Because of defects, you may find a large portion of each bundle of flooring unusable. Strip flooring is usually attached to a wood subfloor with nails driven through the tongue. When you consider all those narrow boards interlocked and nailed to the subfloor every 8 in. Strip flooring is usually available in either red or white oak. According to Bruce Donahue, white oak finishes darker and has brown tones, while red oak has a pink hue.
White oak is also denser and harder than red oak.
Besides oak, strip flooring is available in many other species, the most common of which is maple. Some folks want the light color of maple to brighten a room. Maple is a bit harder than oak, although not nearly as stable. In regions such as the Northeast, which has wide swings in temperature and humidity, maple is more likely to develop gaps between boards when installed. Maple is also more expensive than oak.