What are the advantages of solid hardwoods?
Solid hardwoods, as building and furnishing materials, go against the grain of a mass-produced, throw-away age. Although every hardwood board will predictably share the characteristics of its species such as – oak, ash, alder, maple, cherry, hickory and poplar – each board displays a face which is uniquely its own, having been formed over the long lifetime of the individual tree from which it came. Solid hardwood stairways, flooring, built-ins, and fireplace surrounds offer the potential for many generations of hard use. Their beauty is not skin-deep. They can live with nicks and scratches, are easily repaired and refinished, and their value is lasting. When you’re choosing for a lifetime – and maybe two or three – you should choose wisely. Solid hardwoods are genuine, not imitations. They are natural, not synthetic. They are classic, not artificial. What may look at first like solid hardwood may be something else. It pays to ask questions and take a hard look at materials. Aside from