Types of Hardwood
Domestic and exotic species — which ones will you choose to create the perfect ambiance in your projects?
*Values are given in pounds. The higher the number, the harder the wood.
American Cherry 950
The Look of Cherry
American Cherry is a moderately dense wood, with a close grain and a fine, even texture. Its color becomes darker with exposure to light and shows gold and reddish highlights.
The Facts on Cherry
Marks, scratches, or imperfections are more noticeable on cherry because of its hardness and close, even grain. The coarser grain of oak and ash hides marks better. A matte finish will help make marks less noticeable.
American Walnut 1010
The Look of Walnut
American Walnut is a wood with moderate hardness. The color difference between its sapwood and heartwood is very pronounced, which results in significant variations in color and grain between boards. Walnut shows minimal color variation when exposed to intense light. Unlike other species, walnut tends to lighten over time.
Walnut sapwood is creamy white and sometimes tan, with heartwood ranging from rich dark brown to purplish black.
Walnut: Simply stunning!
The Facts on Walnut
Marks, scratches, and imperfections are more obvious on walnut because of its hardness and density. A matte finish will help make marks less noticeable.
Yellow Birch 1260
The Look of Yellow Birch
Yellow Birch is a species with a close, straight grain that gives it a relatively even texture. Its boards sometimes have a curly or wavy look. Even when exposed to intense light, Yellow Birch has the advantage of showing minimal color variation. To maintain the wood’s elegance for many years, Mirage applies a UV protector at the finishing stage.
Yellow Birch is a creamy yellow or pale white: its heartwood is reddish-brown with red highlights.
Yellow Birch: For décor that inspires elegance!
The Facts on Yellow Birch
Marks, scratches, or imperfections are more visible on Yellow Birch because of its close, even grain and pale color. The coarser grain of oak and ash hides marks better. A matte finish will help make marks less noticeable.
Red Oak 1290
The Look of Oak
Red Oak has a generally even grain. Because it grows slowly, oak is notable for having many growth rings on each board. Variations in color are very limited over time, even if it is exposed to intense light. Nevertheless, Mirage applies a UV protector at the finishing stage to preserve all the luster of its original color.
The sapwood of the oak ranges from white to pale brown, while the heartwood is reddish brown.
Ordinary wear and tear is hardly noticeable due to oak's open grain and natural reddish color.
Oak: Rich color, classic style!
White Oak 1360
The Look of White Oak
The grain of White Oak is similar to that of Red Oak, and its growth rings a real so highly visible. Its color ranges from light creamy beige to grayish brown. White Oak will undergo moderate color changes overtime, taking on a slightly amber tone. It is essentially a straight-grained wood with a medium to coarse texture and longer rays than Red Oak. To maintain the wood's elegance for many years, Mirage applies a UV protector at the finishing stage.
The sapwood of White Oak is almost white, while the heartwood is grayish brown.
White Oak: So beautiful by nature!
The Facts on White Oak
White Oak grows in a wide variety of soil types and ranges from southern Quebec and Ontario to Georgia in the United States. This species prefers a warm, humid climate and does not like overly harsh winters. White Oak can grow up to 35 m [115 ft.] tall, with a trunk 50 to 120 cm [20 to 47 in.] in diameter.
Hard Maple 1450
The Look of Maple
Maple has a close grain that gives it a soft, even texture. While the grain is generally straight, it can also appear curly, wavy, or striped. Sometimes there is pronounced color variation when maple is exposed to intense light, although a UV protector applied during the manufacture of flooring limits this variation.
Maple sapwood is generally white with a slight reddish-brown tint: the heartwood is reddish brown and sometimes quite dark.
Maple: A timeless classic!
The Facts on Maple
Hard Maple and Black Maple are hardwoods. Other species, such as Silver and Red Maple are considered softwoods. Some manufacturers offer maple floors without specifying that they are using soft species. These floors are much less impact-resistant.
Marks, scratches, or imperfections are more noticeable because of the close, even grain and pale color. The more open grain of oak and ash hides marks better. A matte finish will help make marks less noticeable.
Sapele or Aftrican Mahogany 1500
The Look of Sapele
Sapele is a fine-textured wood with an interwoven or wavy grain. Moderate to pronounced color variation may occur when this species is exposed to intense light.
The sapwood of Sapele is white or pale yellow. The heartwood is pink when freshly cut but becomes reddish brown or purplish brown with age. Sapele shows full, rich color through the entire thickness of the wood, which helps to hide wear marks.
Sapele: Decorate your home with exotic beauty!
Hickory 1820
The Look of Hickory
Hickory is a dense, highly resistant wood. It is coarse, and the grain is generally straight but occasionally wavy. The color of hickory varies in tone from dark brown to blond beige, even changing slightly to a golden hue. This species also features knots that accentuate its natural character. To preserve the wood’s elegance for years to come, Mirage applies a UV protector at the finishing stage.
The sapwood of Hickory is white shaded with brown, and its heartwood is light to reddish brown.
Hickory is natural!
Cabreuva (Santos Mahogany) 2200
The Look of Cabreuva
Cabreuva has a generally uniform and straight grain and a texture ranging from fine to medium. The color falls between yellow and rosy red or salmon when the tree is freshly cut, or reddish brown when the tree is mature. If exposed to intense light, it can show moderate to very pronounced color variation.
Cabreuva shows full, rich color through the entire thickness of the wood, which helps to hide wear marks.
Cabreuva: An exotic shade for exquisite style!
Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba) 2350
The Look of Jatoba
Jatoba wood has a golden luster. Its texture ranges from medium to coarse, with an interwoven grain. In its natural state, Jatoba shows very pronounced color variation when exposed to intense light.
The sapwood of Jatoba may be white, gray, or pink. The heartwood ranges from salmon to orange-brown when freshly cut. With age, it turns a rusty brown and is often marked with dark stripes.
Jatoba shows full, rich color through the entire thickness of the wood, which helps to hide wear marks.
Jatoba: An evocative look that leaves a lasting impression!
The Janka hardness test measures the force required to embed a 0.444 inch steel ball into wood. This test is also used to determine the degree of difficulty in sawing and nailing. Red Oak is the reference species for comparing wood hardness.
