Bold ways with wood floors

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A few years ago, homeowners who wanted a hardwood floor had anywhere from 20 to 30 tree species from which to select.

Today, that number has jumped to about 52, says Edward Korczak, executive director of the St. Louis-based National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA).

It's just one of the changes fueling the current hardwood-floor market, giving consumers a greater variety in the styles and wooden hues from which they can choose.

Hardwood floors, in general, cost more than carpeted spaces. But they can last for decades, prove a breeze to clean and can be made of recycled wood for an environmental bonus.

The floors can be refinished numerous times, the final number depending on the refinisher's touch. A less skilled craftsman can take too much wood off during the sanding process, robbing years from the floor's life. In a best-case scenario, the floor will last for more than a century.

According to the National Wood Flooring Association, 90 percent of real estate agents surveyed by the group said houses with wood flooring sell faster and for higher prices than those without wood floors.

The expanded wood palette -- in part due to higher number of wood-floor products being imported from China, Australia and Brazil -- is but one trend in the industry.

Sprigg Lynn, owner of Universal Floors in the District, says the local wood of choice is oak. But that doesn't mean homeowners restrict themselves to only a few wood choices.

"From ash to zebra wood, anything goes today," he says.

The variety of woods available gives homeowners greater flexibility in their design choices. If someone wants a durable wood with a deep cherry color, they may opt for a tough oak floor, then stain it a rich cherry red, he says.