skip to main content

Maple vs. White Oak vs. Ash

10 years ago

Hello!

I've decided to go against the grain (at least according to my contractor) and not get red oak floors. :)

Given that I want a light, natural floor, what type of wood would you recommend between maple, white oak, and ash? It'll probably be in a 3" pre-finished plank size.

I have three cats who are quite active running around and kicking things off of tables. I'm interested in how each of the three woods shows/hides dents and scratches (especially maple), and if they change color over time.

Also--
Does ash look too busy and patterned on a floor?
How light is natural white oak on average? Pictures show great variation from light to medium. I'll probably be buying from Lumber Liquidators.

Any photos and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Featured Answer

glennsfc

10 years ago

White oak floors can vary in color (depending upon the finish method of choice) from blonde to light tan to medium brown with some golden tones as well. Although white oak has color variations, I would not call it a busy floor. Ash will also vary some in color tones with striking differences in the heartwood and sapwood.

When purchasing unfinished wood flooring, you can pretty much get what you want in terms of grade and sawing characteristics. Since I no longer sell the factory-finished products, I can't tell you how grading and such is typical with these manufactured products.

Do more research; if you do enough then you will get what you're looking for and maybe you can then hire yourself out as a flooring decorator and specifier.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

rwiegand
10 years ago
I put down birdseye maple in a "natural" (eg not all white) grade. 2-1/4, 3, and 4" random width with a walnut and cherry pictureframe border, site finished with Bona Traffic (by me). If the picture loads you can see what it looked like when it first went down. Some would call it extremely busy; we like it, and it gets a "wow" from visitors--it's not so in your face with rugs and furniture breaking up the space. It hides all manner of evil and our 3-8 cats (residents and fosters) can't damage it. Almost all woods and most finishes darken with time, oak probably a little more than maple. I don't have much experience with ash.
grannysmith18
10 years ago
Both my daughter and a friend of mine got maple for that very reason, that they wanted a light color floor, and both are sorry now. It just hasn't been as durable as they'd expect. It gets dented too easily. You really should do some Google research on line. I wish we had.
As for white oak - again, double check what I'm saying, but my understanding is that the color is counter-intuitive, that white oak is darker than red oak. I'm just saying, make sure you check.
Related Discussions
Flooring decision - White vs Red Oak, Q&R vs Select, 5 vs 7 inch
Q
Comments (4)
With the dark stain, it visually won't matter that much. White oak will tend to have tighter grain (softer texture) than red oak. It is also a slightly harder wood which is better for dents. Rift and quartered has a different look than plain-sawn flooring. It is linear looking with annual rings running more or less in straight lines along the planks. 10-20% of the R&Q lot will exhibit ray fleck, which is quite pretty. Plain-sawn produces a cathedral pattern with the annual rings, what most people think of with oak. R&Q is superior in dimensional stability and should seriously be considered if you go with solid wood and 5" or wider planks. Anything over 8' in length is probably overkill unless you have huge rooms or very wide hallways where it might show. I installed a mixed width and I don't care for the 7" wide by 1' long. It seems out of proportion. Average length is the key and look for 4'-5'. An 8' long by 8" wide is actually as large as I would recommend for a typical remodel because of access (unless the wood comes in through the windows). Here is what I did (you can zoom in on the pics to see the grain and fleck): Here is a link that might be useful: Waterlox on Oak
...See More
red vs white oak, 3.25" vs 4" - thoughts?
Q
Comments (2)
3-1/4" is generally more stable since it's narrower and should have more fasteners. 4" may cost a bit more but it has a slightly better visual pop. Essentially they are both what I'd call a "background" floor that lends a quality look to your home without competing with other design elements. Red Oak is more uniform in color and has a red/orange hue. White Oak is slightly harder and less grainy, has more color variation and more of an almond or taupe cast. Both can be stained but White Oak produces richer brown stain colors. Red Oak can be very grainy looking when stained dark.
...See More
quarter sawn white oak vs. maple floors
Q
Comments (1)
Ive refinished hardwood floors for over 10 years. And while both maple and white oak have differences its mostly down to color that seperates them. Maple is "harder" based off the Janka rating system used by industry. But dont be fool all wood will dent if something is dropped. But back to color. Yes maple is lighter in natural tone but doesnt accept staining well. It can be done and look good but not as evenly as oak does. Oak is of course darker and also has thicker grains then maple. If you are going natural with the finish i personally like white oak over maple. Maple tends to become too orange as the floor ambers over time.
...See More
Plain sawn white oak vs Plain slice white oak
Q
Comments (2)
just asking b/c our kitchen is sawn. and all othere milwork (vanities, built ins) are plain sliced. i hate the way plain sliced looks so i was hoping my kitchen would look better but sounds like it wont :(
...See More
alisampam
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks -- durability (or at least hiding the dents) is important, and after your input + research, I will cross maple off the list of contenders.

Does anyone here have experience with Ash or White Oak? Do those types hide dents/scratches as well as Red Oak?

Appreciate your help!
rwiegand
10 years ago
We've had two houses with hard maple (Acer saccharum) and one with white oak. We treat our floors hard (rolling grand pianos around on them, for example) and the maple stood up much better. For reference here are the Janka hardness scores of the different woods (higher is harder, the test involves pressing a steel ball into the wood and measuring the depth vs pressure.)

long leaf yellow pine-- 870
red oak -- 1260-1290
Ash -- 1320
NA white oak -- 1360
hard maple -- 1450
ironwood -- 3680

Here is a link that might be useful: wood hardness chart
kayakboy
10 years ago
If you like a little pattern on your light floor, look at hickory also.

harder than maple and oak.
Laura Savino
4 months ago
last modified: 4 months ago
I've had Natural Maple for over 15 years now, and the maple is still just beautiful.

All wood will ding and dent a tiny bit with use - just have to expect and accept this.

Maple is harder and more forgiving than Ash.

Related Stories

REMODELING GUIDES Your Floor: An Introduction to Solid-Plank Wood Floors

Get the Pros and Cons of Oak, Ash, Pine, Maple and Solid Bamboo

WOOD Woodipedia: Make a Solid Choice With Oak

By Marci Crestani

Forget those low-end products of old. Red and white oak today are beautiful, versatile and relatively inexpensive

PRODUCT PICKS Guest Picks: Light Wood Accents That'll Grow on You

Ditch the darkness with modern accessories and furniture in ash, birch and light oak

MATERIALS Woodipedia: Maple Is a Marvel Around the House

By Marci Crestani

A heavy hardwood with lots of potential, maple appeals to modern sensibilities and won't break your budget

GARDENING GUIDES 13 Japanese Maples for Shade

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

A surprising variety of these understory trees is waiting to make a statement in your shade garden

REMODELING GUIDES Are You Gutsy Enough to Paint Your Floor White?

By KitchenLab Interiors

Sleek and glossy or softened by wear, white floors charm

GARDENING GUIDES Celebrate Eastern Oaks for Wildlife, Longevity and Seasonal Interest

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

There might not be a more important tree to have in your eastern U.S. landscape — if you can fit one in

DECORATING GUIDES Isn’t It Good, Nordic Wood: The Appeal of Pale Floors

From silvery ash to honey blonde or chalk white, light-toned floors hold the key to the pared-back simplicity of Scandinavian style

KITCHEN DESIGN How to Keep Your White Kitchen White

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

Sure, white kitchens are beautiful — when they’re sparkling clean. Here’s how to keep them that way

WHITE How to Pick the Right White Paint

By Kelly Porter

White is white, right? Not quite. See 8 white paint picks for 8 very different effects

Sponsored

MCR ROMERO WORK LLC

Innovative & Creative General Contractors Servicing Franklin County

More Discussions

Coretec Conch Ash, need pictures & review of this flooring

7

What type of oak is this?

8

SOS: need urgently 2 1/4"unfinished red oak with bevel

10

legacy cornerstone floor by midwest in ashen tan

0

How do install a hard wood flooring for my front t porch try to redesi

1