Maple, Hard – Total Wood Species Guide

PROS: It is a very durable floor material. It comes in a variety of grades. The lower grades can have boards ranging from a pale white to a medium brown (in the same board). This wood is the most widely available, next to oak. If a pale white floor is what you desire, consider installing a prime grade maple and finish it with a totally clear water-based coating. This method will give you a more long lasting white floor and for much less cost than white staining oak. The grain pattern is visible. It is a strong floor. It wears slowly and smoothly, without splintering. The wood is dense.

CONS: Its grain pattern is so fine that to some, it is a very plain wood. They should consider curly or bird’s eye maple if they have deep pockets. It will crack if not predrilled when face nailing. You may be reminded of that gym floor look which can turn some people off. This wood doesn’t take a pigment stain at all having almost no pores, use dye stains and then only in the lightest of tones. This wood is too dense to accept color. Usually, pigment will go on maple in splotches.

TREE FACTS: Hard maple is also referred to as sugar maple. Hard maple comes from the same tree that produces the sap to make maple syrup. It comes from the sugar maple tree.