Hardwood flooring is becoming the main feature in many homes and offices. Many people use hardwood flooring because of its stylish, classic, and elegant nature.
Maple hardwood is one of the most popular hardwood flooring types. While it offers great aesthetic design and a natural feel for your home’s flooring, many people still have questions about whether maple hardwood is durable.
Below we’ll explain maple flooring’s durability from many angles. We’ll discuss different types of maple hardwood and how durable they are. Let’s get into it.
What Types of Maple Hardwood Exist?
There are two broad classifications for maple hardwood flooring.
Soft Maple
Soft maple is a general classification for four maple tree types:
- Silver maple
- Bigleaf maple
- Red maple
- Boxelder
Going by its name, soft maple is not hard or strong. It works well for furniture veneers, pallets, crates, and wood-worked decor. But for flooring purposes, soft maple hardwood is not durable enough.
Hard Maple
Two maple tree types fall into the hard maple classification — Sugar maple and Black maple. Both tree types are ideal for making durable maple hardwood and multiple furniture products. Besides hardwood flooring and furniture, sugar maple is also the source of sweet-tasting maple syrup.
What Types of Maple Flooring Can I Buy?
Hard maple and soft maple are only broad classifications of maple hardwood. If you’re looking to buy durable maple hardwood flooring in the market, you’ll discover there are various kinds available. These options include:
Laminate Maple Flooring
You should consider laminate maple flooring if you’re on a tight budget. The plank widths for this flooring type are usually five inches. Laminate maple flooring comes in a wide variety of colours and styles.
Engineered Maple Flooring
It’s a type of maple flooring that features multiple layers in its design. Engineered maple’s top and bottom layers are made of maple, while five to seven plywood layers come between them. The plywood planks between the top and bottom maple layers don’t lay straight. Instead, they cross in diverse directions.
Engineered maple flooring is durable enough for most homes in Toronto. One of these benefits is that it does not expand and contract, as you’ll observe with other types of wood flooring. These contractions and expansions are wood floorings’ responses to temperature and humidity.
Engineered maple flooring hardly reacts to weather changes. This unwavering characteristic is why many homeowners use it in parts of their homes prone to humid and temperate conditions like basements.
During engineered maple flooring installation, installers usually nail or glue them. Another way to install the wood type is as a floating floor — by joining or locking its pieces together.
Solid Maple Flooring
Floor types within this category are usually 3/4 inches thick. Solid maple flooring comes in a wide variety of lengths and widths based on each manufacturer.
Solid maple has planks with shaped sides and ends that fit together easily. Solid maple flooring features a top protective layer that prevents it from denting or scratching easily. The top protective layer is transparent. Therefore, it doesn’t affect the wood flooring’s grain or colour.
Prefinished Maple Flooring
When buying durable maple flooring, you may pick between prefinished and unfinished flooring types. Prefinished maple flooring refers to those the manufacturer finishes at the factory. They usually have protective layers to prevent the scraping or scratching of their surfaces.
When you buy prefinished maple hardwood floors, you may find them stained. If they are stained, there is an alteration in the wood’s natural colour to produce a different aesthetic. It’s easy to install prefinished flooring as the installer doesn’t need to apply finishing to it.
Unfinished Maple Flooring
You’ll spend more time installing unfinished maple flooring than you will with prefinished floors. Unfinished maple is not prestained. Hence, the installer has to sand and stain it after installation.
Also, this type of maple hardwood flooring doesn’t come with a top protective layer. Therefore, you’ll need to add it to prevent your wood from scraping and scratching.
Unfinished flooring allows you to customize hardwood flooring to your preferences. Hence, if you want your durable maple flooring to match your home or office’s interior, you should go for unfinished flooring.
Is Maple Hardwood Flooring Durable?
Before you buy maple flooring, it’s normal to want answers to certain questions. For example, you have to find out about the durability of the hardwood flooring, its colour, suitability for the space you want to use it for, and much more.
Durability is a key feature to look out for in any type of hardwood flooring. If you consider choosing maple hardwood for your flooring, you have nothing to worry about regarding how durable it is.
Maple hardwood has a Janka hardness rating of 1450. Janka hardness rating measures a wood’s hardness, and maple hardwood is pretty up on that scale.
Maple is one of the hardest hardwood flooring types that exist. Oak flooring is the unofficial poster boy for the hardwood flooring industry. There’s nothing more durable than oak, right?
Maple flooring’s Janka rating is higher than oak flooring, meaning it’s harder than the latter,
Maple hardwood’s Janka rating also means it’s not as prone to dents or scratches as most other hardwood flooring types. Maple flooring is a highly durable hardwood flooring type and represents a great investment.
Therefore, if you need durable flooring for a part of your home that’s prone to high traffic, maple hardwood is one you can trust. Its durability is one reason you’ll find maple flooring in places like gymnasium floors and bowling alleys, where you encounter heavy traffic.
How to Enhance Your Maple Flooring’s Durability
Despite being a very durable hardwood flooring type, maple needs proper maintenance to regain its durability and last even longer. Therefore, you need to take adequate care of your flooring to prevent it from degrading.
If you use maple hardwood, here are steps to clean it:
- You must sweep your floor daily to get rid of debris and dirt. They accumulate on your floor’s surfaces because of heavy foot traffic. If you leave them, they can scratch your maple floor’s surface.
- Place mats at entrances so your visitors can dust off sand and dust from their footwear before entering your home. Preferably, they should remove their footwear before coming in.
- A weekly schedule for mopping your maple hardwood flooring will help it stay durable. If your floor is very grimy or dirty, you can use a good hardwood floor cleaner. Since wet mops can leave water stains on your floor, use slightly damp mops.
- If you spot tar, gum, or other sticky substances, don’t remove them forcefully because you may leave a mark on your floor’s surface. Instead, you should remove them by freezing them with ice. When such substances come close to an ice bag, they become brittle and hard. Hence, it becomes easier to scrape the sticky substances away.
- If your pet leaves stains on your floor, remove them using a water and bleach solution. The ideal solution should contain a part bleach to 10 parts water. After making the solution, dip a cloth into it and squeeze until it becomes damp. Ensure the cloth is not dripping wet. Next, apply the damp cloth to the dirty surface. When the stain goes, dry the floor with a new cloth.
- If you spot dark stains on your maple hardwood floor, use mineral spirits to remove them. First, apply a few drops of mineral spirit to the stained surface and allow it to soak for a while. Afterward, wipe the substance and stain away with a sponge or damp cloth.
- If you notice there are hardened or tough stains on your maple floor, remove them by rubbing a piece of fine steel wool over them. Ensure the fine steel wool you use is damp. You can also use a mild detergent. But, you must apply the detergent to the fine steel wool and not directly to the floor surface.
How to Protect Prestained Maple Flooring
If you use pre-stained maple flooring in your home, you also need to carry out the following maintenance practices to maintain your floor’s durability:
- You must clean up messes and spills on your floor as soon as they happen. No matter how durable maple hardwood flooring is, it is still susceptible to moisture. Prestained maple flooring will absorb such spills and begin to weaken.
- The cleaning solutions you use for your floor must have the manufacturer’s approval. You must avoid using all-purpose chemical hardwood flooring cleaning products and acids. Such products will only ruin your floor’s finish.
- Using floor coverings in areas of your home with heavy traffic will protect the finish
- Prefinished maple hardwood floors are sensitive to humidity. Hence, you can track your home’s humidity level regularly by using a hygrometer. Your home’s humidity level should not be too high or too low as this can warp your maple floor. You can regulate your home’s humidity levels by using dehumidifiers or humidifiers.
The durability of maple hardwood flooring is one of its greatest appeals. However, you should not become too relaxed after investing in a maple floor and fail to care for it. Ensure you keep to these maintenance tips to enhance your floor’s lifespan and keep it durable.
How Much Does Maple Hardwood Cost?
Despite how durable it is, you don’t have to go deep into your pockets to afford durable maple hardwood. The average cost of unstained maple flooring is about $5-$8 per square foot.
Meanwhile, you need to pay $7-$14 per square foot for sealed or stained maple flooring. These average costs factor in the installation expenses you may incur.
The cost of maple hardwood varies depending on the type you want to purchase. Solid maple flooring usually costs more than the other types. The higher price for solid maple floors is because of the high quality of the parent wood.
Related Article: Closer Look at the Cost of Maple Hardwood Flooring in Toronto
Advantages of Maple Hardwood Flooring
The durability of maple hardwood flooring is not its only advantage. When you install maple hardwood in your Toronto home, you can also expect to enjoy the following benefits:
It is Beautiful and Has a Great Appearance
The beauty of maple hardwood is immediately visible. Durable maple hardwood has various colour ranges. These colour ranges include reds, browns, neutral beiges, and chromatic grays. These colours go well with almost all colour schemes you may want to use for your home’s decor.
Besides its durability, maple is a popular choice for hardwood flooring because of its clean and smooth appearance. Maple hardwood flooring is fascinating because it has less grain than most other wood types. Hence, if you desire a subtle style that resembles European charm, maple is a great choice.
Easy Cleaning and Maintenance
Cleaning and maintaining maple hardwood floors is easy and stressless. You just need to sweep it regularly and mop it weekly using specified solutions. Ensure you keep to a good habit of cleaning and maintaining your floor to ensure it does not lose its durability.
It Improves the Quality of Air You Breath
Maple hardwood naturally resists dust. Hence, if you use maple flooring in your home, it can enhance your health by controlling dust, allergens, and airborne contaminants.
Maple Flooring Comes with Consistent Grains
Due to its subtle graining, maple hardwood has fewer imperfections compared to other hardwood types. Its subtle graining means maple flooring has a more homogenous and cleaner look.
It is Eco-Friendly
Maple is abundant in Canada and has a short growing period. Its location and growth period make it a more environmentally friendly hardwood floor type than cherry, oak, or walnut, which have slower growth periods.
Maple Hardwood flooring is Affordable
Maple is widely available in Canada. It’s also important to the country’s economy and a revenue source. Due to its wide availability in Canada, maple wood is very affordable.
Consequently, manufactures can offer competitive pricing for their maple hardwood for option products. You can choose from various types and grades that suit your budget and needs.
Colour
One of maple flooring’s unique features is its colour. Generally, maple has light colouring. Most maple floorings possess colours that range from nearly white to darker shades. The colour you choose should depend on what you want for your home.
For example, if you want your home to look more open and extensive, you should use lighter-coloured maple. On the other hand, darker shades of maple make your home have a traditional appearance and warm feel.
Maple Flooring Varieties
When you choose to use maple flooring for your home, you’ll have varying choice options. Since maple flooring offers you multiple varieties to choose from, you’ll always find a design that’s fit for your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
People usually ask the following questions about maple flooring’s durability:
How Strong is Maple Hardwood Flooring?
Maple has a hardness rating of 1450 on the Janka hardness scale for hardwood flooring. Hence, it’s one of the hardest hardwoods you’ll ever find. Maple’s Janka rating also means the flooring is strong, durable, and does not dent easily.
Is Maple Costlier than Oak?
No, maple is generally more affordable than oak. However, oak and maple have their varieties and the determining factors for each type depending on their respective qualities.
Is Maple Flooring Easy to Maintain?
Yes, it’s super easy to clean and maintain your maple flooring. You just need to sweep it regularly and mop weekly.
Also, ensure you get rid of debris on the floor as soon as you spot them. Keep to the manufacturer’s instructions and specifications regarding the type of cleaning agent to use for your floor.
Related Article: Is Maple Good for Hardwood Floors?
Final Thoughts
Investing in durable maple hardwood is wise. Maple flooring guarantees excellent longevity not just because of its durability but also because of its wide-reaching appeal. Refinish your maple flooring every three to five years to keep it at its best.
Another factor that can affect the durability of your maple flooring is the installer. Top-notch installation will ensure your maple hardwood floors last for a long time. Professionals can enhance your underlayment and subfloor before proceeding with the installation. Hence, ensure your installer has the experience for the job and good reviews.
If you need to get the best quality maple flooring for your home or office space, check out our online store for beautiful maple hardwood floor designs. LV Flooring offers a wide variety of maple floor designs that’ll suit your needs and preferences. Our product offerings are affordable and come with warranties. Whatever it is you need, we have you covered.
