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Transition Isues w/2 different wood flooring types

14 years ago

We need to make a final decision on our hardwood floors for the upper and main level this week and we are still having issues. We want brazilian cherry on the main level but we have small bedrooms so I wanted something lighter up there...possibly natural maple. Do people frown upon mixing hardwood floor types? If we do this we aren't sure how to transition from one type to the next. I was thinking about doing the stairs with both types of wood (I have a picture but I don't know how to post it. Any ideas? The stairs are located in the hallway off the kitchen and are visible once you walk into the house.

I'm tired of looking at wood on-line. Should we go for 2 different types of wood or try to find something to suite both levels of the house (I've been looking for awhile but can't find anything I like).

All ideas are welcome...but we aren't going back to carpet.

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Comments (2)

psu67
14 years ago
the main floor. I see virtually no issue mixing woods on two different floors. WRT the stairs, I seems to me that they should match the main floor. I would not mix the woods there, and I would not be stressed about the transition from bedrooms to stairs. Good luck.
vernonfloors
14 years ago
It all depends if you plan to sell the house in the future. It's always recommended to install one type of wood flooring which immediately raises the value of your home. But it's very common to have two different types of floors upstairs and downstairs as long as both types have the same grain characteristics. Doing so will make it easy for a new buyer to stain one floor to match the other if they desire.

If thatÂs appealing to you, I would recommend installing Red Oak. Unlike Maple which has smooth and clean grain, Red oak has the same open grain characteristics as Brazilian Cherry and could be stained to match if someone wanted the whole house in one color.

If the stairs are visible from the first floor, install Brazilian Cherry treads and risers or stain your existing ones in cherry color. You may also paint the risers in white, which really brings out the tone of the cherry on the treads.

Hope that helpsÂ
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