimalist design schemes.
Impressive Durability: Ranking high on the Janka hardness scale, maple is incredibly resistant to dents and scratches, making it ideal for high-traffic areas in both residential and commercial settings. Its inherent strength is why it's often used in sports courts and gymnasiums.
Light Tones: Naturally lighter in color, maple floors contribute to a brighter and more open feel in any room. While it can be stained, its tight grain can make achieving very dark stains more challenging, but it excels in showcasing light and natural finishes that highlight its inherent luminosity.

3. Hickory: Character, resilience, and rustic charm

For those who desire a floor with distinctive character and unparalleled resilience, hickory hardwood is a compelling option. It's one of the hardest domestic wood species available, renowned for its dramatic grain variations and inherent rustic charm.

Exceptional Hardness: Hickory is significantly harder than both oak and maple, making it an incredibly durable choice for even the most demanding environments. If your home sees heavy foot traffic, has pets, or is a commercial space requiring a robust flooring solution, hickory will stand the test of time.
Unique Aesthetic: What truly sets hickory apart are its striking color variations and bold grain patterns. Ranging from creamy whites to deep reddish-browns within a single plank, hickory creates a visually dynamic floor that becomes a focal point in any room. This natural variation adds warmth, depth, and an authentic, rustic appeal.
Ideal for Specific Styles: Hickory's distinctive look lends itself beautifully to farmhouse, rustic, traditional, and even eclectic design styles, where its inherent character can truly shine.

Choosing the right hardwood flooring is a significant investment in your home or business, and at Advantage Flooring, we are committed to providing expert guidance and superior installation. Our team of flooring experts will ensure your new floors are a perfect blend of style, quality, and function, designed to surpass your expectations.

Ready to explore these beautiful hardwood options for your home remodelling or new construction project? Advantage Flooring, your local Ottawa flooring company, offers a mobile showroom experience, bringing samples directly to your door in Ottawa, Manotick, Nepean, Kanata, and Orleans, ON. You can also visit our Ottawa showroom by appointment only. With our commitment to superior installation, competitive pricing, and a price match guarantee, we are dedicated to helping you achieve the floor of your dreams. Contact us today to schedule your consultation with our home remodelling experts!