The Alumix finish on some floorings Metropolitan sells is guaranteed not to wear through to raw wood for 25 years. While some woods are harder than others, that's not necessarily the crucial factor in showing wear. Maple is harder than oak but, because it has little grain and is very light, it shows up wear more quickly than oak with its more pronounced grain. And high-gloss finishes will show wear and tear much quicker than satin finishes. Equating quality with grade is a common mistake, says Patrick Lee of Finishing Touch in Vancouver.
Wood is graded and priced on colour consistency.
Another factor that will affect the look of the floor is the width of the wood strips. It comes factory finished or unfinished. Prefinished accounts for about 50 per cent of all wood flooring sales,Sandover says. It can be laid one day and walked on the next. And tougher aluminum oxide finishes can only be achieved in the factory.