Manufacturers often refer to boards around five inches wide as being the standard plank size for hardwood flooring these days. This width is popular for achieving various looks in most room sizes, especially the rustic or farmhouse decor styles.
Stick with thin widths for a classic wood floor: If you're a traditionalist, planks between 2 1⁄4 inches and 3 inches are most common in homes and give you that classic hardwood floor appearance. Go wide if you love character: Wider floorboards of 5 to 12 inches reveal a wood's character, including grain and knots.
Standard boards today are generally four to five inches. But wide boards from seven to even 24 inches have become stand fare. It's interesting to note that engineered hardwood flooring often uses wider planks in its construction.
For these smaller rooms, it is best to choose a 6” to 8” width and no larger. A 10″ wide hardwood flooring plank would overwhelm a modest room. If you do go with a wider plank in a small space, use a lighter colored wood and stain to help the room maintain a roomy appearance.
Narrow plank widths can be anywhere from 70mm – 100mm. The narrow planks are usually solid wood, or parquet block flooring. Medium width flooring is anything between 125mm – 200mm. These are generally the most popular width of flooring and there tends to be much more choice.
Standard Planks
Manufacturers often refer to boards around five inches wide as being the standard plank size for hardwood flooring these days. This width is popular for achieving various looks in most room sizes, especially the rustic or farmhouse decor styles.
The most commonly used lumber, structural lumber, are the 2-inch x 4-inch and 4-inch x 4-inch boards used in everyday DIY and construction projects.
Wide plank floors need more space to expand and contract with humidity when compared to Narrow planks. This means they won't shift as much with changes in humidity and will be less likely to cup or gap.
Solid wood flooring comes in a variety of thicknesses: typically 1/2″, 5/8″ and 3/4″. There is very little difference in cost between 1/2″ thick and 3/4″ thick because you start with the same raw material when you make the flooring.
For residential spaces, 4-6mm vinyl planks are ideal for balancing comfort and durability. These are perfect for living rooms and kitchens where you spend most of your time. In commercial settings, go for 6-12mm to handle the heavy foot traffic of places like restaurants or retail stores.
Historically, widths were functional.
Lumber was cut from a 3” by 1” plank to manufacture a 2 1/4” board (essentially a two-by-four). Given that some boards were fewer than 3 inches, mills cut these smaller boards into 1 1/2” strips (“strip flooring”).
A piece of surfaced (sanded smooth) 2x4 lumber actually measures 1½ inches thick and 3½ inches wide. In rough-cut condition, a 2x4 is slightly less than 2 inches thick and approximately 4 inches wide. When wood is milled from a rough to a smooth surface, it loses about ¼-inch from each of its four sides.
Wide plank hardwood floors are experiencing a resurgence in popularity in 2025. These floors feature wider individual planks compared to traditional narrow planks, and this difference in width has a serious impact on the overall appearance of the flooring.
In the last 3-5 years, 5” boards have become the new “wide” standard. But even that won't do if you want the best looking floor. If you want an authentic rustic look, or an upscale modern feel, even wider planks will elevate the overall value and aesthetic of your room.
Selecting wide floor planks is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make a room look bigger. Instead of thin strips, go for boards at least seven inches wide. Longer planks (four or more feet in length) can help as well.
But all of our floors are made to be versatile and look fantastic in any space. “Wide planks have had a good run! They are very DIY-friendly and work well in so many spaces,” Melissa says. “I think narrow planks are definitely making a comeback!
The three-layer planks usually on sale range from 15 to 20 mm in thickness. Cadorin produces its planks in 16 to 21 mm thickness. The real difference, however, lies in the noble plank (the tread layer of noble wood on top), which instead of being 2,5/3,5-4.0 mm is as thick as 4.5-5.0 mm.
The minimum thickness of plywood for subflooring is about 5/8 inch. Since it does not hold fasteners as well as plywood, OSB must be a little thicker, or at least 23/32 inch.
If your planks are too large, they will make things look out of proportion. We recommend going no larger than 6-8 inches in width for small rooms. Anything larger than this may overwhelm the room and make it look even smaller. Also, consider choosing a light color and stain to give the room a more spacious appearance.
The standard size plank nowadays is 5 inches, but boards are available anywhere from 4, 5, 7, and even up 10 inches wide.
Wide plank wood boards don't have as many seams as narrower boards. This makes them prone to warping or cupping due to changes in humidity. That's why wide planks are not recommended for environments that have wide humidity fluctuations.
Wood flooring comes in both solid and engineered wood types. Thickness ranges from 10mm for engineered wood to 22mm for solid wood. Width spans from 70mm (herringbone and chevron styles) to 300mm (plank styles), and length can vary from 600mm to 2400mm.
The true measurement of a 2x4 is actually about 1.5″ x 3.5″. When the board is first rough sawn from the log, it is a true 2x4, but the drying process and planing of the board reduce it to the finished 1.5″ x 3.5″ size.
Common board at Home Depot typically consists of softwood varieties such as pine, cedar, or fir. These woods are versatile and commonly used for various DIY projects and construction purposes. However, the specific type of wood may vary depending on the region and availability.