Southern Traditions' floors feature hardwoods from a variety of species. The most important factor in choosing a wood species is, of course, the appearance. While the stains and finishes add variability to them, different woods can complement modern, classic, rustic or other types of settings. For example, maple has a more subtle, elegant look, while hickory has a more unique and "outspoken" appearance. The experts in a fine flooring store can help you make the right choices.

There are subtle differences as well. For example, Big Leaf Acacia features less character, with a plain grain, fewer knots and wider age circles, while the Small Leaf Acacia that Southern Traditions uses is full of character, with more knots and a swirling grain. It costs us more, but it makes a prettier floor.

In addition to appearance, you should also consider durability, moisture-resistance and hardness, depending on the area of the home where the flooring will be placed. Our Small Leaf Acacia, for example has higher density, so it's a lot harder, where Big Leaf Acacia has lower density, so it's softer and lighter. Your in-store flooring expert can help you make the right decisions. See below for more information on the hardwood species we offer or visit ourhardwood floor collectionspage.

Cherry Hardwood Floors
Cherry is one of the most exquisite species. Cherry color varies from rich red to reddish brown, and the custom scraping and double stain bring out the beauty and elegance of Cherry. This species has a subtle, straight grain, and a satiny, smooth texture.

Walnut Hardwood Floors
Walnut is one of the most beautiful and high-end hardwood species you will enjoy for a lifetime. Its delightful swirling grain and rich dark brown tone makes the whole house shine. Our custom-scraping and dual hand stain adds more depth and real antique looking to the appearance.

Maple Hardwood Floors
Maple has been a favorite of Furniture and flooring manufacturers since the early Colonial Days. Maple has a delicate, uniform texture, which adds elegance into your room. It is usually straight-grained, but it can also occur as "curly," 'Fiddleback," and "birds-eye" figure.

Hickory Hardwood Floors
Hickory is one of the hardest species and it is well known for its very good strength and shock resistance. Because of this, it's been the premiere species for tool handles, furniture, ladders, cabinetry, and of course, flooring. Hickory has unique grain pattern, and color variations.

Birch Hardwood Floors
From sap to bark, birch trees are used to make everything from beer to toothpicks. Native Americans stretched birch bark on their canoe frames and used the wood to make arrows. Birch is generally straight-grained with a fine uniform texture, generally characterized by a plain and often curly or wavy pattern. A fairly heavy and strong wood, birch is extensively used for furniture, millwork and paneling, doors, kitchen cabinets and flooring.

Oak Hardwood Floors
The White Oak used in our floors is impervious to liquids, which is why it's used by wooden ship builders and wine barrel makers. A heavy, hard wood with great wear-resistance, in its natural form White Oak has light-to-dark-brown heartwood. White Oak is mostly straight-grained with a medium to coarse texture, with longer rays than Red Oak. Once hand-scraped and sanded, White Oak can take a wide range of finishes from natural clear tones to dark browns, reds and slates.

Acacia Hardwood Floors
The species Acacia has strikingly dynamic grain and knots. Some say these attributes contribute to a home full of positive energy, exuberant flow and optimistic attitude. As one of the hardest woods in the world, Acacia's dynamic looks adds exciting spirit to a home with long-lasting durability as well as an elegant look.