Maple is among the harder wood species, with a 1450 rating on the Janka wood hardness chart. As one of the densest wood species, Maple is ideal for high-traffic areas. Oak is slightly less hard – White Oak has a 1360 rating and Red Oak a 1290 rating.
Overall, white oak is the best choice for projects that call for water-resistant, decay resistant wood. Oak offers more options as far as grain pattern, and will provide a richer look when used as cabinetry or flooring. Maple is lighter, more affordable, and works well in contemporary spaces and for indoor projects.
Maple is indeed a very dense, very hard type of hardwood, however, its biggest downside is that it's not very scratch-resistant. Due to its light color, which ranges from creamy white to a light brown, maple does not handle scratches very well.
Compared to Red Oak, it is slightly harder. Maple is generally the lightest colored hardwood. Its grain is very smooth, giving it a modern chic look. Maple is the best choice if you're looking for super blonde wood in its natural form.
With its combination of strength and beauty, maple has become one of the most popular hardwood flooring options in the United States. It's a tough wood that stands up to decades of wear and its light, neutral color suits almost any decor style. It's also highly affordable.
Both oak and maple are resistant to dents and scratches. However, you must remember that there are several grades available and each grade may have different imperfections. Pricing: Generally, oak is more expensive than maple. However, each has several varieties whose prices depend on their quality.
Maple wood is harder than oak, but not as stable. Hardwood harvested from the outer wood of the trunk, or sapwood, is usually a light creamy white color, while hardwood harvested from the center of the tree, or heartwood, is a deeper shade of brown with a slight reddish hue.
As we mentioned earlier, oak has a rougher texture than maple, which translates into a more matte stained finish. On the other hand, stained maple appears glossy because of its smooth texture. Oak's prominent grain makes it ideal for staining, as its texture will emerge proudly through a stained finish.
The lighter, cleaner look of Maple will give a uniform look to larger, open spaces. Oak wood floors feature floorboards with more personality in the grain. As one of the classic hardwood floors, Oak works nicely with both contemporary and traditional interior design schemes.
Hickory is the most durable wood species grown domestically with a Janka rating around 1820.
Classic medium-toned browns such as cherrywood, mahogany, oak, maple, walnut, birch wood, and hickory are all timeless colors that never go out of style.
American maple hardwood flooring is a classic, and is a solid investment as it has great longevity – not just in actual terms because of its durability – but because it is a popular choice that is unlikely to go out of fashion. But as with all hardwood flooring, your investment is only as good as the installation.
John Boos & Co. Deals Primarily in Four Hardwoods
As you can see in the accompanying graph, rock maple is the hardest of these four hardwoods - about 15% harder than red oak, which ranks second. Black walnut ranks third in hardness - about 20% below red oak. Cherry is another 5% or so softer than walnut.
Maple's grain is simple and subtle. It is generally white with reddish-brown hues. While maple's grain pattern is generally quite straight, it does have some waves and curls to it. Oak is a light to middle brown colour with a cast of red.
With oak you get some added hardness and strength when compared to brown maple. Oak has an active prominent grain. If a smoother look is more your style, brown maple catches points there with its smooth, uniform wood grain.
The satin sheen is the most popular finish for hardwood floors. This hardwood floor sheen has about 40% luster and is easy to keep clean.
Maple, by its density and grain structure, does not like to "take" stain the way oak soaks it up. An oil-based wiping stain just isn't the right product for you to use -- given your goals. It is a fine product, but not the one you want here. A water soluble dye product would be much better for you.
It's a good choice as oak is one of the most durable types of wood as well as one of the most readily available. With the right installation and finish, oak can provide you a beautiful floor that can last more than 100 years.
As you may have guessed by now, maple wood is strong! In fact, maple wood is second in hardness only to hickory wood. This makes it a natural choice for many, many different types of flooring. Maple is the second most popular choice for hardwood floors in the United States, just behind Oak.
Decay Resistance
Depending on species, white oaks are rated as resistant or very resistant to moderately resistant to decay. True white oak and bur oak are considered durable, and the wood has had specific applications because of this attribute.
Hard maple is a fine-grain and light-color wood slightly more expensive than oak but less dense. A popular choice for semi-custom and custom cabinets, maple can be stained, but it is most often dressed with a clear or natural finish to achieve a light, contemporary look.
Australian Buloke – 5,060 IBF
An ironwood tree that is native to Australia, this wood comes from a species of tree occurring across most of Eastern and Southern Australia. Known as the hardest wood in the world, this particular type has a Janka hardness of 5,060 lbf.
Although not as tough, stiff, or heavy as hard maple, soft maple tends to resist warping and twisting better. Its color ranges from pale brown to almost white with brown streaks. Hard maple remains strong when bent, absorbs shock well, works nicely with both power and hand tools, and resists wear.
Pine is the cheaper option
Due to pine furniture being so affordable, it is often the more popular choice. If you're looking to keep the piece of furniture long term then oak is definitely the safer option.