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Clarity

How do we at Superior define the clarity of your wood?  Well, there are several considerations to make beginning with the type of wood (also known as the specie), followed by your grade, and then finally the finish.  When combined, we feel all of these features work together to define your Clarity.

Explore the Forest

Each wood species has its own grain, color, and veining. Choosing your specie depends on your personal preferences for colour and the overall effect you want to achieve. The most popular species are oak and maple, followed by white ash, cherry, and walnut. We now carry Brazilian Cherry also known as as Jatoba, which is very warm in color and extremely solid.  In order to figure out what kind of wood you want, you need to learn about the characteristics of that type of wood.  Each wood has it's own personality and the better you know your wood, the happier you will be when it comes to live with you.

Is this type of wood hard, scratch resistant, or does it bruise easily?
Do I have pets and need something more durable? 
Do I have kids and want something tough for high traffic areas?
I am single executive, not home a lot ~ is durability and high traffic really a concern?
Do I have high humidity where I live?
Is this a stable wood for fluctuations in humidity levels? 

These questions, and many more, are critical to knowing what type of wood is best for you.

Know Your Grade
Once you have chosen the colour for your hardwood floors, you now need to select your grade.  Depending on the look you wish to achieve, the grade of your wood will decide how different each piece looks from one to the next, and how much character and variation your floor will have once it is all laid out.  The higher the grade, the more each board looks like the other, and the more consistent and uniform your floor will look.  This may or may not be what you are looking for - if you have just purchased a rustic cabin up north, you may want a really knotted look with lots of character and variation in the boards.  For an elegant or upscale, hip and chic condo, where you want your posh furniture to shine, you may want to choose the highest grade possible, in select and better.

Find Your Finish
Again, think of the diamond standard in flooring ~ how much do you want your "rock", or hardwood that is, to shine?  There are two types of finishes to consider and the final polish of your flooring really matters, so do not take this decision lightly.  If a wood is softer you will want to hide these imperfections with a low sheen or "satin" finish.  If you have a magnificently coloured hardwood floor which is hard and dent resistant, and you want this floor and colour to really shine and glow, so you will choose the high gloss.  Think about the final look and feel you are trying to achieve, and choose your final finish wisely.