WOOD FACTS & NATURAL COLOR CHANGES
Kährs wood floors come in a variety of species, ranging from silky, light ash to dramatically dark jarrah. Apart from looks, wood species also vary in durability, hardness and how they react when they are exposed to normal sunlight - their natural colors change gradually. But no matter which species you choose, you can rest assured that it has been sustainably forested.
Ash
The sapwood is almost white and the heartwood ranges from grey through light brown to light yellow with brown streaks. Ash undergoes a medium degree of change over time from a lighter freshly sanded tone to a straw/tan color.
| Hardness (Brinell) | Spread | |
| 4.0 | 2.8 - 6.2 |
Beech
Beech ranges in color from light cream to medium tan/brown with pink-orange overtones. It undergoes a medium degree of color change with a slight muting of the orange colors and ambering over time. Beech is not suitable for installation over underfloor heating.
| Hardness (Brinell) | Spread | |
| 3.8 | 2.0 - 5.9 |
Cherry
The sapwood is creamy white, while the heartwood can vary from deep red to reddish brown, which together forms a fine figured, straight grain. Cherry undergoes an extreme degree of color change with pronounced darkening to a dark reddish color when fully aged. This process occurs within a few weeks in direct sunlight.
| Hardness (Brinell) | Spread | |
| 3.6 | 1.7 - 6.2 |
European maple
Compared with Hard Maple, European Maple has a luster all of its own that gives the room a clean airy feel. It takes colored stains easily, and is popular because of its wide area of application in interior design and furniture. Light in color, European Maple turns golden over time.
| Hardness (Brinell) | Spread | |
| 3.0 | 2.3 - 4.5 |
Hard maple
The sapwood is cream-colored, with a tendency to reddish brown, and the heartwood varies from light to dark brown with red highlights. It undergoes a medium degree of color change, from a creamy white to golden over time.
| Hardness (Brinell) | Spread | |
| 4.8 | 3.2 - 6.9 |
Jarrah
Jarrah has a smooth surface and straight graining. The sapwood and heartwood vary from salmon-pink to deep red. Finished floors often have a dark brown to reddish purple color, which also deepens over the years.
| Hardness (Brinell) | Spread | |
| 4.7 | 2.9 - 9.0 |
Brazilian cherry, Jatoba
The sapwood can have broad figuring, light pink and sometimes greyish tones. The heartwood ranges from salmon pink to reddish brown with dark streaks. Pronounced deepening of colors, may have or develop white mineral deposit spots as the floor ages. Over time it deepens in color to a rich vibrant red.
| Hardness (Brinell) | Spread | |
| 7.0 | 4.5 - 14.1 |
White Oak
The light brown to darker tones of White Oak undergoes a medium degree of color change with slight ambering over time.
| Hardness (Brinell) | Spread | |
| 3.7 | 2.2 - 5.9 |
Red Oak
The sapwood is white to light brown, and the heartwood is pink to reddish brown. The wood usually has straight grain. It is hard and durable, and it takes a wide range of colored stains quite easily. Red Oak undergoes a medium degree of color change over time, with a slight ambering of the pink/tan brown color you get when freshly milled.
| Hardness (Brinell) | Spread | |
| 3.7 | 2.4 - 6.9 |
Walnut
The sapwood is creamy white - but the heartwood is a light brown to dark chocolate brown, sometimes with a tendency to purple. The wood gains a special luster over the years and undergoes a medium to high degree of color change with the dark brown heartwood lightening over time to a more golden brown.
|
Hardness (Brinell) |
Spread |
|
| 3.4 | 2.0 - 5.1 |
